Math Facts Resources Reviews

As promised, below are reviews of three different programs to aid in teaching your child math facts. I, personally, have found the most effective tool is good old fashioned flash cards: begin with the answers included and then remove the answers after they have visually memorized the fact with the answers. Then, review the flash cards every day until they know them cold. After that, review now and again - weekly, then monthly and then with practice tests once in a while (Calculadders is a good practice test program for math facts). However, if they still struggle or you prefer to add some help in the learning process - below are some ideas.

FlashMaster
www.flashmaster.com

FlashMaster is definitely my favorite gadget for helping my kids practice their math facts. This small hand-held electronic device can be programmed in many different ways to customize the facts presented. It has several levels and can be timed if desired. It also keeps your children's results so you can check up on their progress. This is a great gadget for on-the-go homeschoolers - just keep it in the car for a little "carschooling" fun!

I paid around $50 for ours, but you can purchase it from Amazon or Sonlight Curriculum for around $45.00.

Again, this is a program that helps your children practice
their math facts, not necessarily learn them. Read on for resources that will aid in the actual learning of math facts.


Math n More's Flash Facts
by Jan Bedell
www.littlegiantsteps.com

Although somewhat expensive, I found this program to be helpful in actually teaching the math facts for a child that struggled with the flash card method. This program was developed by a certified neurodevelopmentalist, and it uses all the different learning styles of children to teach math facts. It teaches to auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners all at once. Every child can succeed with this program. In fact, this was the program that convinced me that my children needed to see the facts (including the answers) before they could memorize and provide the answers when using flashcards.

This program involves showing your children flashcards with the answers and having them listen to the facts read with the answers - while they look for the facts on a pre-printed sheet. Then, they go through the cards again without the answers and listen to the facts without the answers - while they write the answers on another sheet. A little parent involvement is necessary, but the child is required to listen to the facts read with earphones on. I remember my son using the earphones and being shocked as they read facts that he knew the answers to. "How do I know all these answers?" he asked. It was that easy for him to learn his math facts. Ever since we started using this program, our facts practice has been all review.

The cost is $24.99 for each program (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). So, for all the your facts, you'll dish out more than $100. But, if you are really diligent to use it, your child will learn their facts well.


Times Tales: A Trigger Memory System
www.timestales.com

For those tough to remember math facts, a little extra help is sometimes needed. This is especially true for your nonmathy, creative child or visual learner. Times Tales is a great program that will help solidify those harder to memorize facts in the six, seven, eight and nine categories. Using stories and images, as well as characterizations for each number, this program does the trick. In fact, I'll never forget that 7 and 8 were driving down the road and going one mile over the speed limit. Yes, 7 and 8 were going 56 miles per hour. I have that image indelibly etched in my brain and will likely never forget that 7 x 8 is 56.

I hope that helps some of you get started on the journey to getting those math facts down!

Facts on Math Facts

There are several things I've learned over the years about teaching math in the homeschool. Undeniably, the first and most important element for imparting a solid math education is...(drum roll please)...the memorization of math facts! Skip the skip counting, and focus on helping your children memorize their facts. Truly, it is the most important part of elementary math. It's more important than that drill sheet they have in front of them each day, and yes, it's even more important than that well-researched, expensive curriculum you bought at the book fair. If I could implore you to do ANYTHING in the elementary years that would benefit your children the MOST - it would be to focus on the facts. Please, please, please make sure your children learn them!

You see, middle school math is next to impossible for the student that must first stop and think about the answer to six times eight. If the child is not certain of the answer to seven plus six, what we call "careless" mistakes will abound. Further, it will take him an hour to do what could be completed in 15 minutes - if he only knew his facts!

I KNOW THIS FROM EXPERIENCE...

AVOID THE MISTAKE I MADE!

As students grow older, math problems get trickier, lengthier and often involve several steps to solve. If a student has to ponder the answer to every addition, subtraction and multiplication fact they encounter, math will become the bane of your existence. Fractions are frightening for a kid that can't find a common denominator because he doesn't know his math facts.

Skip counting is fine, and it may work for a while, but in the end, the student simply must know his facts. If your child is still skip counting while taking the SAT, he will probably get left behind. In essence, by sixth grade, your children should have all their multiplication math facts, through at least the tens, down pat. They should also know their addition and subtraction facts through twenty. If they do, they are then free to focus on the algorithms (the procedures for doing the equations) without the burden of lacking the basics.

I learned a little late that math facts should be the most important part of a child's early math education. With my first child, I spent more time teaching the algorithms and only sporadically worked on memorizing the facts. By sixth grade, I knew we were in big trouble. Thankfully, teaching math facts is not rocket science. Thus, we were able to remediate this issue by focusing each day on the monotonous and painfully boring task of flash cards (I'll explain the flashcard methods that were most effective for my students in my next post).

I also want to point out that, I've purchased and watched homeschool moms purchase expensive games, gadgets and software in the hopes of making math fact memorization a breeze. This is unnecessary and by trying to make it fun we complicate the process, and risk not even doing it. In the end, it really boils down to the nitty-gritty work of sitting with your child - one on one, each and every day - to ensure that he solidly memorizes those facts.

In the next few posts, I will review and recommend curriculum that will actually help teach math facts.