Three Online Math Dictionaries

Teachers can help younger students grasp basic math concepts quickly and efficiently when they include math dictionaries as a resource in their lesson plans.

Math dictionaries combine mathematical concepts and terms with visual aids to help students learn how to work with numbers and solve specific problems. This helps improve student memory and sharpen their recognition skills.

Multiple online math dictionaries are available for use in the classroom. For teachers who are searching for an online dictionary that will serve as a handy reference guide during the school year, the following three rank among the most effective.

Illustrated Mathematics Dictionary

The Illustrated Mathematics Dictionary is offered by Math is Fun, an educational site that covers the full K-12 math curriculum. It defines 721 mathematical terms, 623 of which are illustrated and 156 use animated definitions.

Each definition is organized under the 26 letters of the alphabet. The letters are organized in-script featuring alternating colors on the middle of the page. A student using the dictionary can browse through each definition by clicking on a letter or by using the search bar at the top of the page. Terms are all organized in alphabetical order under their corresponding first letter.

One of the benefits of Illustrated Mathematics Dictionary is that it’s written in a simple way, so math students of all ages can easily follow along. There are examples presented with each definition, and the illustrations show how to apply a specific term in practice. The definitions also use examples where the term in question is related to a common person, place or thing familiar to beginning and intermediate math students.

From mathisfun.com

The Illustrated Mathematics Dictionary offers a comprehensive reference guide for terms related to basic math, geometry and algebra and is best designed for beginning and intermediate students who need to build a solid foundation before moving onto higher math classes.

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Coolmath’s Online Math Dictionary

The Coolmath online math dictionary features a host of resources for lessons, games and puzzles to help bolster math education. The dictionary defines common math terminology using a variety of formulas, definitions, properties, diagrams and examples.

The dictionary organizes all terms under the corresponding first letter of the alphabet on a square grid. After clicking on a specific letter, it navigates to a page where all the terms are listed in another grid at the top of the page. A teacher or student can click on a term directly or scroll down to it below the grid. Term definitions use multi-colored illustrations and diagrams to aid in the learning process.

One thing that students might enjoy with the Coolmath dictionary is its playful tone throughout the website! Under “acute angle”, for example, it’s jokingly described as a very attractive angle before the real definition. Humor helps math feel fun for a beginning math student! Plus it gives them clever ways to remember definitions for each term.

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Mathwords Online Dictionary

Students beginning advanced math classes will benefit from the Mathwords online dictionary. It offers 10 indexes that cover all of the basic terminology that students would encounter in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, advanced algebra, pre-calculus and calculus.

Some indexes deal with a specific type of math such as algebra or calculus. Others go into detail on numbers, symbols, sets and proofs used for different math levels. Everything is indexed according to subject area to allow for easy access to definitions, something a teacher would need for preparing lesson plans and homework problems for their students.

Each term in the Mathwords online dictionary contains a written definition and a graph that is used to illustrate how that particular term is applied in mathematics. The dictionary is designed for older math students who are entering into higher math classes. It goes in depth into all sorts of complex terms that a student would need to know in order to solve an equation or put together a proof.

One highlight of the Mathwords dictionary is an index devoted to multimedia entries. These entries define some of the most complex terms by running software such as QuickTime, LiveGraphics3D and JavaSketchpad.

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