8th grade Math: how to help at home
What your child learns in 8th grade math in the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, and simple things to try at home.
Focus areas this year
- Patterns and relationships: linear equations and functions, exponents, and irrational numbers
- Spatial reasoning, data and probability: the Pythagorean theorem, and scatter plots and lines of fit
- Mathematical practices: making sense of problems and explaining reasoning
Easy ways to practice math at home
- Look for fractions, decimals and percentages in sale signs, sports statistics and recipes.
- Ask your child to explain a problem to you as if you were the student.
- Estimate first (the bill, the trip time), then check with a calculator.
- Keep a tricky-problems list and revisit it every few days instead of re-doing everything.
What each unit covers
Squares, Cubes & Roots
Knowing perfect squares and cubes, finding square roots and cube roots, estimating where a square root falls between whole numbers, and linking squares to the area of a square.
Patterns & Two-Step Equations
Writing and evaluating expressions like 3n + 2, solving two-step equations, and finding the rule for a growing pattern or a cost made of whole items such as tickets.
Pythagorean Theorem
Finding a missing side of a right triangle, checking whether a triangle is a right triangle, and using the theorem for ladders and diagonals.
Big, Small & Real Numbers
Writing very large and very small numbers in scientific notation, telling rational from irrational numbers, ordering numbers such as โ2 and ฯ, and mentally multiplying and dividing by powers of ten.
Scatter Plots & Stories
Deciding when two-variable data is needed, picking the best graph, describing scatter plots as strong, weak, positive, negative or none, spotting outliers, and noticing graphs that mislead.
Tables, Graphs & Linear Relations
Using an equation like y = 3x + 2 to build a table of values, find a missing x or y, and describe how the variables change together.
Equations with Brackets
Solving one-variable equations, including ones with brackets and negative numbers, checking by substitution, and spotting a common mistake with the distributive property.
Exponent Rules
Properties of integer exponents: multiplying and dividing powers with the same base, a power of a power, zero exponents and negative exponents.
Systems of Equations
Solving pairs of linear equations, checking a solution, telling when a system has no solution or infinitely many, and simple word problems.
Functions
Deciding whether a relation is a function, comparing two functions shown in different ways, spotting linear functions, and matching a graph to a story.
Slope & Rate of Change
Finding slope from two points or a table, reading slope as a unit rate, writing y = mx + b, and saying what the intercept means.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your childโs teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Minnesota report card guide.
Common questions
Look for fractions, decimals and percentages in sale signs, sports statistics and recipes. Ask your child to explain a problem to you as if you were the student. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
The Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards 8th grade math units include Squares, Cubes & Roots, Patterns & Two-Step Equations, Pythagorean Theorem, Big, Small & Real Numbers, Scatter Plots & Stories, Tables, Graphs & Linear Relations.
Free printable 8th grade math practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.