Math Facts How did you teach them 1st grade

[Homeschoolmommy44]

Hello-

I need help with a first grader. She did math u see for kindergarten and its all with the manipulative blocks. She does not know any facts besides +0 and +1. How did you teach your first graders the math facts? did you use flash cards? online programs? I am having trouble moving from manipulatives to mental math.  Please help!

[MyLife]

After my son understood the concept of adding, I started drilling him with flash cards. I really like the addition and subtraction cards from CLE. The cards are set up so that you introduce new cards but continue to review old cards, a few each day.

[HomeAgain]

We used MEP.  The puzzles are outstanding.  For a while I'd have him set the c-rods in front of him, then I'd have him close his eyes and visualize the c-rods in his head, and finally he just knew it quickly.

[jgrabuskie]

We used manipulatives at first. Then the public school showed them how to count on their fingers if the number you are adding or subtracting 3 or less (worst idea in my opinion and the hardest habit to break). I used the tri-corner cards, bust. Tried the wrap things, many tears and expensive. Then I used the ones you buy from the grocery store where the answer is blank, bust. Lastly, I made flashcards that are colorful and have the whole problem on the front, 2+2=4, winner.
 
I found out DS was a right brain learner and actually takes a picture with his eyes and remembers the answer. I have him review the same 20 cards over a 5 day period. He looks at the card and says the entire problem 2 + 2 = 4.  So, by seeing the whole problem and saying out loud while touching the cards, DS is reviewing math visually, kinesthetically and audibly.
 
Every 5 days I switch cards. I don't do timed tests that just stresses DS out and makes for a bad school day. Instead, I look at the time he is spending on his math work both time taken to complete and correctness. So far, he has really improved. His confidence in his ability to do math has gone from me having to walk him through every problem (and watch him count on his fingers and toes) to him being able to complete his written work on his own with near 100% accuracy. DS is 8 and he is doing Saxon Int3 even though he tested into 5/4 his Dysgraphia made 5/4 to difficult with all the writing.
 
We are almost done with the addition facts, next subtraction and so on.

[Syllieann]

Nooms app is excellent for starting out on math facts. After that, you can work methodically on the others. Teach evens and odds forward and backward. That takes care of the 2s. Then you can do doubles, near doubles, and ten bonds. I like the birthday party for ten from education unboxed. http://www.educationunboxed.com/having-a-party/

Once the facts can be figured out that way, we start trying to speed things up. For that we have done math evolve (app) and xtra math (app). For dd, I also will sometimes write them in water and have her try to write the answers before the problem dries up and disappears. She enjoys that immensely.

[Jacbeaumont]

http://kateshomeschoolmath.com/how-to-teach-addition-facts-that-stick/ ' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'> http://kateshomeschoolmath.com/how-to-teach-addition-facts-that-stick/

 

We used Kate Snow's Addition Facts that Stick. Started with my DS at 5 and he is almost 6 now and can answer all flash cards under sums of 15.

It is a fun, game based program. Teaches kids how to visualize the numbers with 10 frames.

 

My son loves the games.

 

 

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[letsplaymath]

I'll play the curmudgeon here. Why are you worrying about number facts?

 

The important thing for this age level is to work on building number sense. Number facts are abstract, isolated little bites of data. Number sense is a whole web of inter-connected relationships that tie the numbers together and help kids think their way through math problems.

 

Take a look at these articles:

• Build Number Sense
• The Power of Subitizing

[Sarah0000]

Playing and using c rods and RS abacus, RS games, Nooms, and for those facts that aren't automatically visually apparant, Singapore make a ten method for quick calculation.

[fdrinca]

 

I'll play the curmudgeon here. Why are you worrying about number facts?

 

The important thing for this age level is to work on building number sense. Number facts are abstract, isolated little bites of data. Number sense is a whole web of inter-connected relationships that tie the numbers together and help kids think their way through math problems.

 

Take a look at these articles:

• Build Number Sense
• The Power of Subitizing

 

 

We spent SO MUCH TIME on 10 frames with my DD6. I thought I was going to lose my mind. I punted some of the 10 frames to the Prodigy math game when it was just too frustrating for me. 

