How to Prepare Students for Math Success This School Year

As the school year approaches, parents and educators alike are asking: how can we

best prepare students for what’s ahead in math? The answer lies not just in reviewing

old material or jumping into new concepts, but in helping students think deeply, reason

clearly, and apply their math skills in meaningful ways. At Applied Math Practices, we

focus on real-life problem solving—blending key math topics like percentages, rates,

algebra, and probability into engaging, practical learning experiences. These all lead to

decisions contexts.

Percentages are often one of the first tools students use to make sense of the world

numerically. Whether calculating test scores, discounts, or population changes,

percentage problems show up in everyday life and on high-stakes exams like the PSAT

and SAT. But learning percentages in isolation isn’t enough. Students need to

understand how these problems connect to ratios, proportional reasoning, and multi-

step applications that show up in science, social science, and real-world decision

making.

That’s where Applied Math Practices comes in. Our books offer rich scenarios that

challenge students to analyze data, solve problems, and make informed decisions.

These scenarios are carefully designed to guide students through a deeper

understanding of mathematical ideas—not only percentages, but also rates, algebraic

thinking and foundational probability. Students move from interpreting a real-life

situation to writing algebraic expressions, solving equations, and evaluating outcomes

using probability concepts. In this way, they don’t just memorize formulas — they learn

to apply math as a tool for reasoning and exploration.

This kind of preparation does more than sharpen skills. It fosters the habits of mind that

the mathematical standards emphasize: perseverance, constructing logical arguments,

reasoning both abstractly and quantitatively, and modeling with mathematics. These

habits are what allow students to transition successfully from middle school math into

more advanced coursework—and to tackle standardized tests with confidence.

The beginning of the school year is the ideal time to build this foundation. Instead of

isolated worksheets or last-minute review packets, students should have opportunities

to engage in real scenarios that reflect the complexity and relevance of math in their

world. That’s what Applied Math Practices is designed to do—help students connect

math to life, strengthen their reasoning, and enter the new school year

equipped for success.