Friday, December 07, 2018

Do I Really Need to Study Math?

For a student who simply wants to "pass" the GED, it is tempting to spend little time on the math portion. For some students, those who have a fairly good foundation in math concepts, that is ok. But for those students who don't have a good foundation, this can be disastrous. Those students typically want to "bounce" around from topic to topic.
When tutoring my GED math students, I use an analogy of a mason building a brick house. Each brick represents a math concept. You must first lay a solid foundation of basic whole number understanding. If you skip or skim over a concept, it will weaken your house. Start with a solid foundation and then lay each brick of knowledge thoughtfully and in the right order.
Students don't always know what that order is. They either need a tutor, or a good GED math book.

GED Math and Basic Math Facts

Learning the basic facts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are an important part of any math foundation. I am a firm believer that every student, whether a child or adult, needs to know their basic facts, without using their fingers, a chart, or a calculator. Having a solid foundation and a firm understanding in this area will better equip a student for learning fractions, decimals, percent, algebra, geometry, etc. If a student does not knows their math facts, they will struggle in math all the way through school. When learning or reviewing these facts, use a variety of methods and resources.

math flashcards
For additional math resources worksheetsheetsdirect


This is especially important for students who are studying to take their GED math test. The stronger a learner's basic knowledge of math skills, including basic math facts, the quicker a student can complete the math problems.  There are some great resources on the internet for downloading math flashcards or interactive activities for reinforcing your student's basic math facts.



Wednesday, December 05, 2018

Practice GED Math Question | Geometry | Area

Mr. Tress built a new home and is currently planning on seeding his back yard with a new hybrid grass seed that costs $45 a bag.  The direction say that each bag will cover 495 square feet of grass.  By the way each bag contains 4 pounds.  The dimensions of the back yard is 100 yards in length and 40 yards in width.

Mr. Tress is also putting in a wonderful circular pool with a diameter of 20 feet.

Given the dimensions of the yard and pool, how many bags of grass seed will be needed and what will be the approximate cost for the grass seed?

Geometry math problem
Additional resources worksheetsdirect.com 

Answer:  About 72 bags of grass seed  Cost :  $3240
For more math practice check out WorksheetsDirect.com

Saturday, November 10, 2018

GED Math Factorials, Permutation, Combinations | Videos

I recently helped a student with their GED math, and in particular GED math and factorials.  Until she showed me the section on factorials, I had no idea that concept along with permutations are important to understand.  To be even clearer, it was in the GED Science section of the GED learning video.

example of factorials


The learner was completely confused, and even though she read through and listened to the video, she still had no idea what the difference was between factorials, permutations, and combinations.  She also was baffled as to how they might relate to her in the "real world".

Being the teacher I am, I decided to Google these terms and search for any website that might offer a simple explanation.

exampe of finding combinations


I did find one... and that was Kahn Academy.  All the other websites had examples and explanations, but they were, in my opinion, still too complicated.  I was looking for a simple and easy way to try to break down the difference so that my students, who were preparing for their GED math test, might have a better understanding.

Having found, not one, but several videos on factorials, permutations, and combinations gave me a sense of relief.  I now have a resource for my students.  There are also several samples worked out through videos. 

As a teacher, watching those videos, I now have a better understanding of how to teach the difference.

I would highly suggest that if you are teaching your students these GED math concepts, you go to Kahn Academy and view these videos.

They helped me tremendously.... and I am anxious to meet with my student in a few days to share what I have learned.

You might be thinking... just TELL me... what IS factorials, permutations, and combinations!  In all honesty, I am still learning myself.  What I can tell you is once you view the videos.... perhaps even once or twice..... you will have a great understanding!  I also think that you will then be able to, in simple math language, explain to your learners, not only the difference but also give them examples.

Check out videos on factorials, permutations, and combinations!