Algebra starts way before x and y. It begins with patterns, missing numbers, and "what goes in the box?"
21 articles
Practice algebra with your child — free placement finds their levelSkills your child will master
Introduces algebraic thinking through pattern recognition and balance-scale models years before formal equation solving.
A clear reference explaining PEMDAS, the rules that tell you which operations to do first in a math expression. With examples and common mistakes.
PEMDAS is not wrong, but it is incomplete and often taught in a way that creates new misconceptions. Here is how to teach order of operations so your child understands the logic, not just the acronym.
Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing negative numbers trips up many students. Here is how to teach the rules so they make sense, not just as rules to memorize.
Negative numbers seem abstract until you connect them to things your child already understands, temperature, elevators, and debt. Here is how to make negative numbers intuitive before the rules are introduced.
Absolute value is a simple concept that sounds complicated. It just means distance from zero. Here is how to teach it so the notation makes sense.
Equations and expressions are two of the most confused terms in math. Here is the simple difference, and why it matters for your child's understanding.
A clear explanation of what variables are and why they are not as scary as they seem. Written for parents helping their child transition into algebra.
A simple explanation of coefficients, the numbers in front of variables. What they mean and why they matter in algebra.
Variables are where arithmetic becomes algebra. Most kids think of 'x' as a mystery to solve. Here is how to introduce variables as a natural extension of the number relationships they already know.
A clear explanation of inequalities, greater than, less than, and the symbols that express them. Written for parents helping with math.
Inequalities are like equations, but with a range of answers instead of one. Here is how to teach greater than, less than, and solving inequalities so your child understands the logic, not just the symbols.
A clear explanation of slope, what it measures, how to calculate it, and what different slopes look like on a graph.
Linear equations are the bridge between algebra and geometry. Here is how to teach y = mx + b so your child sees that every equation tells the story of a line, its steepness, its starting point, and its direction.
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