Memorizing Math Facts

[southernm]

I'm looking for some insight for my ds7. He is 2e (dyslexia/dysgraphia). He's really struggling in math. He absolutely cannot memorize subtraction facts. Somehow, he managed to memorize all his "doubles" and seems to use those to answer addition problems. I don't mind him calculating each problem, but he even has trouble with that. Memorizing them would be so much easier if he could get to that point.

 

When he has to do subtraction he just melts with frustration. He is doing Singapore 2a and understands the steps and process to regroup, but the simple act of subtracting nearly brings him to tears. My dad and former ps teacher came to visit so I let him do a review lesson with ds. Dad doesn't understand him at. all. and just didn't believe me when I said he couldn't memorize facts. He was determined to get him to memorize 7-4=3. So all day he ask him that fact and guess what? He never could answer it without subtracting in his head. The only way he can solve it is to use doubles in reverse (8-4=4 so 7-4=3).

 

Is this a working memory problem and is there anything I can do to help? Subtraction is stressing him out so much that he is nearly unable to function for the rest of school. I've backed off for now and am letting him do review with math mammoth but I'm eventually going to have to get back to subtraction. Also, we've been memorizing multiplication facts and he's got facts to 3 already memorized!

[Ottakee]

Not really a great answer but I bought my daughter the nice laminated math chart from Christian Light and let her use that. It has addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, measurement, etc. I just let her use it as needed. It relieved the stress and over time she did learn more of them.

[Heathermomster]

I'm looking for some insight for my ds7. He is 2e (dyslexia/dysgraphia). He's really struggling in math. He absolutely cannot memorize subtraction facts. Somehow, he managed to memorize all his "doubles" and seems to use those to answer addition problems. I don't mind him calculating each problem, but he even has trouble with that. Memorizing them would be so much easier if he could get to that point.

 

When he has to do subtraction he just melts with frustration. He is doing Singapore 2a and understands the steps and process to regroup, but the simple act of subtracting nearly brings him to tears. My dad and former ps teacher came to visit so I let him do a review lesson with ds. Dad doesn't understand him at. all. and just didn't believe me when I said he couldn't memorize facts. He was determined to get him to memorize 7-4=3. So all day he ask him that fact and guess what? He never could answer it without subtracting in his head. The only way he can solve it is to use doubles in reverse (8-4=4 so 7-4=3).

 

Is this a working memory problem and is there anything I can do to help? Subtraction is stressing him out so much that he is nearly unable to function for the rest of school. I've backed off for now and am letting him do review with math mammoth but I'm eventually going to have to get back to subtraction. Also, we've been memorizing multiplication facts and he's got facts to 3 already memorized!

 

I'd like to mention a book and a couple of authors:

 

How the Brain Learns Math by Sousa

Kathy Richardson

Ronit Bird

 

Ronit Bird teaches a method of subtraction called mental bridging that uses a number line. The method is also known as complementary addition and is very effective. Prior to teaching complimentary addition, I would absolutely review number bonds and ensure he knows all addition facts to 20 and doubles. If addition is a strength for your child, complementary addition will totally exploit that ability.

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[FairProspects]

Addition the Fun Way. Seriously. Some of the best money and time we've ever spent.

 

And fwiw, I spoke with an old high school friend a few weekends ago who is an incredibly brilliant physicist in his field (and very likely a 2E dyslexic). Top of his class with a Ph.D out of Stanford Physics Dept., works for a company that gets NASA and Google contracts and yet sitting there in the table at the restaurant he could not do 7-3 for me quickly and said he still has to think about all these small calculations for a few minutes. He also said that if he could do quick calculations it would probably only save him about 10 minutes a day, that the slow recall absolutely does not impact his performance whatsoever, and that while he hated everything about elementary school he absolutely loves his job now (which deals with a whole bunch of instruments and measurements I can't even pronounce, let alone begin to think about using). There is hope for our kids. :D

[FairProspects]

My dd learned multiplication way before basic addition and subtraction facts. 2e kids can have a very uneven acquisition of basic computation facts, while conceptually they're often ready to move way ahead. Dd couldn't identify coins or reliably add numbers under 10 together at a time when she was trying to figure out a formula for primes and learning basic algebra. Some 2e kids don't solidify their basic math facts until much later, in the context of more advanced work they find more interesting.

