Is your child having trouble learning math facts? Some children do not respond to the drills and flash cards that are traditionally used to teach them addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The strategy below relies on a remembered visual image instead of on calculating, knowing, or figuring out the answers. Your child will be thrilled with a new way that doesn't feel like math but works to store the math facts securely in his or her mind.
Instructions
1. Pick a math fact family that is difficult for your child to remember. For the purpose of these directions let's choose 7, 4 and 28. Draw an equilateral triangle in the center of an index card using a black marker. Remember that an equilateral triangle has three equal sides. Using a different color marker, write the numbers outside the triangle next to the points. Put 28 on top. Put 7 on the left and put 4 on the right. Using a third marker, draw a multiplication sign under the base of the triangle and draw one division sign next to each of the sloping sides.
2. Show the index card to your child but do not talk about math. Instead ask him to notice the visual information on the card. Say, "What shape is in the middle?" Answer: A triangle. "What color is the triangle?" Answer: Black. "How many numbers are on the card?" Answer: Three. "What color are the numbers?" Answer: Purple. "Which number is on top?" Answer: 28. "Which number is on the bottom right?" Answer: 4. "What else is on the card?" Answer: a multiplication sign and a division sign. "So, what is 28 divided by 4?" Answer: 7. "How do you know that?" Answer: Because it is on the card.
3. Ask your child which math facts are particularly difficult to remember. Then sit with her while she makes cards to illustrate each of these problems. Use different colors for the numbers and the signs. It may be helpful to make different colored triangles or to decorate the centers of the triangles so that there are different clues for different math fact families. Make three or four cards at a time being sure to have the same dialogue about how each one looks as modeled above in Step 2.
4. Take the cards away from your child. Using the same questions, review the cards. Say, "One of the cards has a purple 28 on top of the triangle. What number is on the bottom left?" If your child answers "7" congratulate him. Then ask, "What times 7 equals 28?" When he supplies the number 4, ask "How do you know that? You are absolutely correct." Ask, "Can you see a picture of that card in your mind? What color are the multiplication and division signs." Continue reviewing the way the cards look until your child is confident about the information.
5. Coach your child to use these mental pictures at school the next time there is a test or a drill on these facts. Assure her that she knows the answers now because she has stored the pictures in her mind. Tell her that if she is tempted to get stressed out or worried, she should stop and take a deep breath and then look at the mental picture contains the two numbers in the problem. The answer will be the other number on the triangle. By removing the pressure of doing math and by replacing it with the idea of creating a visual image, your child's math grade will improve. Her confidence will increase and her understanding will deepen.
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