anotherblessingus Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Copywork, flashcards, computer based drills, what has worked with your children to get their math facts into their heads? We need to work on this, and I was wondering what has worked for others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 (edited) Older DS seemed to have been born already knowing math facts, so never really drilled him. At most, we just touched on them from time to time with the fun computer game "Number Munchers". Younger DS was completely the opposite. No matter what we used, math facts did not stick. Timed math drills absolutely made him melt down. Math Shark was a complete waste of money (NOT game-like to DS, and it was TIMED). Wrap-Ups were a waste of time and money -- all he did was memorize the wrap pattern, not the math facts. And Number Munchers was not enough like a game to for him to like it. (see what I mean about complete opposite?!) What finally worked best for him was gentle, consistent use of a VARIETY of things: 1. skip count songs 2. triangle flashcards -- reduces the number of facts that have to be learned by three-fourths because the child sees the relationship between 3 numbers on the points of the triangle as a fact "family", and each fact family represents 4 math facts -- ex: a card with 6, 7, and 42 on it represents the math facts of: 6x7 = 42 7x6 = 42 42/7 = 6 42/6 = 7 3. Schoolhouse Rock: Multiplication Rock 4. just a little bit of help from Times Tables the Easy Way (goofy story and cartoon for each math fact to help each "stick" in the visual memory) BEST of luck in finding what works for your family! Warmly, Lori D. Edited July 20, 2010 by Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Right Start Math games, Multiplication Mosaics, and finally resorting to taking away computer and Wii privileges until she learned the darn times tables ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowfall Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 DD's only 6, so this wouldn't apply to older kids needing to learn times tables, but she got her 1-12 facts down by playing Sum Swamp and doing the MEP lessons. MEP worksheets present the facts in about a million different ways. For example, X=2+6, 2+X=8, 6+2=X, 2+6=X+4...and so on and so forth. You can find all of those sorts of examples on one worksheet, and even the same example can be shown in different ways - with a balance where one number is hidden, with pictures, with blanks where kids draw the pictures, etc. It has lots of practice, but it's all different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karis Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Facts First !!! LOVE IT!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Triangle flashcards & wrap-its. Those were the winners here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Copywork, flashcards, computer based drills, what has worked with your children to get their math facts into their heads? We need to work on this, and I was wondering what has worked for others. Around here it's been consistency. Drilling daily using flash cards or Quarter Mile Math, and doing a fact sheet (we use Saxon, so they are included) daily has helped cement the facts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Give up and give them a math table in a sheet protector to use. But if you must work on them, figure out what way your dc learns best. The best ideas from people won't work if your dc learns a different way. (auditory, visual, in stories, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaissezFaire Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Times Tales!!! (For multiplication obviously). My dd struggled for 4 years and just could NOT memorize the upper times tables. I broke down and got Times Tales and she learned them in 2 days. I was almost angry at myself for waiting so long to try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 flash cards triangle flash cards wrap-ups Zeus on the Loose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 DS hates being timed of flash cards. Anything set to music works (ie. multiplication rock) and games. Lots and lots of games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aconnolley Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 We use a Flashmaster. It is a handheld device that drills them on the math facts so I don't have to use flashcards. I also use online games, worksheets, and just asking them out loud. It took my daughter a while to learn her addition facts, so I was dreading multiplication. I found Times Tales. She had many of them learned in a couple of hours, and she enjoyed it! I would definitely recommend it for visual learners. Angela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Give up and give them a math table in a sheet protector to use. But if you must work on them, figure out what way your dc learns best. The best ideas from people won't work if your dc learns a different way. (auditory, visual, in stories, etc.) Having a math facts table available during their math work. It solidifies the correct math fact rather than guessing. Eventually they'll stop needing it. Works here. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Drilling consistently with any method has failed miserably here. What worked for us was having our do math year round (with a week off here & there for holidays). Drilling might have worked with my ds had he not thought it funny to skip count or count just because he knew it was wrong & didn't want to memorize them. What's funny is that he's learning them very quickly now in spite of himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherblessingus Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 I like the idea of practicing skip counting especially before they get to multiplication. This would put them ahead of the game, so to speak. All of these suggestions have helped give me some ideas. I know I remember drilling those multiplication facts over and over in third grade. I'm thankful for a teacher that made me learn them, even if it wasn't much fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 We like this book--uses coloring, and stories and flashcards---uses BOTH sides of the brain to retain facts and we went from the worst part of the day to the best! http://www.multiplication.com/order.htm We got both but liked the yellow one better Lara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in SW WA Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 We like this book--uses coloring, and stories and flashcards---uses BOTH sides of the brain to retain facts and we went from the worst part of the day to the best! http://www.multiplication.com/order.htm We got both but liked the yellow one better Lara My neighbor just gave me the yellow book after success with her kids. I'm willing to give it a try. I wonder what the difference is between this and Times Tales.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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