Math Hints: Easy Mathematical Strategies from Counting Through Calculus
MathHints.com (formerly shelovesmath.com) is a free website that includes hundreds of pages of math, explained in simple terms, with thousands of examples of worked-out problems. Topics cover basic counting through Differential and Integral Calculus! Use Math Hints to homeschool math, or as a supplement to math courses at school. The website was developed by Lisa Johnson, a retired telecom engineer, who has tutored math for over three decades.
My philosophy on teaching math:
- You can’t study for math tests without doing problems! A lot of times, I think I know the subject I’m tutoring (by looking at the book), and then when I get in there and start solving problems, I realize that I didn’t know it as well as I thought I did!
- Learning math should be an active experience and should relate to the world. And always use “simpler numbers” if a problem’s numbers are complicated. For example, paying $ \$4$ for $ 2$ oranges makes it more obvious that you need to divide than paying $ \$5.88$ for $ 3$ oranges.
- Learning math requires an understanding of what to “memorize” (for example, the tools), and what to “understand”. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel; it’s already been invented. Don’t worry if you have to memorize something with math without “understanding” it!
- Learning more advanced math is no more than building on what is already known: if you can add $ 2+2$, and build with math tools, you can be taught to solve a complicated Calculus problem.
- Math books tend to “brag” and try to explain things with difficult words that sometimes don’t make sense! Math can be explained more easily with every day words.
- Sometimes there’s just one little concept that isn’t known or understood that makes a whole new math concept difficult. We need to find that and learn it!
- Math = Rules + Examples + Practice, Practice, Practice!!!
You can Ask a Math Question here!
Note: Please give me feedback for this site at lisa@mathhints.com. Thanks!
Note: The tools I use to create the graphs and equations are Graph (free!) and MathType, respectively.
Basic Math
Adding and Subtracting | Prime Numbers, GCF and LCM | Fractions |
Multiplying and Dividing | Decimals | Metric System |
Pre-Algebra
Percents, Ratios, and Proportions | Powers, Exponents, Radicals, and Scientific Notation | Negative Numbers and Absolute Value |
Order of Operations (PEMDAS) |