Math drills!?!

[JessaMae]

I am realizing I have really let my kids down re. math drills this year. (btw this is our first year hsing) My 4th grade dd is progressing very quickly through Singapore - she is starting her 4th book this year (since Sept.) and she is getting a 95 avg on the reviews. (she asked for me to grade her) However, I can see where she is forgetting all the multiplication facts she had already learned. I start to get frustrated with her and tell her she has to know them as it will make math so much easier for her!! But then realize, it's really my fault that I haven't done many drills with her this year. The thought of pulling out flashcards bores ME, let alone my kids. I don't mind doing it periodically but I'd rather not do it everyday!

 

We've done Timez Attack, but I really haven't found any other fun ways to drill math facts. Maybe there aren't any and it's just a situation where "life isn't always fun but this has to be done!" But if anyone has some suggestions on what you've done for math drills - I'd SO appreciate it!!

 

~Jessica

[Gratia271]

We have used the Flashmaster. It works better for us than drill sheets did.

http://www.flashmaster.com/

[Snickerdoodle]

I have mine do drills that I print from this website.

 

http://www.math-drills.com

[NanceXToo]

multiplication.com is a free site with lots of cute multiplication games. My daughter is 9 and really enjoys playing all the games on there- and she doesn't even feel like she's "doing school" while she's playing on there :)

 

There are also math operations board games. "Totally Tut" is one.

 

Or you can do it with card games- play a game of War and before the winner of each hand can take their cards, they have to multiply them first.

 

Or you can pass a rubber ball back and forth to each other or bounce it to each other while 'chanting' the times tables (you could even put up one of those times tables charts where it can be seen to keep it flowing easily; it's still review!)

[Gratia271]

Yes, Totally Tut is a great game for that. Mine really enjoy it. I don't know why I didn't think of games. Duh.

[scrapbabe]

I've been feeling the same way. I've been looking at maybe buying Digitz. http://www.amazon.com/Educational-Insights-8475-Digitz/dp/B000REPVPSI'm anxious to hear more replies.

 

Smiles,

Shalynn

[Orthodox6]

Dd was using FlashMaster, which I think a very good product. I switched her recently to Calculadders, though. I felt that she needed to improve both her memorization of facts and her ability to write quickly, as both skills work together when solving a written math problem at higher levels (e.g. algebra). She says that she actually likes the Calculadders better. . . . I don't think that math drill needs to be "fun". It is just a task. The websites with glitz, sounds and wild colours are distracting, even annoying, according to my children. I admit a soft spot for this BBC set of math games, however:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/mathsfile/gameswheel.html

It is an old page, no longer updated.

Edited April 11, 2010 by Orthodox6

[JessaMae]

Thanks so much for these replies! I plan to try out all your suggestions until we find a good mix that works for us. :001_smile: Thanks again - and if there are others who want to chime in ... :bigear:

[DianeJM]

The Math-U-See website has a free online drill page which I think is really great.

I bought Timez Attack for ds, it's a real video game, and it really works.

[RENEEinVA]

When my kids were younger we used Calculadders. I turned it into a contest between both of my children and there was always a fight to the finish line. I even made up a little chart and used stickers to show how they were progressing. It worked and boy do they know their math facts now.