[guest post by Steve Demme]
One of the most oft asked questions I hear at conventions is how can I help my child learn his math facts better and with more speed? Perhaps you have a similar question. If so, then this article is for you, especially now that summer is upon us.
The first step is to discern which facts your child knows. I would get a set of flash cards and go through the stack with my student dividing the cards into two piles. The first pile would consist of facts the child knows without any hesitation. The second stack would be for facts that he either doesn’t know or is still unsure of the answer. Then I would take one fact from the second pile and build it with the blocks, write the problem out, and read it. I would always present a fact using this multi-sensory approach. I would never introduce a math fact with flash cards, but I would use them for repetition and review.
For example, if I was teaching 3 times 4, I would build it as a rectangle, 3 by 4, then I would place the bars end to end next to a 10 and a 2 to show that 3 x 4 = 12. Then I would have the student write 3×4=12 and 4×3=12 several times, and read aloud “three times four is twelve” and “four times three is twelve” as they write and build. This is how we present math facts in the Math-U-See curriculum. If this takes 1 week, 1 day, 1 hour, or 1 minute, I would still stick with this one fact until it was mastered with no hesitation. If you want to be real creative post it on the wall in the bathroom, above their bed, and on the place mat before each meal. Use your imagination and focus on one fact at a time.
When they know this fact I would move it to the first pile of facts to be regularly reviewed. Each day the student would spend time mastering one fact and then review the previously learned facts for speed and confidence. I would suggest reviewing the first stack every day. If you would rather use math worksheets for reviewing facts you may download as many as you need from our web site. Or perhaps the online drill program would be another way to review facts in addition to flash cards and worksheets. You can locate these resources at mathusee.com under “Online Helps”.
I would also look for a big carrot. Something that would be a reward for the child putting this extra effort into learning his facts. This will vary for each child, but it will help with motivation. You probably know what will fill the bill, but if not ask your student.
If you use this approach during the summer you may find that not only the student, but the teacher, and the whole family will know their math facts like never before. This is just one of the benefits of a multigenerational classroom.
Have a blessed time,
Steve Demme
