Homeschool Math Blog

I recently got a question concerning a 3rd grader who has always had difficulty with number memorization and counts on her fingers. Mom is planning to start Math Mammoth grade 2 with her. Her question is, " Is it okay to let her use a 100 chart while going through the program and completing the assignments? We will also continue to practice math facts with flash cards, etc ." I would say that using a 100-chart for a crutch is okay for children who have learning disabilities, and in situations where different methods to learn the math facts have been tried for years with no avail. However, before resigning to that, I feel one should teach the child STRATEGIES and PATTERNS for addition and subtraction facts. Flash cards are based on rote memorization, which is the hardest way to memorize anything. It's much easier on children once they can see math facts in a CONTEXT, and once they have learned various strategies for addition and subtraction (also called number sen...

I found this link when looking through some "OLD" stuff (my newsletter 10 years ago... in this Internet day and age, 10 years seems like an eternity ago!). It's a neat little " game " for math facts: http://littleblueschool.blogspot.com/2007/09/math-card-game-for-addition-subtraction.html To be more precise, it is a  way for kids to write some of their own math problems using a deck of cards.  😃 But it can definitely FEEL like a game for little ones!

Now there's a place where you -- or your child -- can practice math facts with your VOICE! Just say the answers out loud to the computer! You do need to use Google Chrome for it to work with voice... otherwise, it does also have buttons you can push to give your answers. http://www.dadsworksheets.com/mathflash/addition http://www.dadsworksheets.com/mathflash/subtraction http://www.dadsworksheets.com/mathflash/multiplication http://www.dadsworksheets.com/mathflash/division Youngsters might find this intriguing to try out!

Again, I want to share some thoughts from the How to Learn Math course by Jo Boaler I took recently -- this time about how timed tests and speed affect students in mathematics learning and their "ability" to make mistakes : ). You see, all of our brains actually GROW and make new connections when we make mistakes and think about them. There is no brain growth if you can just sail through a problem set! That is why it is so important for our students to make mistakes -- and then we need to VALUE those mistakes and help them learn from them. People with so-called fixed mindset are usually afraid of making mistakes. We need our students (and ourselves!) to have a GROWTH mindset - the attitude that I'm not perfect nor smart already, but making mistakes helps me learn and grow my brain . Jo has written a book, What's Math Got to Do with It?: How Parents and Teachers Can Help Children Learn to Love Their Least Favorite Subject . I do not have it... but ba...

I had the chance to look into two math facts practice programs, titled CapJaxMathFax and UberSmart Math Facts . Both programs drill math facts and keep track of your progress. My testing "girl" liked them both just fine. Her focus definitely was on getting the percentages on the progress chart to go up (in both programs)! CapJaxMathFax Here's a screen of CapJaxMathFax showing a math problem to solve. It alternates the dot and cross symbols for multiplication. It also alternates showing the problems vertically or horizontally. The vertical line is my cursor blinking in the empty space. If you answer correctly and in less than 3 seconds, it shows you the word "SUPER". Then you get the next fact by pressing "ENTER." Personally I would have liked a little clearer workspace, but all these colors, buttons, text, etc. on the screen seemingly didn't bother my daughter. Here is where you select what operation you want to practice, how l...

This review of Tux Math has been moved here .

In this video I show several strategies for learning the basic addition and subtraction facts: finding all the possible sums for a certain number; e.g. for 6, these would be 0 + 6, 1 + 5, 2 + 4, and 3 + 3; writing out all the fact families where the sum is a certain number; the 9 "trick"; 9 + 7 is the same as 10 + 6 (9 wants so badly to be 10 so that it "steals" one from 7); doubles and the accompanying addition facts; number rainbows and how to use them to practice subtraction; a structured drill for addition facts. Enjoy! Strategies for Addition and Subtraction Facts - Video

Are timed math tests (drills) necessary and for what purpose? If necessary, how often should facts be tested? Are timed math tests recommended for students who have "math issues." , such as low confidence and slower progress. I simply feel that timed drills are a tool among many, when it comes to learning math facts. Some kids will "thrive" on them, or in other words quickly learn when they are used. Perhaps they like racing against the clock or like the challenge. There exist computer games that are timed that can work very well for drilling facts. Check for example:  Math Magician games has a simple 2-minute countdown, and if you answer 20 questions in that time, you get an award. Some of the games at Sheppard Software don't time you but give you more points the faster you go. That site is actually filled with several types of games just for math facts practice. Yet for other kids timed drills may be counterproductive and end up in tears and frustration...

I'm sure youngsters will like this card "game"! I'm going to try it with mine. Actually it's not really a game, but a fun way for kids to write some of their own math problems using a deck of cards. She even provides a free printout: Little Blue School: Math Card Game for Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division HT: This week's Carnival of Homeschooling

I thought some of you (those who teach second grade) might enjoy my NUMBER RAINBOWS. The idea is that you connect two numbers with an arc if they add up to the particular number, such as 13. Then, the child can use it as a reference when subtracting from 13 or when doing subtraction drill. You could first drill subtraction facts WITH the rainbow (such as 13 − 4, 13 − 7 etc.) and then without. You would also ask the child to reproduce the rainbow - and color it, of course! These make for quite pretty math facts practice, don't you think! I'm going to add these to my Add & Subtract 2-A book.

