Learning Math as an Adult: Resources and Strategies for Success

Many adults find themselves needing or wanting to improve their math skills, whether for career advancement, personal enrichment, or simply to better understand the world around them. Fortunately, numerous resources are available to support adult learners on their mathematical journey. This article explores a variety of these resources, catering to different learning styles and needs, to help you find the right path to mathematical proficiency.

Embracing the Challenge: Why Math Matters for Adults

Adults returning to math often face unique challenges. They may have negative past experiences with math education, lack confidence in their abilities, or struggle to find the time and motivation to study. However, the benefits of improving math skills are undeniable. Stronger math skills can lead to better job opportunities, increased financial literacy, and a greater ability to solve everyday problems. Moreover, engaging with math can be a rewarding and intellectually stimulating experience in itself.

Foundational Resources for Building a Strong Base

Before tackling more advanced topics, it's essential to have a solid understanding of fundamental math concepts. Several resources focus on building this foundation:

Mathplanet: Mathplanet is a free, accessible platform offering high school math courses in Pre-algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry. It also provides practice tests for the SAT and ACT, making it a valuable resource for adults preparing for standardized tests or simply seeking to refresh their knowledge.
NYSED/CUNY Fast Track GRASP Math Packets: The CUNY HSE Math Framework focuses on Problem-Solving in Functions & Algebra. It integrates problem-solving strategies, productive struggle, perseverance and mathematical discussion into content learning.
Nix the Tricks: This free online book is filled with alternatives to mathematical shortcuts, explaining why tricks often hinder understanding and can lead students to believe they are incapable of sense-making.

Engaging with Rich Problems and Activities

Traditional math instruction often focuses on rote memorization and procedural skills. However, a growing movement emphasizes the importance of engaging with rich, challenging problems that promote deeper understanding and critical thinking. Here are some resources that offer such problems:

Open Middle Problems: Open Middle provides math problems that can be searched by topic and grade level (K-12). These problems have a closed beginning and often a closed ending, but an "open middle," meaning there are multiple ways to approach each problem. This encourages students to try, struggle, fail, adjust, and try again until they make a discovery.
Math for Love: The Math for Love site has a huge collection of Openers, Games, Rich Tasks and lessons.
Citizen Math: Citizen Math believes that math class should be about real issues and that most issues don't have a right or wrong answer. Their lesson plans and activities are designed for classrooms "where students are provided with the inspiration and intellectual simulation they need to engage with math and society in the ways they must."
Robert Kaplinsky's Problem-Based Lesson Search Engine: Robert Kaplinsky is one of the educators behind Open Middle.
Adult Numeracy Network Desmos Activities: A growing collection of Desmos activities created by members of the Adult Numeracy Network.

Curriculum Resources Designed for Adult Learners

For adult education programs seeking comprehensive math curricula, the following resources are particularly valuable:

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Curriculum from SABES Mathematics and Adult Numeracy Curriculum & Instruction PD Center: These materials are designed for adult students by adult ed teachers, promoting deeper learning than traditional workbooks.
CALM (Comprehensive Adult Learning Math): CALM is a complete 22-unit curriculum for students in ABE through ASE, based on the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRSAE) for Math.

Contextualized Learning: Connecting Math to Real-World Issues

Many adults find math more engaging when it's connected to real-world contexts and issues they care about. Several resources offer contextualized lessons and activities:

Project-Based Learning Plans: Examples include "Seeing Math in Art" and "Be Your Own Boss Unit," which prepares students to use math and reasoning to make big decisions.
Integrating TSTM into CALM Math Classes:
Disproportionate Incarceration: This math unit develops graphing and proportional reasoning skills using social justice contexts.
Understanding Risk:
Heat Wave: A math lesson plan exploring climate change, focusing on using box-and-whisker charts to compare sets of data.
Will It Rain Tomorrow?: This lesson was designed as part of a science unit on weather, climate, and climate change, with the recognition that an understanding of basic probability and statistics is required to understand the scientific concepts.

Innovative Learning Platforms and Tools

In addition to traditional resources, several innovative platforms and tools are transforming the way adults learn math:

Math Academy: Math Academy accelerates the learning process and is geared towards students with an aptitude for math and the dedication to learn, but find their existing resources suboptimal. Math Academy's courses are fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Additionally, Math Academy, LLC is approved and officially listed in the University of California's Directory of Online Publishers.
Partial Product Finder: The Partial Product Finder allows multiplication combinations (up to 50 x 50) to be represented as a rectangle, or array.

Overcoming Math Anxiety and Building Confidence

Math anxiety can be a significant barrier for adult learners. It's important to create a supportive learning environment that emphasizes understanding over memorization and encourages students to persevere through challenges.

Productive Struggle: The CUNY HSE Math Framework integrates problem-solving strategies, productive struggle, perseverance and mathematical discussion into content learning.

The Importance of Practice and Perseverance

Like any skill, math proficiency requires consistent practice and perseverance. Set realistic goals, break down complex topics into smaller steps, and celebrate your progress along the way. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it, and remember that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process.

Free Math Support

Mattecentrum: Mattecentrum, founded in 2008 in Sweden, is a non-profit membership organization that offers free mathematics support for everyone. Through its network, Mattecentrum orchestrates complimentary math labs throughout Sweden, conducted within schools, libraries, and various other venues spread across 24 different cities.
Digital Math Labs: In Mattecentrum's digital math labs, also known as Live Help, students can engage with the organization's volunteers through video meetings to receive personalized assistance with their math queries.
Matteboken: Matteboken is Mattecentrum's digital knowledge site, offering math exercises, theory, and video lessons spanning from preschool to the highest level of high school. The site also includes puzzles, quizzes for college entrance exams, and a collection of old national exams.

Gamification

Gamification: One thing I forgot to mention is the gamification, which is based on how much XP you earn each week by completing lessons. I’ve been in the top tier (Platinum) every week so far. My username is Gabe (original, right? 😆) for those who try it out in case we end up in the same league. Happy mathing!

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