Russian Math
What Is Russian Math? A Parent's Guide
A plain-language guide to the Russian Math approach for parents: what it actually is, why it puts reasoning before rote, and how to tell if it fits your child.
5 min read
Nova AcademyRussian Math for grades 1-5
Helping your child understand math
Parent-to-parent notes on how children learn elementary math: the common stumbles, what actually helps at home, and the thinking behind the Russian Math approach.
Choosing a program
Kumon vs Russian Math: A Parent's Honest Comparison
Kumon vs Russian Math, compared plainly: how each one actually works, what the weekly routine really costs you, and which kind of child each one suits.
6 min read
Mathnasium vs Russian Math: Which Fits Your Child?
Mathnasium vs Russian Math, explained without the sales pitch: how each one is structured, what problem each is built to solve, and which suits your child.
6 min read
How to Choose an Online Math Program for Elementary School
There is no single best online math program for elementary school. Here is the checklist we judge one by, the red flags, and how to run a trial properly.
6 min read
Is Math Tutoring Worth It? A Straight Answer for Parents
Is math tutoring worth it? Sometimes, and for a lot of families not yet. When it pays off, when it is the wrong fix, and what to try first for free.
6 min read
Grade by grade
What Math Should a 1st Grader Know?
Wondering what math should a 1st grader know? The real list of skills, problems to try at home, where children get stuck, and how to help without a workbook.
6 min read
What Math Should a 2nd Grader Know?
What math should a 2nd grader know? Place value to 1,000, regrouping, comparison problems and arrays, plus where children stall and what helps at home.
6 min read
What Math Should a 3rd Grader Know?
What math should a 3rd grader know? Multiplication, division and fractions all land this year. Here is the real list, the common stumbles, and how to help.
6 min read
What Math Should a 4th Grader Know?
A parent guide to 4th grade math: what kids learn, from fractions and decimals to long division, where confidence dips, and practical ways to help at home.
6 min read
What Math Should a 5th Grader Know?
A parent guide to 5th grade math: what kids learn, from fraction operations and decimals to long division and order of operations, and where children stall.
6 min read
The math itself
Why Your Child Reverses Digits (and How to Help)
Your first grader writes 71 for seventeen, or says 13 and 31 are the same number. Here is what is really going on, why it is normal, and simple ways to help at home.
5 min read
Multiplication Facts: Memorize or Understand?
Should kids just memorize the times tables, or understand them first? The answer is both, in the right order. Here is the array model and how fluency and meaning work together.
5 min read
How to Teach Times Tables at Home (Without the Battle)
How to teach times tables at home: build the picture first with arrays, then make the facts fast with short daily reps. Practical routines, no battles.
6 min read
Why Fractions Are So Hard (and How to Make Them Click)
Why are fractions so hard for kids? Three traps: unequal parts, a bigger bottom meaning smaller pieces, and a fraction read as two numbers, not one.
6 min read
Helping at home
Math Anxiety in Children: Signs, Causes, and What Helps
Math anxiety in children usually looks like avoidance, not fear. The signs parents actually see, where it tends to come from, and what steadies a child.
6 min read
How to Help Your Child With Math Word Problems
Word problems trip up strong calculators for a specific reason. Here are practical, tonight-ready strategies to help your child read, picture, and solve them with confidence.
5 min read
Free Math Games That Actually Teach Something
Most free math games for kids are a quiz with a cartoon on top. Here is how to tell the ones that teach from the ones that only entertain your child.
6 min read
When Your Child Says They Hate Math
If your child hates math, the sentence usually means something else: I feel stupid at math. Here is how to hear it properly, and what actually changes it.
6 min read
The Summer Math Slide, and How to Avoid It Without a Workbook
Summer math loss is real, but a workbook every day is not realistic. What actually fades over a break, and low-effort ways to hold on to it.
6 min read