Math facts solidification

[anabelneri]

Hello! I'm hoping for some ideas about solidifying math facts for my 9yo. She dislikes flash cards and repetitive games (the basic RS games have gotten old). She is currently working through the Kumon skills books and likes them better than other things. What else is there that can help? Calculadders? Or something else? We're using MEP and she has no trouble with the level of math except that her facts are slow.

 

Thanks!

[letsplaymath]

I find that the best way to solidify the basic facts is to work problems *beyond* them. If you are practicing times-4, then multiply big numbers times four, or multiply fractions times four, or negative numbers. (We do this mentally, back and forth, challenging each other to multiply numbers.) This sort of thing is less boring than regular drill, but because each calculation may use several facts, it is great practice. For a longer explanation of this technique, check out the Times Table Series on my blog.

[The Way of My People]

Xtramath.com is another (free!) option for practicing basic math facts.

[Guest 5moretalents]

It would be most helpful to find out which facts she knows automatically, and which ones she has to think about. Then you know where you stand. You can practice with the known facts, and just add 1 or 2 at a time. When she knows those, add another 1 or 2. The most helpful thing to do is practice, for not more than 5-10 minutes at a time, a couple times each day. I would do once in school, and once before going to bed. I like software, because it can be relatively fast, efficient, and consistent, if it's good. http://XtraMath.com , posted above, is pretty decent. Students who have trouble remembering facts benefit from mnemonic devices - stories and tricks, such as "The football coach fed each of his 7 linemen 7 cans of beans, so they would beat the '49ers, because 7 x 7 = 49." or the Tree (3) gave some sticks (6) to the swine (9) so he could build himself a house, because 3 + 6 = 9. There are a few books on this, like Time Tables, the Fun Way, and Times Tales. One good online Flash game that is in the process of adding mnemonic videos is http://mathfactspro.com. The videos are integrated into the game. If the more efficient software gets a little repetitive, do some of the other games (All Hands on Deck is a great book of dice and card games.) when she shows progress on the software. (Be sure to create an account, so that the software gets smarter as it learns your child better.) I hope that helps.

[Dana]

My son doesn't like flash cards, but we used them anyway.

We have cards for multiplication through twelve and once a week he does a timed drill. He graphs his time on a chart so he can see the trend. We started with rewards as well...get through tables 3 times in a row in under 3 minutes, get a book and a reading day for the rest of the day.

 

If he got a problem wrong, he'd have to repeat the statement and the answer five times before moving to the next card (two times three is six). That helps with memorization as well.

 

Never took more than 6 minutes once a week. I feel comfortable that he knows his facts well. We now include division cards as well.

[duckens]

The most helpful thing to do is practice, for not more than 5-10 minutes at a time, a couple times each day.

 

We have a Flashmaster checked out from the public school homeschooling program.

 

Dd (age 6, K) is required to run through her addition facts three times in a row each day. The flashmaster gives final score of how many problems were answered correctly, how many were attempted, and the percent. When she can do more than 20 problems correctly in the time given, with a percent of greater than 90%, and do it 3 out of 3 times, I move her up to the next level. She does them EVERY DAY.

 

We do still do flashcards, but this gives her practice on her own that I don't have to listen to her bellyaching. It helps that dad directs her to do it while I nurse the baby, and he doesn't have to deal with finding flashcards, finding a timer, or any of the other habits we follow with flashcards.

 

If the flashmaster is MIA, I direct her to math games on the Nook.

 

We also just purchased Math Blaster software for her birthday.

 

She complains whenever we do facts: cards, Mathblaster, Nook, whatever, but she is also proud when she can tell me the good scores she earned, and we discuss the value of practice.

[Crimson Wife]

My kids like the Mindware Multiplication Mosaics, etc. series. DS also likes the Math Busters series.

 

With DD, we worked on memorizing the times tables for months while doing other topics in Singapore 3A/B. Eventually, we ran out of other stuff to do and DD couldn't move on to 4A before finishing the multiplication & division chapters in 3A. So DH played "bad cop" and suspended her screen privileges until she finished learning the times tables. She finally got motivated enough to master the remaining facts, and had them down within a week.

 

DS has been warned that the same thing will happen to him if he doesn't finish memorizing the times tables by the time he finishes the other topics in 3A/B.