🧮 This episode is proudly sponsored by CTCMath — an online math program designed to help homeschool families build confidence and mastery, one lesson at a time.
VINTAGE HOMESCHOOL MOMS • EPISODE 435
Math the Easy Way: 7 Tips for Teaching Math to Kids of All Ages
with guest Pat Murray of CTC Math | Hosted by Felice Gurwitz
About This Episode
Does your child love math or dread it? In this episode, Felice Gurwitz sits down with Pat Murray — a math teacher and coach of more than 36 years and the founder of CTC Math — to share seven practical, doable tips for teaching math to children of every age. From short, clear explanations and the power of rote learning to smart lesson sequencing and avoiding frustration, Pat unpacks what actually works after decades in the classroom and at home. He also serves up a couple of memory “magic tricks” (including a clever way to keep circle formulas straight) that make math genuinely fun.
Whether you have a struggling learner or a strong one who just needs reinforcement, these are ideas you can put to work right away.
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About the Guest — Pat Murray
Pat Murray has been a math teacher and coach for more than 36 years. The programs and courses he and his company have developed have helped students and families in the tens and hundreds of thousands across more than 72 countries. Pat is the founder of CTC Math, which offers self-paced online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning math. Pat and his wife, Mari, live in Sydney, Australia, and have 10 children and seven grandchildren (soon to be eight).
7 Tips for Teaching Math (Key Takeaways)
- Short, concise explanations. Clarity is everything — math should be easy to understand. Keep explanations to about 2–3 minutes for younger children and 5–7 minutes as they get older. Not all teaching methods are equal; find the one that makes the light switch on.
- Immediate practice and feedback. Have kids practice right after they learn something, and make sure they know quickly whether the first few answers are right or wrong — so they don’t spend 20 minutes reinforcing a mistake.
- Rote learning is your friend. Memorizing times tables, basic facts, and formulas frees up brainpower for algebra and problem solving later. Don’t buy the idea that it stifles creativity. Use stories to lock in formulas (see the “pie and rabbits” trick below).
- Mind the sequence of lessons. Textbooks often introduce the hardest material first. Scan a chapter, push the difficult topics to the back, and start with the easy wins so kids build confidence — success is what keeps them going.
- Go easy on discovery / inquiry-based learning. Left to figure math out on their own, kids lose interest fast (think of a Rubik’s Cube with no instructions). Teach by example and lots of worked examples first; save open-ended exploration for after they’ve mastered the basics.
- Use puzzles and problem solving. Sudoku, quizzles, and similar puzzles build interest and make math fun. Start simple for early success, add a reward system, and favor pen-and-paper — the connection between hand and brain matters for real thinking.
- Avoid frustration. Possibly the most important tip. Kids aren’t struggling on purpose. Getting angry can make them hesitant to come to you later — not just about math, but about anything. Stay calm and keep the door open.
Don’t Miss
- The “pie and rabbits” memory trick for keeping circle formulas straight — two rabbits (2r) running around a pie for circumference (C = 2πr), and one rabbit squashed flat into a square for area (A = πr²).
- Pat’s algebra “magic trick” that always lands on 3: pick a number 1–10, double it, add 10, add your original number, subtract 1, divide by 3, then subtract your original number. Pat plans to post a short video explaining the algebra behind it.
Resources & Links
- CTC Math — online video math tutorials, self-paced, one price covers everything a family needs. Start a free trial: ctcmath.com
- CTC Math offers a full 12-month money-back guarantee — 17 years running — so there’s no risk in trying it.
- Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and the old Schoolhouse Crew Review.
- Host website: VintageHomeschoolMoms.com (find this episode and show notes — Episode 435)
- Felice Gurwitz / Media Angels: MediaAngels.com
- Vintage Homeschool Moms is a production of the Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network.
Visit our sponsor:
Are you looking for a new Math Curriculum?
CTCMath specializes in providing online video tutorials that take a multi-sensory approach to learning. Favorably reviewed in Cathy Duffy’s 102 Top Picks and The Old Schoolhouse Crew Review, the lessons are short and concise to help your children break down concepts and appreciate math in a whole new way!
The lessons are taught the traditional way, not to a “test”.
Each one of the video tutorials is taught by an internationally acclaimed teacher, Pat Murray, who is renowned for teaching math concepts in a simple, easy-to-understand way (and in only a few minutes at a time). Using a multi-sensory approach having the combination of effective graphics and animation synchronized with the voice of a friendly teacher together with practical assessment. This three-pronged attack makes learning so much easier and more effective. Even students who struggled with math are getting fantastic results! And ones who were doing OK before are now doing brilliantly.
Visit ctcmath.com today to start your free trial.
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