 

Doodler - do you think this would extend to unit conversions as well? Ds is having a bear of a time with those right now. If I can put it into 3D or real life like with rulers and yardsticks he does well, but I can't figure out if it is a dyslexic issue or not. I tend to think it is b/c anything with "common sense" attached like time, money, and measurement seems to be a problem area.

[southernm]

Thanks for all the great advice!

My dd learned multiplication way before basic addition and subtraction facts. 2e kids can have a very uneven acquisition of basic computation facts, while conceptually they're often ready to move way ahead. Dd couldn't identify coins or reliably add numbers under 10 together at a time when she was trying to figure out a formula for primes and learning basic algebra. Some 2e kids don't solidify their basic math facts until much later, in the context of more advanced work they find more interesting.

 

You might find the math section of Cindy Gaddis's book, The Right Side of Normal, encouraging. Or she has excerpts from her book on her blog. She talks about the way dyslexic/VSL kids acquire math skills in a different order than most curricula expect or insist on. It's not "delayed" or deficient; it's simply different. http://www.therightsideofnormal.com

 

Can I please encourage you to do whatever it takes to preserve a love of math? Seven is far too young to be stressed out over school and what he can or can't do with subtraction. A laminated chart he can use, or even a kid's calculator, can take the pressure off him to memorize facts and allow him to work ahead in areas of strength.

 

There are so many wonderful ways to add to math at home: picture books, Peggy Kaye's book Games For Math, ThinkFun games, basic card games, dice games, tangrams, codes... Take a look at the Marilyn Burns site http://www.mathsolutions.com for other ways to go "sideways" in math, to explore interesting mathematical ideas and concepts without getting bogged down in computation. Kitchen Table Math also gets really good reviews.

 

(Note: Dd, now 16, is currently working on pre-calculus, entirely on her own, and doing very well indeed.)

 

I'm doing my best! He stresses over anything he perceives as not being done correctly so it's not that unusual for him to freak out about it. It's just a more intense "freak out" when it comes to his nemesis, subtraction :lol:

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[Guest learningwithconfidence]

Have you tried triangle flash cards?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Corner-Flash-Cards-Addition-Subtraction/dp/B0006HXTY6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352291438&sr=8-1&keywords=triangle+flash+cards

 

They may help him understand how addition and subtraction are related. We used to have them available as he was doing math and he could take out the card. We had him put into this memory, the same way we do spelling words (air writing, repeating it while doing something physical - stomping, basketball dribbling, gymnastics, tracing and writing).

 

We didn't reinforce that series every time. We workedon one family until he was ready to move onto the next - we made a list and then moved on, encompassing both addition and subtraction into it, 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.

 

To keep the stress out, you may want to the answer available to him while learning the subtraction (whatever you decide to use).

[eoffg1]

It rather raises the question about whether he can concieve of numbers as a quantity?

Where quantity is concieved of with spatial working memory.

Then we learn the names and symbols called numbers, to represent different quantities.

For example, if you look at groups of 2 or 3 or 4 objects?

You will probably immediately recognize the quantity, and can then associate it with number.

But you recognized the size of group, before you thought of the number.

Where the size of the group was recognized with spatial w/m.

But when spatial w/m doesn't form these groups?

Then numbers are thought of in the same way as letters?

So that we can memorize 2+4=6, in the same way as we could memorize B+D=F.

But B+D=F has no meaning?

Then if we do a subtraction; G-D=C.

Or maybe you could a simple subtraction?

H-C= ?

 

Where you'll appreciate how different working out H-C- ? Is from 8-3= ?

Though crucially you mentioned that he has Dysgraphia, which is often related to a Spatial working memory difficulty.

So that the question is whether his Dysgraphia and struggle with math, have a common cause?

[southernm]

It rather raises the question about whether he can concieve of numbers as a quantity?

Where quantity is concieved of with spatial working memory.

Then we learn the names and symbols called numbers, to represent different quantities.

For example, if you look at groups of 2 or 3 or 4 objects?

You will probably immediately recognize the quantity, and can then associate it with number.

But you recognized the size of group, before you thought of the number.

Where the size of the group was recognized with spatial w/m.

But when spatial w/m doesn't form these groups?

Then numbers are thought of in the same way as letters?

So that we can memorize 2+4=6, in the same way as we could memorize B+D=F.

But B+D=F has no meaning?

Then if we do a subtraction; G-D=C.

Or maybe you could a simple subtraction?

H-C= ?

