These days my head is full of formulas, variables, and equations. My oldest is in high school now, so I’m officially engrossed in upper level math. Since I’m the one teaching the math lessons, I have to take time to make sure I completely understand the mathematical concepts I’m teaching.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had to do high school math, so I sometimes need a refresher on a particular concept. That’s when I turn to YouTube for math tutorials. These videos help jog my memory and sometimes show me a new and better way of teaching a specific concept.

Let me tell you. Some of these Youtube math masters teach better than I do. Do I get mad? Give in to self doubt? Nah. I just thank God for the gift of YouTube and call for my daughter. She sits down, watches the explanation, talks with me about it, and goes off to do the lesson in her math book. That’s a win for both of us.

Yes, YouTube is great, but there are hundreds of math channels there. It’s hard to sort through them all. Which channels are watch worthy? Check out my list of favorites and subscribe.

Khan Academy: Khan Academy is the go to website for all things math related. Sal’s detailed videos have helped my daughter and me better understand many different mathematical concepts.

Tarver Academy: This channel is informative and entertaining. Tyler Tarver’s videos are practical, pointed, and amusing. He’s helped us better understand many math topics. At first, I just watched videos to learn more about math, but now I also tune in to see what’s going on with Tyler’s  adorable family.

MathAntics:The more intricate concepts of math are built upon basic principles. Every now and then my daughter needs to review one of these basic concepts. MathAntics is the perfect website for review. We both love these informative and entertaining videos.

Professor Leonard: Professor Leonard is the Superman of Math. I love his enthusiastic and detailed approach to math instruction. He does a great job of taking complicated concepts and breaking them down into easy to understand steps. I love that he provides lots of examples as well. Check out his playlists for specific topics such as Calculus, Statistics, and Algebra.

MathTutorDVD: I discovered this channel last school year have used it often. The channel features full length lessons in Prealgebra, Algebra, Calculus, and Trignometry. If you’re teaching upper level math, you’ll want to subscribe to this channel.

Teaching math can be challenging, but YouTube videos make it easier for moms and kids to understand concepts. Are you teaching upper level math this year? Are there any YouTube channels you’d recommend? If so, PLEASE leave a comment below. My YouTube account always has room for another channel!

Math manipulatives are awesome! I love them because they allow me to present mathematical concepts in a concrete manner my girls easily understand. My girls love them because they’re fun to play with and make learning mathematical concepts more enjoyable.

If you’re into math manipulatives like me or you want learn more about them, please continue reading. I’m sharing a list of our must have manipulatives, describing where to purchase them, noting printable math manipulative resources, and offering ideas on how to store them.

Must Have Homeschool Math Manipulatives

These are the Thorpe family’s “must have” math manipulatives.

• Counters (bears, beads, cubes, etc)
• Linking clips
• Snap/Unifix cubes (Use them in this fun and free Snap Cube activity) 
• Abacus
• Place Value Rods
• Tangram Pieces
• Fraction Bars
• Spinners
• Mosaic tiles
• Pattern Blocks/Shape Tiles
• Geoboards
• Clocks
• Flash Cards
• Pentaminoes

Where To Find Homeschool Math Manipulatives

Over the years, I’ve found math manipulatives in a variety of places. Here are a few of the places I check when looking for additional math manipulatives.

• Curriculum publishing company: You’ll find exactly what you’re looking for when purchasing math manipulatives directly from the curriculum provider you’ve chosen. If you’re considering costs, you may want to search elsewhere as this tends to be the most expensive option.
• Local homeschool curriculum sales: Each spring, many of the local homeschool groups in our area host used curriculum sales. I’ve hit the homeschool jackpot several times while shopping the local sales.
• Yard sales: Keep an eye out for math manipulatives at yard sales. If you’d like to learn about a homeschool mom can make the most of a yard sale, check out this post: The Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Yard Sales.
• Library: Our local library holds used book sales three or four times each year. They’ve included a new educational section that offers manipulatives in addition to books.
• Ebay: I always find manipulatives here. Prices are usually reasonable, especially if you buy used manipulatives. Just check out the shipping costs to make sure you’re getting a fair price.
• Amazon: You already know Amazon rocks! I often purchase manipulatives from Learning Resource Center and Child Craft. Depending upon the vendor, Amazon Prime members may not have to pay for shipping.
• Facebook: There are dozens and dozens of homeschool sale/swap groups on Facebook. Great items are posted daily. Go the extra mile and see if you can find a local sale/swap group. Meet up in a safe public location and pay cash. No shipping fees!
• Homemade: This is a fun and inexpensive option and one children may be able to do alongside you. This post, 15 Homemade Math Manipulatives, has great ideas for making homeschool math manipulatives.

Free Math Manipulative Printables

• Centre for Innovation in Mathematics: This is an awesome general math site, but check out the math printables under the title For All Years 1 to 6. This includes printable number lines, number cards, shape cards, and math sign cards. These are great to use in games or in math journals.

• Donna Young’s Math Section: Donna Young’s website is one every homeschool mom should visit often. You could spend hours checking out all of her resources, but this math page will provide useful printables for math lessons.

• Mathematics Blackline Masters: Make sure your printer’s ink cartridge is fully loaded because you’re going to want to print many of the awesome math printables here!

• I Am Homeschooling: Before you purchase manipulatives, you’ll want to check out this awesome list of printable manipulatives. Laminate them, so they’ll last for years to come.

Storing Homeschool Math Manipulatives:

If I’m not careful, manipulatives will take over my house! However, just by using simple and inexpensive items, I can keep our homeschool math manipulatives neatly stored and well organized. Consider these simple storage solutions.

• Place manipulatives inside plastic organizers of various colors and sizes. Dollar Tree often has a great selection of plastic organizers.
• Seal manipulatives inside sandwich, quart, and gallon size zipper lock storage bags.
• Keep flashcards and small items like bills and coins inside of zippered pencil pouches.
• Store bags of manipulatives inside of sturdy shoeboxes. Shoeboxes can be stacked on top of one another for easy storage.
• Storage bags of manipulatives inside of canvas storage bins. I usually purchase mine at Walmart or Big Lots.
• Designate a desk drawer as place for storing bags of manipulatives.

Math manipulatives are a helpful resource for the homeschooling mom. Gather them now and organize them neatly, so they’re easily accessible all school year long.