High School Precalculus
High school precalculus is an advanced form of algebraic math and a student’s gateway to calculus and college-level mathematics. This High School Precalculus Web Guide can help teachers, students and parents navigate the abundance of precalculus resources, including study guides, available online.
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Expand All Guide SectionsResources for Precalculus Students
Students hoping to advance their studies to include calculus first need to face precalculus in high school or college, which requires not only a basic understanding of algebra, geometry and trigonometry but also knowledge of the TI-84 graphing calculators. This Web guide spotlights the resources students need to prepare and excel in their precalculus classes.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Math and arithmetic Web sites can sometimes be far more helpful than their design suggests. Though not aesthetically pleasing, many of these sites provide valuable observations that can help students and teachers alike.
- Be aware that not all answer and tutorial sites are created equal. Online communities and message boards can be helpful, but remember to double-check the work of those providing answers or ask your teacher for advice.
- There are countless precalculus teaching tutorials that you can download for free or purchase for a small charge. However, not all programs are equal in quality and accessibility, so don’t be afraid to ask your teacher for suggestions.
Dulcinea's Picks
For an introduction to precalculus …
The Library of Math
offers a catalog of precalculus terms, formulas and functions that can be helpful for studying or completing assignments.
Algebrahelp.com
offers a quick and comprehensive review of algebra for precalculus students.
The Pennsylvania State University Math department
hosts a quick review of basic geometry principals.
The Krell Institute
reviews the basic concepts of trigonometry.
For precalculus reference …
Analyzemath.com
is a collection of precalculus tutorials and thorough explanations of precalculus rules and functions.
Baruch College of the City University of New York
presents precalculus and elements of calculus video tutorials, with players for Macs and for PCs.
For precalculus tools …
Texas Instruments
provides free online tutorials for its graphing calculators, a necessary tool for any precalculus student. The site also has a collection of games and activities for the TI-84.
WebGraphing.com
offers an online graphing calculator in case you find yourself without your TI-84. Registration is required for use, but it’s free.
GraphFunc Online
is a new online graphing tool that can be accessed for free and without registration. Keep your computer volume low, however, as the site comes with a digital soundtrack.
For extra precalculus practice …
Houghton Mifflin
provides a long list of practice exercises in PDF format, broken down by lesson.
S.O.S. Mathematics
has a selection of online exams of varying lengths, including tests that require up to three hours to complete. Each test comes with an answer sheet to check your results.
The University of Texas at El Paso
provides a free catalog of precalculus tests with answers and explanations for additional practice.
Precalculus Resources for Teachers
Often referred to as college algebra when taken past the high school level, precalculus requires that teachers and students fully understand the foundations of algebra, geometry and trigonometry before beginning. This Web guide provides those resources needed to help students make the transition from high school mathematics to college level calculus.
Dulcinea's Insight
- University math departments often include practice materials on their official Web sites that can be used to compile extra practice exercises for students.
- Many mathematics Web sites that are unattractive or hard to navigate are full of good, free education resources. Although findingDulcinea usually weeds out sites for poor design, we’ve made some exceptions here to bring you as much information as possible.
- The Resources for Precalculus Students section of this Web guide hosts several sites that are helpful for a little extra problem solving practice and are useful suggestions for students in need.
Dulcinea's Picks
For a precalculus review …
Texas A&M University Distance Learning
offers suggestions for new precalculus teachers, including a course year schedule broken down into modules that shows how best to prepare for teaching a class. The site also provides a collection of graph function templates that you can download for free.
The University of Puerto Rico Department of Mathematics
hosts a quick list of review quizzes for teachers in need of a precalculus refresher. Broken down into general topics, such as polynomials and percentages, each section includes examples of numerical and word problems as well as practice ideas.
For precalculus worksheets and other printables …
Central Lakes College
has a collection of college algebra and calculus 1 worksheets drawn from other universities that can be incorporated into a precalculus class. Each exercise can be downloaded as a PDF file and printed for use.
Brunnermath
is an immense directory of worksheets, tutorials and activities for precalculus teachers to use for lessons. Although there are a few links that no longer work, there are far more that do, offering reviews, worksheets and even tests to download as PDFs.
For precalculus lesson plans …
Chicago Public Schools
has a comprehensive collection of daily precalculus lesson plans, broken down by semester and then day and topic.
The Virginia Department of Education
has a collection of lesson plans for trigonometry, including those that can be used as a review for new precalculus students.
ExploreLearning
has “Gizmos,” or online simulations of math concepts and situations, that visually show students how to work out problems. Each Gizmo has a guide that explains how to use it, along with suggestions on how it can be incorporated into a lesson. Use the variety of free material available or consider a subscription.
Precalculus Resources for Parents
Precalculus can be just as challenging for parents as it is for students, but the Web provides plenty of resources to refresh your mathematical skills or even help you start from scratch. And if that isn’t enough, there are a number of opportunities to find help outside of the home.
Dulcinea's Insight
- University math departments often offer extra practice tests and old tests online for additional review, as well as explanations of how each problem is solved. The University of Texas at El Paso’s Web site is a good example.
- If precalculus proves to be more challenging than you or your child first expected, don’t be afraid to seek out a study group or private tutor. Look for professional math tutors online or locally through online directories like YellowPages.com.
- The TI-84 is the graphing calculator of choice for precalculus students and can be purchased online from most electronics retailers. Details about the calculator’s capabilities and pricing can be found on the Texas Instruments Web site. Meanwhile, Pearson Education provides online tutorials for the TI-84 for those unfamiliar with graphing calculators.
Dulcinea's Picks
Getting started with precalculus …
The Oregon State University Math Department
provides a guide to precalculus, complete with rules, explanations and examples students should be aware of.
Exploring Precalculus
is an often-cited source of basic subject material, introducing the topic in six quick steps. The site concludes with a short description of ideas you should understand before moving on to calculus.
For extra precalculus practice …
ExploreLearning
has “Gizmos,” or online simulations of math concepts and situations, that visually show students how to work through problems. Each Gizmo has a guide that explains how to use it. Use the variety of free material available or consider a subscription.
Hotmath.com
allows students to choose their particular textbook and view problems from each and how they are figured. There is a free lesson, but all others require membership ($29 for two months or $49 a year).
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