Math Facts Anyone?
Some of you may be home schooling because your child has a specific learning problem. If that problem is learning math facts, you’re not alone. Our second son has been having this problem. For over a year we have tried to get him to memorize his addition and subtraction facts. Three months ago, he had not memorized even 1 fact. Today, he is finally starting to remember them. We hope he will soon know them all.To be honest, we’re not really sure why he has started to remember them.But here is what did we have been doing differently.
1. We set aside all of the workbooks. Workbooks are good for review, not for learning.
2. We set aside the manipulatives. He was able to get the right answer using these. But without them he couldn’t.
3. We started doing math orally. We set him down, looked directly at him and said 1+1=2. He repeated it. Then we asked him, what is 1+1? Wait for answer. We repeated this several times until he didn’t have to think about it. One thing to remember is don’t give them too many facts on any one day. Review every day.
This may sound too simple but basically it forced him to think instead of relying on counters.
We would like to know what tricks you have used when your child had trouble with math. Listed below are several programs that may help.
Semple Math: this is for someone who has trouble learning the math facts.
Math-U-See: This is for someone who needs to understand the relationships between numbers. Manipulatives are used.
Touch Math: This program is for students of all ages.
Teaching Textbooks: This program is for students who have already mastered the basics.
Citycreek: This is for someone who needs to memorize the math facts.
Math Facts Now: This is for someone who needs to memorize the multiplication tables.
Seriously Simple Sums: Tricks for multiplying, dividing and squaring.
Patterns in Arithmetic: A kinesthetic approach to learning math.
Some of these programs are very pricy. All of them have been used successfully by home schooled and public schooled students.
Source: General Homeschooling
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When one of my kids, who is a very kinesthetic learner (auditory learning is a close second), was having trouble with math facts, we tailored “flash card” drills to his needs. First, I had him run from the dining room to the kitchen sink (where I was usually washing dishes or preparing dinner) and I would say a math fact aloud. He would repeat it, run back to the dining room, then run back into the kitchen. I would then state the same math fact without the answer. If he gave the correct answer without much hesitation, I would respond with “ding.” (He loved game shows….) We moved on to another math fact. An incorrect response resulted in, well…one of those sounds you hear when a game show contestant gives a wrong answer. We would then start over with that fact.
Once he got better at this, we switched to using flash cards. I would set a small pile of them on the kitchen counter; he had to run in, pick up a card, and give the answer. Correct or incorrect resulted in the appropriate game show sound effect from mom; a correct card was then carried back into the dining room and placed on the table. Incorrect cards were placed at the bottom of the kitchen pile.
As you can imagine, he used to exaggerate the running in and out of the room with much huffing and puffing, and the “ding” sound for correct answers usually resulted in his imitating tremendouse “audience applause.” It was hilarious, and he did learn his math facts in time.
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These long division worksheets are free too.
http://neoparaiso.com/imprimir/long-division-worksheets.html
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