Teaching Tip From Steve,
“We are having a difficult time memorizing math facts. Nothing seems to be working! Flash cards beget tears. We’re stuck on twos and don’t seem to be able to progress. They understand how to add, and can show me with blocks, but the memorizing is just not happening. Any new ideas would be most welcome!”
First of all, congratulations for having the wisdom to stay at the twos and not move to other facts or subtraction in the Alpha curriculum. Kudos for your courage!
There is not a cut and dried response to the question of memorization. If I were answering this mom face to face, I would follow up the original query with several more questions to more fully understand her unique situation. (I just practiced what I preached and called her. We had a good conversation.)
Question 1. Is the student ready to begin memorization? There is no scripture that says a child has to begin learning at age 5 or 6. Some are ready when they are 4; others when they are 6 or 7. Don’t go by the “experts.” You are the expert. Trust your instincts – not the birth certificate. First-born kids are usually more advanced, in my experience.
Question 2. Does this inability to memorize information show up in other academic areas such as phonics rules? If so, you may have a learning issue, instead of a math issue. You may want to consider consulting a learning specialist.
Question 3. Does your child learn better auditorily or visually? The rule of thumb is to teach to a child’s strength AND remediate their weakness. For example, if a child successfully learns to memorize Bible verses or poetry by hearing them over and over, then they are probably an auditory learner. If a child learns better by seeing the information, then they are probably more of a visual learner. If a child is auditory, I would still use the blocks, but I would stress verbalizing the process as I built the problems.
By the way, if this brave mom had not stopped at the twos, there are three possible scenarios, two of which are not good.
Scenario 1: The student eventually gets the facts by repeated usage. This is good.
Scenario 2: The student doesn’t get them. Our math scholar loses confidence, and starts counting on fingers. Not good.
Scenario 3: The student kind of gets them, but limps through books without the confidence of knowing. The student becomes a guesser instead of a knower. Sad.
My advice, after listening and collecting data, was to identify which facts the student had down cold. It turns out the 0s, 1s, and doubles had been mastered. I recommend taking one fact, say 2+3, and building it, writing it, and saying it several times. Throughout the day, reinforce this one problem. When you sit at lunch, pass in the hallway, have dinner, travel in the car, and get ready for bed, focus on 2+3. When that fact is mastered, continue to review daily with the other facts already mastered, and then focus on 2+5. When the twos are mastered, attack the 9s and then the 8s. You get the picture.
By Christmas, they should be all set with addition. Then subtraction will be easier, and Beta will be a breeze.
Steve Demme
