Studying maths in the teenage years

Some children find maths fascinating.  They absorb concepts such as those in basic algebra and geometry at a young age, and ask for more.  They intuitively understand how graphs work, they are competent with calculators, and they play around with number theory.

Children with this kind of aptitude will probably continue learning maths without any teaching. However, you may decide it's a good idea to introduce some new concepts - simple trigonometry, for instance, or more advanced algebra.  If so, you may want to get hold of a 'key stage 3' maths text book. These are really intended for secondary school children aged 11-14, but may well be suitable for a home educated child of eight or nine who enjoys and understands maths.

There are many interesting and well-produced Key Stage 3 maths text-books available online and at local bookshops. Since each child is an individual, and publications change frequently, it's impossible to make any specific recommendations - it's best to have a browse around your local Waterstones or WH Smiths and see what appeals to you.

By this stage your child is likely be taking an interest in what resources are used, so it's a good idea to take him or her to your local bookshop if you want to find a good text-book. They mostly cover the same ground, but have quite different presentations and what appeals to you might not appeal to your child!

If you are not mathematically inclined yourself, you may want to ensure that you find a book with answers, or enlist the help of a mathematical relatives or friend to help your children if they get stuck, or have questions. 

There are many online resources for maths too - you can find a few good ones linked from my maths resources page.

If your child is not interested in maths

Many children cannot see the point of maths, beyond basic arithmetic and the necessary calculations in everyday life.  If your child is able to use a calculator, and can work out (for instance) how to double the ingredients of a recipe, and what change to expect in shops, then it may be time to stop worrying about maths. This is one of the advantages of home education: a child can study and work on topics he or she enjoys, rather than having to pursue a 'balanced' curriculum.

I happen to be one of those who enjoyed maths at school; I even did a degree in maths. But since completing it, I have found no use for calculus, trigonometry, advanced algebra or geometry. I don't think I've even done any long division. Equipping your child for adult life does not necessarily have to involve complex maths.

What about GCSE maths?

If your child enjoys completing a Key Stage 3 maths classbook, or equivalent, he may want to consider taking a maths GCSE course. There are many options for home educators, although most are expensive. Check my GCSE page for details of the various ways that home educators can take GCSEs, either by college or correspondence course, or self-study at home.

If your child is not mathematically inclined, then there is probably no reason to take maths GCSE, unless he or she wants to follow some career which requires it. If that is the case, it should provide the motivation to work at the subject, first using key Stage 3 books which provide a good introduction to most GCSE topics, and then one of the many GCSE maths text-books.

There is an interesting website giving plenty of student notes and help for GCSE maths at GCSE Maths Revision, and you can also find some GCSE maths notes in the maths section of BBC education: bitesize.

Keeping maths informal and enjoyable

If you prefer a more informal approach, and your child is interested in maths concepts rather than learning techniques and doing maths exercises or exams, an excellent book you might enjoy together from about age eight or nine is Carol Vorderman's How Math Works.

A very helpful site (despite its name!) which explains many secondary school maths topics by example, is Maths for morons. You might also be interested in subscribing (free) to the Gnarly Math newsletter, which is intended to show that maths is fun, with some humour and puzzles.

There are many other maths pages on the Internet which you can use for interesting research, or different kinds of problem solving, whether or not you follow a course or use workbooks. A couple that we enjoyed are Interactive puzzles and NRich Online maths club.

Further reading on this site:

maths and the home educated teen
simultaneous equations
maths phobia
online maths resources