 

Where you'll appreciate how different working out H-C- ? Is from 8-3= ?

Though crucially you mentioned that he has Dysgraphia, which is often related to a Spatial working memory difficulty.

So that the question is whether his Dysgraphia and struggle with math, have a common cause?

 

Interesting. He has a strange ability to tell me how many objects he sees when given an estimation problem. He's usually dead on without counting at all. I think his dysgraphia his far more a problem than dyslexia.

[Tiramisu]

I'm looking for some insight for my ds7. He is 2e (dyslexia/dysgraphia). He's really struggling in math. He absolutely cannot memorize subtraction facts. Somehow, he managed to memorize all his "doubles" and seems to use those to answer addition problems. I don't mind him calculating each problem, but he even has trouble with that. Memorizing them would be so much easier if he could get to that point.

 

When he has to do subtraction he just melts with frustration. He is doing Singapore 2a and understands the steps and process to regroup, but the simple act of subtracting nearly brings him to tears. My dad and former ps teacher came to visit so I let him do a review lesson with ds. Dad doesn't understand him at. all. and just didn't believe me when I said he couldn't memorize facts. He was determined to get him to memorize 7-4=3. So all day he ask him that fact and guess what? He never could answer it without subtracting in his head. The only way he can solve it is to use doubles in reverse (8-4=4 so 7-4=3).

 

Is this a working memory problem and is there anything I can do to help? Subtraction is stressing him out so much that he is nearly unable to function for the rest of school. I've backed off for now and am letting him do review with math mammoth but I'm eventually going to have to get back to subtraction. Also, we've been memorizing multiplication facts and he's got facts to 3 already memorized!

 

This sounds a lot like one of mine, one who I have never had evaluated except for SPD. She became so frustrated with Singapore in 2nd grade that we had to stop it. It was hard decision, in a way, because conceptually she was amazing with Singapore. I couldn't even keep up with the conceptual leaps she was making. At the same time, her inability to memorize facts at that age became a huge obstacle.

 

After a fling with ABeka, we eventually switched to CLE. After a couple of years with the daily review of facts in different formats that CLE offers, eventually she got them down. For years though, it wasn't just the facts but the steps of problems would seemingly fall out of her brain after a short break, sometimes day to day. That forgetting process seemed to stop in sixth grade. CLE was perfect for dealing with that because of the review.

 

I would consider changing curriculum to one that may suit his needs better. Some kids can manage two, none of mine could for very long. CLE worked for use very well. It had the review that I mentioned above, but also new concepts were introduced in tiny bits which really reduced stress, especially when things like long division came up.

 

I would consider Ottakee's suggestion of using a math fact chart.

 

I would also consider doing whatever you can to reduce frustration with math. In our case, we have found if I scribe, it really takes the pressure off and math goes faster. Perhaps you can try give that a try and see if it will help in a pinch.

 

:grouphug:

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[southernm]

If he can memorize all his doubles and uses them to work out subtraction problems, AND he's dyslexic/dysgraphic, he's clearly a right-brained type thinker and is going to be strong in pattern-analysis and concepts. This means his facts are going to stick in his brain later. Let him work with his strength with patterns to do a small amount of mental math with subtraction daily, in real-world contexts rather than in isolated practice problems. Play some games that work in practice with basic facts (Peggy Kay's Games For Math has great ones). Give him some kind of assistance for workbook math, whether it's a "math facts" chart or a calculator.

 

The more you read about this type of kid (the Gaddis and Freed books, the Eides book and/or blog entries, Linda Silverman's website and book), the more relaxed you will be about the fact that he's not following the standard order of things mathematically (addition first, then subtraction, then multiplication, etc., facts memorized before you move on).

Thank you so much for the help! I'm off to check out those books!

[Lecka]

My son is a little similar.

 

He is in 2nd grade, he is 7, his school uses Math in Focus (like Singapore).

 

He did not have an easy time with doubles or doubles plus ones. Those and numbers that make a sum of 10 were done extensively in 1st grade. It seems like it just takes him a really, really long time to get them down. His teacher did a ton with them on those, and counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s.

 

He had a number line on his desk last year and can have one this year. Right now I feel like it helps him to count on his fingers or on the number line. It does not seem to be frustrating to him.

 

His teacher does timed math fact sheets, it starts with sums to some number, and increases, then they go to subtraction, then multiplication. He is on sums to 12, so he is doing stuff like 6+6 and 9+3.

