Homeschool Math Blog

Here are neat puzzles to review factors in multiplication, the multiplication tables -- and consequently, the basic division facts -- all in the same "package"! Or, just use them as cool logic puzzles. ☺ They're called Find the Factors puzzles. This page explains how to solve them. On this page you'll find a vast amount of them, as Excel spreadsheets: Like the author says, "T he more multiplication facts you know, the easier these puzzles become. Working on these puzzles can help you learn the multiplication table better. "

Here's a nice factoring calculator that lists all the factors of a given number and also gives a neat VISUAL that pairs the factors.  You could use it to show your children/students some examples, and then of course let them PLAY with it! :) See for example factors of 72 , And all the factors of this large number . Personally, I think it could be improved by listing the factors in order from 1 to the number itself, so that the pairing will then show how the largest and the smallest factors are paired, then the 2nd largest with the 2nd smallest, and so on. Neat anyway!

Here is a neat factoring game I found online: Factorization Forest You pick among six different types of seeds given. Then, you have to factorize a number to its prime factors, and the game then lets you grow a tree and place it into your “forest”. You can change the size of the tree and move it around. Then just grow another tree by factoring another number! You can do it for as long as you want. Great fun! My daughter really liked it, and has made several "forests." I basically replaced the practice problems about prime factorization in  her math book with this game. Here are four screenshots from the game:

Look at this NEAT visual representation of the counting numbers: (originally from Mike Naylor ) The first activity you can give to your students or children is to figure out HOW it is made! What is it based on? The last number on this chart is 49. Can you figure out how to make the next number, 50? Malke shared a cool factor domino game with her readers. We played it, too. Here's one of our games: (We had a few cards that were not the same size; just ignore that.) Basically, you may put a card next to another if they share a factor. Using these visual dominoes makes children easily learn about factors and factorization. Please visit Malke's blog to read the rules and see more details. Here are a few other things you can do with these cards: 1) Organize them in some way. For example, you could find all multiples of 5,  all multiples of 4, or all primes. 2) Pick up two cards randomly and tell their least common multiple (LCM). This can easily be done i...

I stumbled upon this comic that you might enjoy... factoring the time (from xkcd.com ).

I took time yesterday to make a new worksheet generator. I always enjoy building those; I like simple programming like that and the math in it. But while doing it, I almost felt I should have been answering emails or doing some of the other projects I have... Anyway, here it is: Generate free factoring worksheets - factorize numbers to their primer factors.