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Before the Math

Before you start learning about operations and math you might like to think about stuff you already know. Shapes are a big part of easy math and more difficult math. You probably know about circles and squares, but there are also triangles, pentagons, and something called a torus. Knowing three-dimensional shapes will also be a big help. They won't all be new to you, you know about balls and boxes. We'll cover ideas such as a ball is really a sphere. Your box may be a cube, but may not be. There will also be time to learn about cylinders, pyramids, and prisms.

After the shapes come the numbers. You're pretty lucky because math is based on ten symbols that represent number values. Of course, there are millions of combinations of those numbers, but there are only ten symbols. Once you learn how to recognize them and understand what value each represents, nothing will be able to stop you.

Addition and Subtraction

This is where most of your math experience begins. Addition and subtraction are the core to most math. Even people who don't know math can add and subtract. Addition is the mathematical concept of putting things together to form a greater amount. Subtraction is the opposite. Subtracting one thing from another is the same as taking some things away from a group.

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