 

He is towards the top in his class overall in math, and he does fine with concepts. They are subtracting 3-digit numbers now and he seems to do okay with borrowing.

 

His teacher was asking at the parent-teacher conference if we did the recommended practice. I said we do it most nights. It is true we don't do it as consistently as possible, but I am very consistent with his reading. But she thought maybe we didn't do any at all.

 

I don't think it does make sense to have a decent math student who is still on the addition facts to 12 (and yes, they did start this in 1st grade, most kids are far past this, especially who are better at math). I doubt his teacher believes me. She probably thinks it is too bad for my son his parents will not take more care with him at home. And I could take more care -- but I think he is doing pretty well and don't want to beat him over the head with this stuff.

 

When I read Dyslexic Advantage, there is a part talking about procedural memory. That sounded like my son. It just means rote memorization takes a long time.

 

I think all the other techniques people use are great and very worth trying. I am just going with an idea that he will get it eventually with continued short practices, and if not, well, he can have a grid.

 

My son is very sweet but he is not really sensitive or intense, and it does not seem to bother him to be plugging away on his "facts through 12" while some friends are way ahead of him. I think his teacher and school are good about encouraging kids at all levels (my son was presented an award in front of the whole school last year for improved reading). But I am hoping it doesn't become an issue as kids start to compare more.

 

As always I plan to work through the summer and use that time to let him keep going.

 

Mainly though I can just be supportive. Yes, there are people who have no idea that there are kids who are not going to be able to just learn one new math fact a week, if their parents would only bother to review. It is just how it is. I would not expect huge insight from a public school teacher on this. But if you shared some information I think that might be very helpful. I have not gone into any detail on this (I focus on reading) but I found reading Dyslexic Advantage very helpful and also reading posts here about other students who did well in math while not being good at their math facts.

 

I have not really had to address anxiety or perfectionism with my son. I have had to address fear of failure and assuming he would do something bad b/c he had gotten an association with a certain learning concept that he would not be able to do it. Those things are VERY worth addressing. I have realized there are things about MY attitude that I can change. I can change the messages I send. But when things that are "supposed" to be easy are not easy, and then they are good at things that are supposed to be hard, I think that is a hard situation and I do my best to be supportive now, especially being more aware of some things after reading Dylexic Advantage.

[laundrycrisis]

Very similar issues here. What finally worked was Mastering Mathematics. I bought it from Rainbow. I started him all the way at the beginning of it. It builds the mental library of facts in a very logical manner, in very small increments, with lots of practice for each new set of facts. He's made amazing progress since starting this program.

[Heathermomster]

Doodler - do you think this would extend to unit conversions as well? Ds is having a bear of a time with those right now. If I can put it into 3D or real life like with rulers and yardsticks he does well, but I can't figure out if it is a dyslexic issue or not. I tend to think it is b/c anything with "common sense" attached like time, money, and measurement seems to be a problem area.

 

For unit conversions, DS has always had to visualize the ruler or cup measure to solve them. I've always attributed that to the fact that he requires a concrete manipulative to make sense of an abstract concept. He tests gifted in spatial reasoning too. No surprise I suppose....He can solve these problems without conversion equations and does not show his work.

 

For time problems and money, he demonstrated improvement with these areas in 6th grade and uses a number line to solve these problems. I consider all this to be a gifted dyslexic/dysgraphic/dyscalculia issue. Asynchronous brain development is so frustrating...Anyho

 

 

To the OP... You never mentioned using c-rods, ten frames, reken rek, or other concrete manipulative. Have you tried any of these yet? The kinesthetic and visual element of concrete manipulatives may benefit your child.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Heathermomster

[Guest 5moretalents]

Wow! You have gotten some really good advice here! He has memorized the addition doubles, so I hold out hope that he can memorize the others, as well. Learningwithconfidence is right about the triangle cards. Showing that 3 + 4 = 7, 4 + 3 = 7, 7 - 3 = 4, and 7 - 4 = 3 are all variations of the same fact family is helpful in understanding that subtraction is just the inverse of addition. I would suggest trying to get the addition facts memorized/fluent before trying to do the same with subtraction. As long as you are working every day (I would do twice a day for 5-10 minutes) on developing automatic recall, I would use a tool to help him get the answers and relieve frustration. But I would use a number line with cubes or other objects on it instead of a chart; it reinforces the concrete instead of the abstract, which is more likely to help him understand and get the facts into long term memory. This may be similar to what Heathermomster said.

