fun ways to learn math facts for DD6

[mamato3]

I am using Singapore Math 1A with my DD6 and we are at the point where we are not supposed to continue until she has memorized the addition and subtraction math facts for numbers 1-10. She is really excellent at memorizing other things but is just so bored by the process with numbers. anyone have any ideas to make it fun and effective? I'm ready to move on!

 

thanks!

[NittanyJen]

I am using Singapore Math 1A with my DD6 and we are at the point where we are not supposed to continue until she has memorized the addition and subtraction math facts for numbers 1-10. She is really excellent at memorizing other things but is just so bored by the process with numbers. anyone have any ideas to make it fun and effective? I'm ready to move on!

 

thanks!

 

 

I would start with time to just play "making tens." Spill out ten crayons or colored pencils or dice or whatever. How can we divide these up to make ten? (or different numbers less than 10).

 

Hey . . . 1 and 9 group to 10. So do 2 and 8. We can also rearrange them into 3 and 7! Cool . . .

 

If you are not using C-Rods yet (Cuisinare Rods) this is a great time to introduce them. Show her how to solve a few problems with them, then sit back and let her goof around with them, come back and pose a few problems. Put a few up on a white board and let her solve-- make it a puzzle game rather than a math assignment if that works. With enough repetition, some of these facts will sink in through sheer repetition.

 

One of my son's favorite games when he knows we need to drill is the "penny game." I bout several sets of those half-size flash cards (I don't need to get upset if any are lost or misplaced). Write the number sentence on one side, the answer on the other-- traditional flash cards. Set them out in a grid on the floor, gather as many siblings or friends as can helpfully participate as well as yourself. Your child starts-- toss the penny. Whichever number sentence the penny lands on is the question she must answer. Correct answer-- she keeps that card. Wrong answer-- it flips back over and stays on the board. LET HER FLIP THE CARD. It reinforces better if she reveals the answer for herself. Once all players have collected their correct cards and the board is clear, everyone except those trying to learn the facts (often just the one kid) place their cards back into the grid. Repeat -- you may have to start excusing the experienced players one by one-- until your DC has captured all of the cards successfully.

 

It's fun, low-pressure, and allows her to repeat questions until she gets them correct.

 

She can also play it herself, no computer required.

[Nart]

I would concentrate on number bonds of 10. I taped numbers 1-9 to my son's Hotwheel and Matchbox cars. Then I took a mat that he had that had parking spaces and taped another set of numbers 1-10. When I said "Go!" he had to put the cars in the right parking space using number bonds of 10 (so car 4 had to go in parking space 6). If your Dd doesn't like cars, perhaps you can find something else like little dolls and blankets or stuffed animal friends that make 10. He hated playing the card games like "Go to the dump" but he really loved this game.

[ByGrace3]

Right Start math games and the game of Chips. My dd loves the and she is not mathy at all. She is blowing me away lately though and a combo of MM and Right Start games gets the credit.

[blondeviolin]

We played board games with dice. Two dice and some c rods for figuring gave sufficient practice for my oldest.

[Sameera]

Personally I found this book which is full of maths word problems really helped my kids:

 

First Lessons in Arithmetic by W.J Milne

 

You can read it free online.

 

My DD daughter finds reading maths books more fun than games because she enjoys learning this subject. (General modern text books don't give word problems only questions which are meaningless to the child).

[scrapbabe]

Some fun games we have played that helped with math facts are Sum Swamp and Giggle Facts http://www.gigglelearn.com/

[poiema]

I have one child at the end of 1A (length) and one in 2B and we never stopped to memorize math facts. Unless her math is getting too hard or frustrating for her, I would just move on. It is easy to still use manipulatives at this stage to solve problems so there is no reason not to continue. They will get it with time and practice.

 

In the meantime, the Teach Me apps have really good math practice. You can turn on/off the help functions. They earn coins they can use to purchase virtual prizes. I agree with the PP who said dice games. Sometimes we just use a pair of dice and no game. And we add math throughout the day, like counting out and adding goldfish for snack time. During math time, we use use an abacus or Trios (linking blocks).

 

ETA: I was just looking for games to help my ds work on his multiplication facts and found some free sites with addition games as well. fun4thebrain.com and multiplication.com (I don't know why it's called that since there are addition games as well). HTH

[Farrar]

Right Start's game Going to the Dump.