Online resources for brushing up on basic math skills?

December 9, 2014 10:33 AM

What are some good, free online resources for an adult who needs to brush up on basic math operations such as working with fractions, percentages and ratios? Other than Khan Academy. The more interactive the better.
posted by iamisaid to Education (7 answers total)

I don't know your location, but check your local public library's website to see if they have a database called LearningExpress Library. That database has an Adult Learning Center section, where you can practice many basic academic skills, including basic math and algebra. You will probably need a library card to access the database.
posted by stampsgal at 11:04 AM on December 9, 2014

"Math Is Fun", http://www.mathsisfun.com/index.htm, is pretty good
posted by Chitownfats at 11:14 AM on December 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

It's not free, but for about $20 you can get a month's access to ALEKS, which is very interactive (it chooses problems for you, and can explain them if you don't know how to do it, and gives you immediate feedback on whether you got the answer right.) Maybe the "Middle school Math course 2" might be appropriate. The student can pick and choose among the topics to only do the ones she's interested in.

There's a free trial, for about three hours (during a 48 hour period).

I'm using ALEKS in my precalculus class this semester, and the students who are actually doing the homework seem to be finding it useful and valuable.
posted by leahwrenn at 12:35 PM on December 9, 2014

Desmos is good for graphs and basic functions and is very easy to use. https://www.desmos.com/
posted by burntbook at 12:58 PM on December 9, 2014

Free Rice has a basic math section. The added benefit is that while you're playing/brushing up on your skills, you're also helping the fight against world hunger. (Note, it starts out very easy but the longer you play the progressively more difficult the questions become.)
posted by fuse theorem at 1:48 PM on December 9, 2014

I like free-ed.net for math review. I'm slowly working my way through their pre-algebra and algebra courses, because my math skills are just not particularly.... skilled, and never have been. I got a bad teacher at an early age, and stopped paying attention to why and how things worked - instead I did like she suggested and just memorized formulas. That was no basis for going much further than high school.

The Free Virtual University
posted by kythuen at 5:53 PM on December 9, 2014

Goodwill offers free online learning of such subjects. learnfree.org
posted by Coffeetyme at 3:09 AM on December 10, 2014