 

Several users have mentioned people being able to complex math, but being unable to automatically recall basic facts. Here's a video about Emma J King, http://vega.org.uk/video/programme/301 who is an astro physicist who is dyslexic and struggles with arithmetic (basic math). Advanced math and basic math are very different.

 

When it comes to memorization, research shows that the biggest help for learning disabled students is mnemonic devices http://s3.amazonaws.com/cmi-teaching-ld/alerts/14/uploaded_files/original_Alert5.pdf?1301001560 Using a story, a picture, etc. for a fact gives it a stronger address in the brain, which makes the fact easier for the brain to find or recall. It is VERY effective to have students create/record their own mnemonics (You have to be 16 to drive a 4 x 4, because 4 x 4 = 16) because they are personally involved. I am a former ps teacher who is now designing software to help develop math fact fluency. We've started adding little videos to the game, so that, when students struggle to recall a fact, we can give them a mnemonic to help. So far we have videos for adding 0, 1 (counting on one), and 2 (skipping over one) and we are adding videos of the mnemonics of the three's now (The three (3) looked through the door (4) and saw heaven (7).) If you want to try the game, it's at MathFactsPro.com http://mathfactspro.com Be sure to create a free trial account, it is much more effective than just starting over each time. Also, you will get a print out of which facts are memorized. I'm hoping it won't stress him out too much - I would emphasize each new record for number of facts memorized, each time he sets one. I'd love to hear if it helps.

[Lecka]

I am definitely checking into these programs.

 

I am just going to make a comment b/c my son is in Singapore-style math. 1) They do use 10 frames all the time. That is what they do and if it is helpful I think consistency is good. If it is not so helpful I think looking further would be very good. The 10 frames do seem very good for my son. 2) They do number bonds. They are like the triangle cards -- they just draw circles and a line connecting them. Again, for my son I think consistency there would be good, but seeing it in another way might be good also.

 

I am feeling like I could be more consistent with his night practice and do it every night, and add in a short morning practice also.

 

I am also going to check into the programs mentioned. B/c as I have said, just regular practice is not yielding awesome results, and maybe there is a better way for him.

[southernm]

I've tried many different ways to help, including fact families. We worked fact families over and over and it does not help him at. all. I've just ordered c-rods so I hope that will help, but I've got lots of great suggestions from this thread and have some reading to do!

[FairProspects]

Wow! You have gotten some really good advice here! He has memorized the addition doubles, so I hold out hope that he can memorize the others, as well. Learningwithconfidence is right about the triangle cards. Showing that 3 + 4 = 7, 4 + 3 = 7, 7 - 3 = 4, and 7 - 4 = 3 are all variations of the same fact family is helpful in understanding that subtraction is just the inverse of addition. I would suggest trying to get the addition facts memorized/fluent before trying to do the same with subtraction. As long as you are working every day (I would do twice a day for 5-10 minutes) on developing automatic recall, I would use a tool to help him get the answers and relieve frustration. But I would use a number line with cubes or other objects on it instead of a chart; it reinforces the concrete instead of the abstract, which is more likely to help him understand and get the facts into long term memory. This may be similar to what Heathermomster said.

 

Several users have mentioned people being able to complex math, but being unable to automatically recall basic facts. Here's a video about Emma J King, http://vega.org.uk/video/programme/301 who is an astro physicist who is dyslexic and struggles with arithmetic (basic math). Advanced math and basic math are very different.

 

When it comes to memorization, research shows that the biggest help for learning disabled students is mnemonic devices http://s3.amazonaws.com/cmi-teaching-ld/alerts/14/uploaded_files/original_Alert5.pdf?1301001560 Using a story, a picture, etc. for a fact gives it a stronger address in the brain, which makes the fact easier for the brain to find or recall. It is VERY effective to have students create/record their own mnemonics (You have to be 16 to drive a 4 x 4, because 4 x 4 = 16) because they are personally involved. I am a former ps teacher who is now designing software to help develop math fact fluency. We've started adding little videos to the game, so that, when students struggle to recall a fact, we can give them a mnemonic to help. So far we have videos for adding 0, 1 (counting on one), and 2 (skipping over one) and we are adding videos of the mnemonics of the three's now (The three (3) looked through the door (4) and saw heaven (7).) If you want to try the game, it's at MathFactsPro.com http://mathfactspro.com Be sure to create a free trial account, it is much more effective than just starting over each time. Also, you will get a print out of which facts are memorized. I'm hoping it won't stress him out too much - I would emphasize each new record for number of facts memorized, each time he sets one. I'd love to hear if it helps.

