What is Basic Math?

Basic math skills are the fundamental mathematics skills learned in primary and secondary grades. These basic mathematics skills are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Concepts included in basic math include learning shapes, patterns, fractions, decimals, percentages, exponents, ratios, scientific notation, and formulas. As students' skills progress through school, these skills are built upon and integrated. Math becomes more challenging as students progress through each grade.

Problems learned in school represent those that can happen in real-life situations, such as shopping at the grocery store, making recipes, or managing interest on a bank loan. Math problems can additionally focus on informational data skills, such as making measurements to collect data, graphing data sets, and making correlations with the data. Science also uses math skills. Science not only uses informational data sets but as well as basic math skills in advanced courses like chemistry and physics.

Careers that require advanced math skills include auditors, data analysts, scientists, financial analysts, statisticians, economists, and computer scientists. While basic math skills may not lead to an advanced degree, learning basic math is fundamental to continuing education in an advanced math program. Yearning to go down any of these career paths means one must have a strong math education, beginning with basic math skills and concepts.

Study.com offers introductory math courses for a variety of learners and topics. There are basic math courses for elementary, middle, and high school students and introductory college-level courses. There are also courses for teachers about how to best teach elementary math! There is also a math course focused on business math for managers, accountants, and entrepreneurs. There are resources for students, teachers, and parents for many basic math lessons and skills. Tutoring is available as well.

Create an account to begin studying Basic Math
Used by over 30 million students worldwide

Basic Math Topics

Basic Math Resources

Study.com has many resources available to learn the skills and concepts of basic math. There are thousands of lessons, videos, and lesson plans for teachers and homeschool. Tutoring is available for any skill level.

Basic Math Courses

In Study.com's many available basic math courses, there are a variety of topics to choose from. Students can learn math fundamentals or review, depending on their level. Basic math concepts in college-level introductory courses, as well as business math, are available as well.

Math 97: Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning

Math 97 is a college-level course that can be taken for credit. It builds on foundational algebraic and geometric skills and concepts. It covers topics such as proofs, sets, number theory, combinations, angles, parallel lines, and transformations.

Math 98: Math for Everyday Life

Math 98 is a college-level course. It builds on understanding basic math skills like fractions, ratios, exponents, and data sets. Topics in this course include scientific notation, personal finance, data analysis, probability, and statistics.

Math 102: College Mathematics

Math 102 is a college-level course recommended for up to 3 transferable credits. This course focuses on problems such as linear and quadratic equations, graphing equations, properties of numbers, solving expressions, sets, geometry, probability, and statistics.

Math 107: Quantitative Literacy

Math 107 focuses on a diverse set of basic math topics such as ratios, proportions, scale, estimation, expressions, equations, measurement, area and perimeter, volume, data sets, statistics, probability, and distribution. It is recommended for college credit.

Math 108: Discrete Mathematics

Math 108 integrates math and computer science concepts. The basic math concepts that will be learned in this course are fundamental for anyone wishing to go into the field of computer science. This is a college course and is recommended for credit.

For teachers and parents

Basic Math Lesson Plans for Teachers

Study.com offers lesson plans already prepared for teachers. Supplement your curriculum, use it for review, or have something ready for a substitute. Lesson plans include elementary lessons, secondary lessons, division lessons and curriculum resources, and math games for elementary students.

Lesson plans
  • Elementary Math: Lesson Plans & Resources

    This resource will complement any math curriculum, including lesson plan templates. These elementary math lessons and resources cover topics such as basic math and geometry, fractions, decimals, and prime numbers.

  • Secondary Math Lesson Plans

    Lesson Plans for Secondary Math include activities, games, reviews, and projects. Lessons for secondary math cover a wide range of topics including probability and statistics, calculus, matrices, and plots and graphs.

  • Division Lesson Plans & Curriculum Resource

    This resource helps students learn to divide in any math situation. Lessons include how to divide by the basic steps, then move on to dividing fractions, decimals, exponential expressions, factorials, and polynomials.

  • Math Games for Elementary School

    The resources here are just for games for elementary students. Students love learning when it's fun! Games include bingo, math facts, manipulatives, money identification, hundred charts, and so many more!

Basic Math Skills and Practice

Use Study.com to help students be proficient in math. Have students practice their math skills and become masters in basic math skills at their level. There are thousands of lessons that will engage a diverse variety of learners. There are lessons curated for elementary, middle, high school, and college. At Study.com, there are thousands of lessons and resources to choose from.

Integrated Math 1 through 3 has math practice that includes step-by-step problems that include all topics for secondary school math skills and introductory college skills for any math courses. 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade math skills include practice concepts such as ratios and proportional relationships, the number system, expressions and equations, geometry, functions, and statistics and probability. Sixth to eighth-grade skills and practice have problems focusing on middle school level math concepts.

College Math Skills Practice focuses on the foundations of college math, as well as linear equations, graphing, properties, solving expressions, equations, logic, sets, probability and statistics, and geometry.

There are many practice skill sets that focus on common core and individual state standards for math.

States included are listed by level and in alphabetical order by state. Traditional math standards teach skills and concepts in isolation and by each standard. tudy.com integrated math skills and practice sets teach common core in an integrated pathway, teaching standards and concepts at each level together.

Integrated math pathways focus on algebra I, geometry, and algebra II course content but integrate so that it is not taught disparately. Integrated practices focus on skills related to concepts taught in integrated pathway courses, such as number and quantity, algebra, functions, geometry, and statistics and probability.

These integrated math skills and practice sets are focused on the high school learner and are organized into three levels. Practice sets are further organized by state standards and categories. This makes it simple for teachers looking for practice for students to find what is needed and assign it to students.

Students who wish to accelerate their learning may advance by practicing concepts on their own Choose the next level in math and practice basic math problem-solving to get ahead of the academic curve!

Skills
Father and son doing homework

Basic Math Homeschool Curriculum

Study.com offers some homeschool curriculum courses that focus on learning basic math for middle school students. These are complete courses and teach all the skills and concepts needed for 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade math. 6th Grade Math: Homeschool Curriculum includes concepts like word problems, operations, equations, graphs, and geometry. 7th Grade Math: Homeschool Curriculum includes lessons on estimation, percentages, expressions, equations, word problems, linear equations, geometry, and the metric system. 8th Grade Math: Homeschool Curriculum has lessons on problem-solving, algebraic expressions, graphing, geometry, transformations, probability, and statistical transformations.

Homeschool solutions
Father and son doing homework

Study.com is an excellent program that can help my children learn anything. The incredible library of videos is more than I could have ever hoped for.

Gloria H.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are the four basic mathematic skills?

    The four basic mathematic skills are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Additional skills can be learned by building on these fundamental concepts.

  • What is basic math in high school?

    Basic math in high school includes building skills and concepts upon the four fundamental skills. Learning algebra, equations, geometry, calculus, probability, and statistics are all high school level basic math skills that build on these foundations.