 

Then, he started saying things like, "oh, it's five and two and three" when he was asked how to get from 7 to 10. This made addition and subtraction within 20 so easy, especially following the make-10 algorithm.

[gstharr]

We started early with board games. Anything with dice. Our favorite was a horse racing game ( horse advanced by number rolled.). When he could count to 12, we added an extra dice.   Then we moved to a 10ft number line.  Did simple math on the line. eg. 2 + 2----start at 2 and used pointer to move two places to 4.  4-1== used pointer to move back 1 place to 3.  Used stand and  deliver method. Had him up with the pointer. About 30 minutes a week  was all that it took.

[Momto6inIN]

We made sure she completely understood both addition and subtraction conceptually in 1st grade using Math Mammoth with manipulatives and games and whatnot and then started with XtraMath.org for getting her math facts down in 2nd grade. (She hated flash cards and so did I lol)

 

She really did not like the pressure of the timed aspect, so I set XtraMath to give her 6 seconds for each problem, and that feeling of extra time really improved her attitude and thus improved her mastery of them too.

[Sherry in OH]

MEP with Funtastic Frogs (or any other manipulative, but we had frogs), coins, C-rods, and an abacus at the beginning of the year.  By the end of first grade, a number line as needed.  Lots of manipulatives to start though.

[LMCme]

Rod and Staff does it as part of grade 1.  They emphasize drilling until math facts are a no brainer.  That said, they build up to this with manipulatives.  The approach is fact familiies (e.g., addition family 3 is 0+3, 1+2, 2+1, 3+0).  Very traditional, but my son really enjoys it.

 

LMC

[Tracy]

I am not sure why you want a first grader to know any math facts at all. It just isn't developmentally appropriate. At that age, they need manipulatives.  Just let her use them, and eventually she will start to know the math facts. 

[MistyMountain]

I used 2 plus 2 does not equal 5 with my oldest and it worked for learning facts but I would do it differently if I could go back. I am using Addition Facts that Stick with my youngest because I want her to picture things in her head more. I actually do extra work with that sort of thing with her too like assigning the 10 frame stuff in prodigy.

[rainbowmama]

We used Rightstart, and it had a lot of games and visualization techniques for these math facts. We've never used Math U See, but in Righstart, the jump from manipulatives to mental math comes from encouraging the child to start visualizing the abacus in their heads. Could you do the same thing with the blocks?

[UCF612]

We do Right Start Math B in first grade. Games plus abacus taught both my boys their math facts.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

We always ALWAYS have cuisinaire rods on the table during SM1.  The facts eventually just come naturally with repeated practice.  Once the child KNOWS them, you can increase speed with flash cards or a computer game, but I would not memorize them without literally hundreds of repetitions with manipulatives.  

[Moonhawk]

We used MUS Alpha with the blocks, they understood the concepts quickly and then memorized from there.  Just putting the long 7 block next to a 3 and 4 block and going "look, they are the same length! A 3 block and a 4 block gives you the same little squares as 7, so 3 + 4 = 7"  type of stuff.  We did follow the MUS pattern of which facts to show them.  I guess it wasn't necessary, but I liked it.  

 

For kinder, did you use MUS primer?  We didn't use the primer but the primer seemed more focused on giving them exposure to numbers, telling time, etc, than actually learning addition.  MUS alpha is where they start to learn actual math facts. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

games

 

Kitchen Table Math was a good source for ideas.  I used some of the Right Start games.  I bought the whole set, but I wouldn't recommend doing so because I found the instructions for many of the games very confusing and hard to follow so I didn't end up using a lot of them.

 

Youtube has a lot of game ideas too. 

 

 

[MerryAtHope]

Honestly, I didn't worry about my first graders memorizing math facts. I let them use manipulatives as long as they wanted to. They move on from manipulatives when they can do the facts faster than they can use the manipulatives (especially if you can get them using some type of blocks etc... instead of fingers). My best math student used manipulatives longer. 

[fourisenough]

Kate Snow's Addition Facts That Stick. Seriously, back away from the flash cards! Buy this book and I promise your child will develop a strong number sense AND have fun in the process!