Math Help for 8th Graders
Students of all ages can benefit from math help, and 8th graders are no exception! The reality is that math is challenging, and as your child moves through middle school, the topics often become more complex. By eighth grade, they are likely learning about advanced concepts, such as the Pythagorean Theorem, linear equations, integer exponents, congruence, and more.
As a parent, it’s important to monitor your child’s math progress so that you can determine if they require extra math help outside the classroom. If you identify that your 8th grader could benefit from additional math help, there are several resources you can take advantage of. Hiring a math tutor is one option and may provide your child with the one-on-one attention they need. Another resource is math software, like Khan Academy. This type of software typically offers virtual math instruction through pre-recorded videos and practice questions. Another resource to consider is math games, such as Prodigy. Prodigy uses game-based learning to make math fun, help students improve their math confidence, and even raise their math test scores while improving the speed at which they solve math problems. Continue reading to find out more about 8th-grade math help resources and how they can provide students with the support they need.
8th Grade Math Curriculum
Math plays a major role in education because students engage with it throughout most of their school years. Each year of math expands upon topics and concepts previously taught. This means gaps in understanding can grow quickly if they aren’t addressed early.
Depending on the school system, 8th-grade math may be the last year before transitioning to high school. It’s important for students to feel confident with the skills they are learning before entering secondary school. To support your child’s success after 8th grade, consider leveraging a math help resource that is aligned with their 8th-grade math curriculum, such as Prodigy.
Math resources that are aligned with the curriculum your child is learning can help them gain a better understanding of the math topics taught in class, as well as motivate them to practice what they’ve learned. Examples of what you can expect your child to learn in 8th-grade math include: applying the Pythagorean Theorem, using functions to model relationships between quantities, investigating patterns of association in bivariate data, and understanding the connection between proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations.
If you suspect that your child needs help grasping these 8th-grade math skills, you may want to consider exploring different resources.
How to Help 8th Graders with Math
Recognizing your child needs help is the first step, and the next step is finding the right kind of support. The challenge is that there are numerous ways you can try to support your child. For example, you might consider hiring a tutor, helping them with their homework yourself, or signing them up for a math game. To ensure you make the best possible decision for your child, we explain each of these options below.
Helping with 8th Grade Math Homework
As a parent, it’s natural to want to help when your child is facing a challenge. For example, if they are having a tough time with their math homework, you may want to jump in and try to help them in any way you can. While the intention is certainly positive, many parents find it challenging to consistently support, whether due to limited time, energy, or confidence in the subject matter. Therefore, helping your child directly may not be the most practical option, but luckily there are several other great options to consider.
Math Software for the 8th Grade
Instead of helping your 8th grader with their math homework directly, why not set them up for success through math software? Math software encompasses both apps and websites, with Khan Academy and Math is Fun being two popular examples. Typically, kids log in to a platform where they can view lessons or read explanations to help them understand key concepts..The software may also feature digital math puzzles, manipulatives, and worksheets, all of which students can use to practice the concepts they’ve learned. One of the main benefits of math software is that it's accessible anytime, anywhere, because it is online.
Math Games for the 8th Grade
8th-grade math games are another great option if your child is struggling with math. Such games share some of the same advantages as math software. Namely, that they are played online and therefore can be accessed at any time, no matter where your child is. This makes them a convenient and accessible option for parents and children alike.
To help you gain a better understanding of how math games work, let’s do an analysis of Prodigy, a leading online math game for 8th-grade students. Prodigy immerses users in a role-playing game where they participate in math duels against in-game characters. A user can only progress to the next level when they have correctly answered the math problems presented to them.
What’s so great about Prodigy is that it uses adaptive learning and differentiated instruction principles to adjust to the needs and abilities of each student who plays it. It’s also curriculum-aligned, which means that your 8th grader will be answering questions that align with what they are learning in school. This makes it a perfect complement to classroom learning.
Importantly, Prodigy’s math research shows just how effective gamifying math can be. But don’t take our word for it, check out the following stats: Students who used Prodigy the most saw up to 5x greater improvement in math, and students at Clifton Public Schools in New Jersey mastered 68% more math skills per month when using Prodigy in the year 2019-2020 compared to the year 2018-2019. When compared to traditional learning, digital game-based learning has been shown to be more effective in improving the mathematical learning of students. Clearly, online game-based learning has benefits for math students, making it an effective option if your child requires 8th-grade math help.
Hiring a Math Tutor for Your 8th Grader
Another common form of 8th-grade math help is to hire a tutor for your child. Tutors have plenty of benefits. Namely, they provide one-on-one attention that your child may not receive in the classroom. A great tutor will also adapt their teaching style to each student, employing the best strategy to help them learn. Tutors can personalize lesson plans, spending more time on topics that your child may have trouble grasping and less time on others that they have an easier time understanding.
Nowadays, math tutors come in many forms. They can be virtual or in-person, and they can be private tutors or work for a tutoring center. There might even be group tutoring sessions offered in your area, as opposed to traditional one-on-one tutoring sessions. Ultimately, hiring a tutor for your child can be a great decision, but choosing which one to hire can be tricky. You will need to consider a range of factors, including your budget, schedule, and your child’s needs and learning style. It is also important to note that tutoring can be expensive. The average cost of a math tutor is approximately $40 USD per hour. However, this number can differ based on factors like location, the level of tutoring required, how experienced the tutor is, and whether the tutor is private or from a tutoring company.
Prodigy
Are you ready to find your child the math help they deserve? Get started today with Prodigy, featuring an online math game that is standards-aligned and loved by 8th graders.
Not only is game-based learning considered to be an effective (and fun!) form of math help, but Prodigy comes with several additional benefits for parents, teachers, and students. As mentioned, Prodigy is standards-aligned, which can provide peace of mind knowing that your child is playing a game that reinforces the very same 8th-grade math skills taught in class. Second, Prodigy is free for students and is available for children in the first grade up to the eighth grade. This means that parents with a wide range of budgets can take advantage of this platform. Another reason so many parents choose Prodigy is for the Teacher/Parent Dashboard that is built into it. Parents can log into the platform at any time and access this dashboard, which provides detailed reports on usage and progress. For example, you can clearly see how often your child is logging into and engaging with the game, as well as how they are performing throughout the game. This information is powerful, as it can help you identify and address learning gaps, which can also be shared with your child’s teacher.
One final reason to give Prodigy a try is that it makes learning fun. Trying to make math fun is at the heart of our immersive, role-playing fantasy math game. Thankfully, our goal has been achieved, with research showing that using Prodigy can improve enjoyment among students who had previously cited low math enjoyment. Join the fun and have your child sign up for Prodigy today.
