Here's a fun little site that let's you assess your math skills from 2nd grade through to adult. However, let me be clear about something, I'm in no way intimating that Math scores are a predictor of a higher IQ or if one has a high IQ that they are more capable in the area of math. Perhaps that's why I enjoyed the article by Frank Ho and Amanda Yang who provide some interesting insights and views on the link (or not) between Math and IQ.

We know that to become more proficient at math, one must do the math! Which means, make sure you understand the concept, practice by doing and if that's not working for you, it may be time for a tutor.

A number of teachers have shared with me that they've had some success using math journals with their students. Personally, it's not a strategy I've tried when I was teaching. However, I do feel strongly about having students explain their mathematical thinking either verbally or in writing. To be able to explain solutions and strategies usually means there is deeper understanding of the concept. When a student isn't able to explain how they attacked a math problem, it may be that they're relying on a guess method with minimal strategies and it just happened to work.

Some great questions for math classes are:

• How do you know?
• What would happen if?
• What strategies did you use and why?

Of course, you don't always have time in those busy math classes to have all students share their thinking, so journals may just be the right tool for you. To find out how to do math journal and the kinds of writing your students can do, read on.

When you're in a pinch and don't really feel like stepping out to grab the graph paper you need, look no further! You'll find isometric paper of varying sizes, coordinate grids with and without numbers, various sizes of graph paper and dot paper. For whatever your need, I'm sure you'll find it here.

The downside?

You need blank paper and a printer!

Some teachers require students to memorize the formulas and some don't. Some standardized testing allow formula sheets (referred to as cheat sheets by some) and some don't. It doesn't seem to matter who you ask, the answers always vary. I've gone both ways myself depending on the concept I'm addressing. For what's it's worth, I'm sitting on the fence with this one as I think there are certain formulas worth committing to memory and others that are always available at your fingertips.

Check out what our users say about the value of memorizing (or not) formulas.

Just to clarify: once upon a time, I would only use the word formulae when referring to the plural of formula. However, with the ever evolving and changing language, both are completely acceptable according to most dictionaries.