 

 

:iagree:Addition the Fun Way is a book of mnemonic devices. That is why it worked so well for ds. You learn to picture the facts in pictures, and for subtraction, you think back to the addition pictures and visualize who is missing. Ds still doesn't have lightening quick recall, and probably never will due to retrieval & slow processing, but it is so much better and much easier to move on now conceptually (at least with the small numbers).

[Mukmuk]

To the OP, manipulatives have been wonderful for us. C-rods are great, but so are blocks, square tiles, anything. How about M&Ms, grapes, nuts, etc? Your son sounds like he understands the concept well. Perhaps practice with these? DS is still not the fastest or the most accurate when it comes to math facts, but it's more than enough to get by at the algebra level.

 

To Fair Prospects, I asked DS about how he did conversions. There are quite a few of that in Ed Zacarro. He says he pictures how much one of something is, say, how many yards in a kilometer. And he matched it accordingly. It's a visual thing. He calls it "the Power of One", ie, one group. Can you help your son to think this way? I like what Heathermomster said- tie it to a concrete manipulative 1st.

[Mukmuk]

Interesting. He has a strange ability to tell me how many objects he sees when given an estimation problem. He's usually dead on without counting at all. I think his dysgraphia his far more a problem than dyslexia.

 

... conceptually she was amazing with Singapore. I couldn't even keep up with the conceptual leaps she was making. At the same time, her inability to memorize facts at that age became a huge obstacle.

 

 

My dd learned multiplication way before basic addition and subtraction facts. 2e kids can have a very uneven acquisition of basic computation facts, while conceptually they're often ready to move way ahead. Dd couldn't identify coins or reliably add numbers under 10 together at a time when she was trying to figure out a formula for primes and learning basic algebra. Some 2e kids don't solidify their basic math facts until much later, in the context of more advanced work they find more interesting.

 

 

This thing about understanding concepts before acquiring solid math facts comes up a lot. I want to point to this article by the Eides on Dyscalculia:

 

"Famous Scientists and Mathematicians with Dyscalculia

 

"- Thomas Alva Edison belong to bad pupils, he never mastered skills like writing, spelling,

and even arithmetic.

- The physicist George Gamov is described in My World Line by his student, a famous

astronomer, Vera Rubin in the following way: “He could not write or count. It would take him

a while to tell you how much is 7 times 8. However, his mind was able to comprehend the

universe.â€

- Mathematician N. N. Luzin belongs to people with a slow reaction. He also developed

slowly, he did not succeed in school, especially in mathematics."

 

Other dyscalculic mathematicians come to mind, like David Hilbert, one of the greatest mathematicians of the last century who was notoriously bad at arithmetic and an anecdote in which he had to ask whether 7 + 5 was 12 or 13."

 

I often think my son needs the complexity before he understands most things :tongue_smilie:.

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[TippyCanoe]

nm

[FairProspects]

Sorry it's taken me so long, but I finally did have this discussion with dd. She said she finally "got" conversions in 9th grade. She didn't spend much time with them, but the little bit she did finally stuck then. She remembers them with loathing and distaste, but says she can now do them. I asked her to show me, so she converted a mile to 1609 meters; she got a little messed up at the start because she hadn't done anything like this in so long, but she figured it out.

 

She said what helped was remembering that the units had to "make a zig-zag" pattern, if that makes sense to you. She showed me what she meant, but I don't know how to write it on on a computer.

 

Dh spent some time with her last year with Centigrade/Fahrenheit conversions -- not doing them arithmetically, but developing a set of handy equivalents, like 20 is roughly 68 and 30 is roughly 86, that kind of thing. She now has a pretty good ability to eyeball them. She got interested because dh was traveling and would send her temperatures in Centigrade -- NOT because this was up for work in her math or science book.

 

Thanks for asking her, that is interesting. Ds seems to have a similar interest when self-motivated - he has been playing around with converting seconds to minutes to parts of an hour, but only because the idea came from him. The conversions he has had to do for math he has detested. Maybe it will be one of those things that comes together as he gets older.

[journey00]

I just ordered "Addition the Fun Way", for my 8 yr old son. Thanks!