Hi Maria - I am really enjoying your workbooks for the kids - I can't wait to get going on fractions. I wanted to ask you do you see value in any of the online math practice programs for drill? I saw that HS Buyers Co-op is offering www.mathscore.com - at a discount and we are trying it out on trial - It's just pretty much basic drill for speed and accuracy. I don't want to waste the $$ on it - if that is not really important to math. Thanks for any feedback. I've personally visited and even reviewed Mathscore. Mathscore is not just about basic drill on addition or multiplication - they have basic word problems, geometry, etc. as well. It is more like a math practice system for any kind of basic problems. Kids do need to learn their facts by memory. So "drill" is not bad in itself. Obviously math instruction should not be only drill. You should just balance it all. Teach concepts, teach why something works, let them practice, and help them master their fac...

Someone once wrote to me, ...regarding my third grader. We are still slogging through learning the times tables. To liven it up, I decided to order Times Tales (I ordered the deluxe version that includes division as well). I have read different opinions about using mnemonic devices to learn math facts. Some say that mnemonic devices actually slow the student down, and one even went as far to say it was like counting on fingers. I don't want to use Times Tales if it's going to slow her down, and I do want to make sure she knows her math facts cold. I, myself, remember I didn't know 8x8=64 in seventh grade, and I just figured it in my head, 8+8=16, 16+16=32, 32+32=64 -- 8x8=64. I did this until I realized how slow I was and decided to commit the facts I didn't know to memory. What do you think about Times Tales and other "helps" for math facts? Mnemonic helps in themselves are not bad. We use them all the time, in everyday life situations. Say you...

I've recently embarked on something new... I let people request a package of over 100 free worksheets and over 180 sample pages from the Math Mammoth books and worksheet collections. In it, I included one question along with the name & email that people can fill in: "What is your most pressing math teaching question?" I did that because I saw some other people had done something similar, and I thought that's a great idea - I would get to know what kind of math teaching related problems people have. I also wanted to give people a chance to communicate a little with me... You know, we all go visit these multitudes of websites, and we show up as numbers on the website statistics program. It all can seem so impersonal, so "machinistic" sometimes. But the reality is, behind every website are people. On school days, over 10,000 people visit HomeschoolMath.net. Over 1,000 people visit MathMammoth.com. I never hear from most. If I had a physical store, I would ...

Continuing on the same lines as my previous post, what about multiplication facts and drill? Well, the principle is similar: show them first the concept and patterns. Then can come some plain drill. But, I want to share with you a few more detailed points. The main "patterns" in various multiplication tables of course follow from the concept of multiplication. For example, table of 2 is counting by 2's. You get table of 4 by doubling the answers in table of 2. You get table of 8 by doubling the answers in table of 4. Table of 10 is counting by 10s. Table of 5 - just take half of what the 10 × Here are some resources to give you ideas about these kind of patterns and little "tricks". * Michele's Math * Times Tables' factsheets We ALSO need them to know the tables "backwards". Let me explain. It's not enough to know that 8 × 7 is 56, when someone asks what is 8 × 7. The students ALSO need to know that 56 is 8 × 7, when given just the answer...

Some people think "drill is kill", and many people think it's necessary. And of those that use it, not everyone knows HOW to actually drill math facts effectively. You know, this is NOT the most effective way: Shuffle the flash cards and start asking randomly. Why? Because you are not utilizing techniques that help our brain remember quicker. For example, it is easier to remember when the mind can tie the fact into something already known. This is the idea behind silly rhymes such as "five, six, seven, eight - fifty-six is seven times eight." Besides those, we want to show our children the PATTERNS in math. So this is how I start drilling math facts (whether addition or multiplication): I make a list on paper, IN ORDER. For example, lately we've been doing this with my daughter: 8 + 2 8 + 3 8 + 4 8 + 5 8 + 6 8 + 7 8 + 8 8 + 9 We went through the answers and notice how each one is ONE MORE than the next! That's a pattern! Then I would point to a fact and ...

Remember, I have created a list of the best online activities, games, tutorials, etc. for this (and other topics as well). All kids love games, and with multiplication tables, it's one way to give them more practice. The complete list of online activities is here , but I'll copy and paste a sample to this blogpost: Multiplication grid Drag the scrambled answer tiles into the right places in the grid as fast as you can! Multiplication.com Strategies, worksheets, games just for times tables. The Times Tables at Resourceroom.net Fill in the multiplication chart - partially or the whole thing - or take quizzes, and get graded. Explore the multiplication table This applet visualizes multiplication as a rectangle. Table Mountain Climb the mountain with 20 questions from a selected table. Multiplication table Challenge 100 questions, timed. Multiplication mystery Drag the answer tiles to right places in the grid as they are given, and a picture is reve...

Today I told my dd to write down addition facts where the sum is 10 - "Which numbers make ten?" are the words I use with her. While she was writing them and using abacus, this math card came 'popped' to my mind... I can't claim it as my own, because I have this 'feeling' that I've read about it somewhere, sometime, but since I can't remember when or where, I can't give credit to where credit might be due. I will just name it "10 Out" - a math card game. Anyway, this is how it goes: Take away the 'picture' cards and joker from normal playing cards. Then deal 10 cards to each player; put the rest of the deck in the middle. The goal is to get rid of all cards in your hand. Find all pairs of cards in your hand that add up to a ten (or single 10's) and discard them. Then you may ask the player left to you for one card, and if she has it, she has to give it to you. For example, say you have 2, 3, 8, and 1 left in your hand. You ...

Last few weeks I've been thinking I want to have a way to use normal playing cards to let my daughter practice addition. I hadn't given it serious 'thought' to come up with any games yet, when just today I stumbled upon that exact thing at A Home for Homeschoolers Portal: The game that is worth 1,000 worksheets . Definitely worth playing! The 'game' aspect can make practicing facts so much more fun, as we all know. And this game that Denise describes is so simple too. If you have any other playing card ideas, feel free to comment here or there.