Middle School Math Tips That Actually Work

Middle school math can be challenging especially if you don’t know how to go about it. Middle School math tips are crucial to know how to manage middle school math and succeed in it. 

That’s why we asked our middle school math tutors to come up with the most practical tips and strategies to help middle schoolers learn math. 

You can succeed in middle school math by following these tips: 

• Review the math concepts
• Know your curriculum expectations
• Make a realistic study plan
• Create a detailed study plan
• Practice past papers
• Find a math tutor

For a detailed step-wise analysis and explanation of middle school math tips, read on!

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Review Middle School concepts and syllabus

Before you begin to practice your lessons, you should what lessons you will practice this year. What is a standard middle school math curriculum? What is your middle school math lesson plan? 

Make a checklist of the middle school math chapters, topics, and subtopics like this: 

• Geometry
• Angles between intersecting lines.
• Triangle angles.
• Pythagorean theorems.
• Pythagorean and distance between points.
• Pythagorean theorem proofs.
• Volume.

After you’ve completed each subtopic, topic, or entire math subject, tick the checklist to mark it’s done! This activity should be a part of your study plan. 

To discover the most practical tips and strategies for middle school math please read: Middle School Math Tips

Figure out curriculum expectations

The process of developing a learning blueprint is called curriculum planning. It entails determining the instruction’s objectives, choosing the materials and exercises that will help you reach those objectives, and projecting the effort.

This is a little task to help you determine what your curricular expectations are. To help you understand the objectives and expectations of your program, answer these questions in writing:

Identifying learning goals

• What do you want to do by the end of the course or unit?
• What are the most important topics to practice?
• What are the most difficult math topics? 
• What are easy-to-score math topics? 

Finding resources

• What textbooks, articles, websites, and other resources are available to learn the material?
• What activities and assessments will help you achieve your learning goals?

Time management

• How much time will each lesson or activity take?

You are ready to start creating your study plan once you have determined your learning objectives, located relevant materials, and calculated the effort required.

To find the hardest middle school math topics please read: Is Middle School Math Hard? [A Must Read For Middle Schoolers]

Analyze your learning goals and needs

Making a study plan based on your curriculum expectations is easy once you understand what the expectations are.

Academic achievement and efficient study techniques, abilities, and attitudes have always been associated. According to research conducted by Crede, M., & Kuncel, N. R. (2008), students are more likely to maintain organization and make good use of their study time if they establish clear goals and adhere to efficient study plans. 

Follow these steps to make your study plan:

Consider your learning goals

By the end of your program or course, what do you want to complete? What’s your target score? Knowing your objectives will enable you to begin identifying the precise subjects and actions that will support you in achieving them.

Consider your learning needs

What knowledge are you seeking? What past knowledge and abilities do you have? What’s your learning style? Which learning approaches do you prefer? You may design an engaging and challenging curriculum by being aware of your learning needs.

Be realistic

Avoid taking on too much on your plate. Your potential should be known to you. Don’t aim for 20 if you can only finish 10 problems in a day. However, do not undervalue who you are. When necessary, be willing to put in that extra hours and effort.

Talk to your teachers and mentors

They can assist you in determining your areas of strength and weakness and in creating a program suitable for your objectives and level.

Finally, create a study plan

You can create a monthly, weekly, and daily study schedule. The following information has to be part of your study plan:

Number of hours: Decide how many hours you will spend on your middle school math each day.

Time of the day: Choose the time of day that works best for you to practice middle school maths.

Lessons or Concepts: Fix what lessons or concepts you will practice each day of the week.

Test day: Fix a day when you will take a test on the lessons or concepts you’ve learned. You can test your skills by choosing questions from past year’s papers, solving them, and marking yourself honestly against the answers.

Monthly goal: Fix what concepts will be done by the end of each month. 

💡Tip: You can use Google Sheets, study plan calendars, note-taking tools, or a simple pen and diary to plan your study.

Practice past papers 

After mastering a concept, practicing prior papers is similar to taking memory tests. Taking memory tests is an effective study strategy to retain the concept for longer. Source: Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006).

Students can also have a thorough understanding of the test format and probable question categories by studying past papers. They help in pointing out the important subjects that they should concentrate on when revising.

They also let you practice answering timed questions similar to those on tests. You can find and fix any gaps in your knowledge or comprehension if you practice past exams regularly.

These are tips to practice past papers effectively:

Follow recent years’ papers

Look for papers from recent years, as this will give you the best idea of the current format of the test. 

For example, if you’re about to take your exam in 2024, start by practicing question papers from the year 2023 to the year 2014 in this order: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and so on.

Use past papers to revise a concept

When you are revising a topic, try to answer some past exam questions on that topic. This will assist in making an authentic self-assessment.

For example: If you are revising the concept of fractions in math, you could find some past exam questions on fractions and try to answer them. This will help you to identify the areas where you need more practice.

Focus on the timely completion of answers

Time yourself as you are answering the questions so that you can get used to working under timed conditions of the real test in the exam hall. 

For example: If the exam clocks for 3 hours, try to complete your practice papers in 2.5 hours. Save half an hour extra to review the answers and avoid delay.

Focus on the improvement areas

If you find any questions that you are struggling with, go back and revise the relevant topic.

Ask your teacher for help if you are still struggling with any questions.

For example, Many students find Middle School algebra difficult. If you get stuck in algebra problems, focus on practicing them more.

Find a math tutor

Research has shown that a clear understanding of the syllabus and teacher’s feedback is essential for effective learning. This understanding helps students identify what topics to focus on and ensures that they are adequately prepared for the content that will be tested. Source: Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007).

Ignoring your learning needs is a bad idea, especially for middle school math. A math tutor will help you with concept clearing, assignments, test prep, and overall guidance to excel in your academics.

Wiingy is an online tutoring platform that provides individualized math lessons from highly vetted instructors. It offers outstanding 1-on-1 middle school math classes starting at just $28 per hour, where you get to pick your own middle school math tutors.

The first lesson is complimentary, allowing you to try the tutoring service before actually booking a paid lesson. The best part is that a student need not subscribe to long-term lesson plans or packages. You can book as few as one, or as many lessons as you want.

🎉To find the best math resources and worksheets please visit: Middle School Math Resources You Can Easily Access

Be consistent with Middle School math tips

Every new idea expands upon the ones that came before it. It will be challenging to excel in more advanced high school math topics if you don’t have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of middle school math.

Maintaining consistency is crucial as it helps in creating a strong foundation. Regular maths practice helps to solidify and reinforce previously learned topics. In addition, you are improving your problem-solving techniques and gaining self-assurance.

Maintaining consistency in your maths studies also increases the likelihood of maintaining motivation. You are more inclined to desire to continue when you are making progress. It can be challenging to make up, though, if you fall behind. 

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