6 Free Online Math Programs for Middle School Students
Engaging in math programs during middle school can spark your curiosity, enhance problem-solving skills, and set a strong foundation for future academic and career success. Early exposure to math not only sharpens your cognitive abilities but also prepares you for high school.
By participating in advanced math courses and enrichment programs early on, you can stand out with a solid foundation in key subjects. Free online programs have the benefit of being accessible to a wider range of students since you can access them from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection.
In this blog, we’ll feature 6 free online math programs for middle school students. Some of these programs are structured, with start and end dates, while others are free online resources you can use year-round.
Lumiere’s Junior Explorer Program gives middle school students the chance to explore their academic interests and produce a high-school level project. During this eight-week program, you’ll learn about four different topics within your track before choosing one to base your project on. You’ll work with your mentor to produce a final project that you can later use for admission to more academic opportunities. Students interested in mathematics can choose the mathematics track. The mentors are scholars from top research universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and LSE.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,400. Financial aid available
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. November 24, 2024 for the upcoming winter cohort
Program Dates: Vary according to cohort. December 16, 2024 onwards for the winter cohort
Eligibility: Rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders from around the world
The National Math Club by MathCounts is a free program where you can form a group of 4 middle school students to meet regularly and participate in activities like math games, problem sets, and monthly challenges. If your club meets at least 5 times, you can achieve Silver Level Status, earning prizes like pennants, pencils, certificates, and a chance to win a $100 prize drawing.
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: Year-round
Cost: Free
Eligibility: U.S. students in grades 6-8 (including students overseas at schools affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense or State)
Application Deadline: Applications are currently open
3. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a free online educational platform that offers numerous lessons for students of all ages looking to improve their mathematical abilities. From basics like algebra and geometry to advanced topics such as statistics, Khan Academy provides explanatory videos, practice problems, and quizzes suited for different learning styles.
Khan Academy uses adaptive technology to adjust the difficulty level based on your performance. This approach ensures that you’re constantly learning at the right level, building your confidence in math. The platform is self-paced and virtual, so you can learn as and when it suits you. Whether you’re getting extra help with classwork or learning more advanced topics, Khan Academy is a useful free resource for middle school students.
Location: Online
Application Deadline: None; available year-round
Program Dates: Year-round
Eligibility: Students in grades K-12
Cost: Free
4. Prodigy Math
Prodigy is a free online game that teaches students in grades 1-8 math and English through adventure games. To access Prodigy, you have to make a student account, after which you can explore fantasy worlds and complete tasks like rescuing pets and completing quests. You progress in the game by answering math questions. Prodigy uses adaptive technology to tailor the questions to your skill level, and it is aligned with the standard math curriculum for middle school students.
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Deadline: Available year-round
Program dates: Available year-round
Eligibility: Students in grades 1-8
Illuminations is another free online math resource developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The website offers over 50 online games you can play to build your math knowledge. For example, for middle school students, Illuminations has an interactive web design that lets you explore how the Pythagorean theorem works. The algebra tiles game gives you a visual representation to understand how algebraic equations work. You may need to register to access some of the resources.
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Deadline: Available year-round
Program dates: Available year-round
Eligibility: Students in grades 3-12
This course equips learners with essential mathematical skills, such as natural numbers, equations, inequalities, decimals, and percentages. This course is self-paced, so you can fit it into your schedule. Although this course may be a little challenging as it caters to a wide age range, it’s a good option for ambitious middle school students who want to prepare for high school. Each topic will include explanation and sample problem videos as well as discussion sections.
Location: Virtual
Program Dates: Self-paced, 4 weeks long
Cost: Free
Eligibility: Open to all
Application Deadline: Rolling
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.