violamama Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 We've got skip counting down pat. I feel my 8 yo in particular could just start memorizing them. The singing of songs is driving me a little batty anyway. For reference he's in Singapore Math book 3b and does well with the math and concepts, but likes to dawdle a bit and sometimes gets turned around in the skip counting songs though he eventually figures it out. I think knowing the facts straight up would give him more confidence. Should I do flash cards? Chanting? Randomly grill him? Please no more songs. Unless that's just what's done... (whimper) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 If you go to the math mammoth site their is a video by maria that is quite good. Also multiplication war makes a change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 Thanks! Believe it or not I have not made it over to her site before now. It looks very helpful, especially the videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 My son and I used a lot of art. I made a big number line (to around 100) and had him pick ten different colored pencils. He began making sweeping waves. The two's color went every two. The three's color went every three. The fours went every four. You get the idea. What it does is show graphically how the two's and the three's colors meet up together every six. The two and the fives meet up every ten. The two's, three's, four's, and sixes are together every twelve. It is a visual divisibility and multiplication chart. This worked really well for my visual kinesthetic learner. Depending on if you have a sidewalk, you can do it in chalk outside and have the kid physically run between the numbers. Cookies work well. If you have an imaginary party where you invite ten of your son's friends (and/or imaginary characters) then you ask how many cookies you would need to give every one the same number. It is often fun for kids to imagine getting seven or eight cookies at a time. You can start with a much smaller number and the doorbell can keep ringing as more friends show up and more cookies are needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerforest Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 She was extremely resistant to any drills or rote learning. We did all sorts of games, songs, and artistic things. She had no problem with the concepts and skip counting and the relationships among them. But, she still didn't have that immediate recall until she decided she wanted it and we started using Reflex Math. She rejected all other math fact learning programs and apps but she has a real affinity for "crabby", as she calls it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I just did flash cards with my child (LOF style) - we did not do the whole lot each day - usually half one day and half the next. I also did teach her some tricks to memorise them all (if she knew 6x6 = 36 then she could just add on another 6 for 6x7=42; we also used 5..6..7..8 for 7x8=56 and I taught her the method for 9s - but this was only after a lot of play with groupings so that she understood what she was doing when it came to mental multiplication. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Times Tales DVD!!! It is a miracle. It costs $25 but I would have gladly paid more for the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 xtramath.com worked really well for us. You can also check out TimezAttack, which is in a video-game format www.bigbrainz.com. Both are free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAttachedMama Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Once he understands multiplication conceptually, (which he probably does if he is working through Sing 3B)----I would then do one of the following: 1) Five Times Five is Not Ten by Susan Greenwald. She teaches a lot of tricks for solving multiplication problems quickly---and then she provides structured drill and review to help get the math facts down. You might add this as a quick 'math warm' up before his regular singapore lesson. I personally think this book is really cool because she teaches so many different strategies for memorizing math facts. Some of these 'tricks' you are probably already familiar with. Others are probably going to be new to you. 2) Other drill.... For me personally, lots and lots of CONSISTENT drill is the key to helping me memorize something. So I *would* suggest buying a set of flash cards---or using something like Xtra math to drill for the facts. Add this into your school day *every* day. It will probably only take 5 to 10 minutes, but it will help him SO much with math as he moves forward. It will be the best 5 minute investment you make this year. (Hint: With Xtra math, I would suggest modifying the settings so that the child has 6 seconds to answer the question. The default is 3 seconds, but I think that isn't enough time for a lot of kids. Especially if they aren't the best at typing. It takes them longer to find the numbers and type it in.) 3) Games: For Christmas this year, you might consider buying some 'fun' math games that would help him get his math facts down. Multiplication war was already mentioned. Another fun game is "Speed". Also check out Albert's Insomnia, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Why not start by having your student fill in a table, for just one number (using skip counting). Eventually fill out the big one and look for the patterns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 We did a lot of drill. Daily, I'd give him a printed sheet from Edhelper (or some other "build your own" worksheet). For an entire week, I'd focus on, let's say, the 3 facts. The next week would be the 4 facts. The sheets would have 20+ problems...it eventually becomes automatic. Also, I found an app for Kindle called Card Droid Math Flash Cards. He loved playing it and its highly customizable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsplaymath Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Here's how we do it, posts from my math blog: Focus on understanding first, with the Multiplication Models Card Game (printable) Learn mental methods for figuring things out when memory fails (blog post series appears in reverse order, scroll down to get the beginning) Play multiplication games for review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathie in VA Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 From the Singapore math Standards 3a... Did you realize that the HIG has a great fact practice tool in the back? I photo copied pages a26, a24, a25, and a27 and put the into sheet protectors. I have dd use an ultra fine wipe off marker to fill them in each day. After three days of not even completing them she is already gettin faster. For those that don't have this it is basically a copy of a completed mult chart, then a partial chart, then the same chart but with the numbers rearranged. There is also a partial chart with some numbers missing but the answer given so they need to think some division. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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