And I don't want it to be that way for my children.
They understand the concept,
but memorization is required. It is just plain necessary.
I tried to memorize my multiplication tables by many methods.
My mom had lots of multiplication gizmo's, gadgets, and games...
...and flashcards.
I detest multiplication flashcards.
I repeat "I DETEST..." etc. so on and so forth...
I have always thought myself unmathmatically minded,
but I suspect it was that one roadblock of memorizing my Mult. tables that sealed my fate
as a self-proclaimed dis-liker of Math.
So I have put off making my boys use flashcards because
I'm afraid of killing their potential love of Math
But such things can be put off only so long, and this week I brainstormed.
How might I have memorized those tables?
What would have made it stick?
What is it about flash cards?
What method do I best memorize by today?
.......................................................
These and other questions filled my head as I scrambled for a solution I could immediately employ.
I think multiplication drill pages are the thing.
AJ came up with the same answer.
He remembers going through workbooks of nothing but drill pages
-it was a sort of contest to see who could complete the most pages,
or time yourself and best your time.
and said "let them have the key" because they'll use it
until they tire of looking up the answers and memorize them.
BINGO!
I remember learning my simple addition this way and I really LOVED it.
...............................................................
So here's my question for the day:
Where can I get books full of drill pages?
ie. 7 x 8 =
I would prefer to order workbooks at this point as opposed to printing free downloads,
but I would loveloveLOVE to know if you have found this kind of workbook,
OR please tell me what method of memorizing Multiplication tables works for your kiddos?
Pretty please?
...............................................................
Okay - you see that jar pf pencils above?
I only bought one packet because I want to know if they really are the worlds best pencil
as they proclaim themselves to be.
Good news was that they sharpened beautifully in a battery powered pencil sharpener
which I thought was going the way of Other-Worthless-Gadgets-We-Have-Purchased.
maybe my sharpener is just a pencil snob. ;-)
These pencils can be purchased at any grocery store or stuff-mart.
The graphite in them is wonderfully soft and so far they sharpen without throwing a fit.
Now...
Do you think they'll continue residence in the jar? They are SUPPOSED to.
Nahhhhh!
Bryce watching through the window as his big brothers and sisters sled.
11 comments:
I use a Math Shark for Noah to do all of his memorization. You can look it up online. It's not cheap but I think it's worth the money. It's a cross between a calculator and a flash card timer. You have the kids pick the level they want to do and then the the number, 3's for example, and then the little computer gives them a bunch of problems to do. I have Noah do it three times and then take his best score and try to beat it the next day. Noah likes it and I have seen an increase in his math skills since we started using it daily. It's also nice that it doesn't involve writing. He can just type in the number. Hope this helps!
http://www.math-drills.com/multiplication.shtml
Ahh, my mom won't use any other pencils! Ticonderoga #2 pencils are the best. Or maybe I was raised bias... :-)
Mom uses the link Sarah left for the older boys. And she has used these books, but I can't remember what they're called. I'll ask her about them.
xoxo,
Ashley
Thank you girlies.
And Sarah - "Hi" to you too ;-D
Your new header pic is so great!!! Bryce is getting so big!
I don't like math either, but for some reason I was really good at multiplication. I went to public school, but my 4th grade class would do these 5 -minute multiplication drills (about 100 problems on one sheet), and for some reason that really worked great for me. I guess it catered a bit to my competitive edge, as I we had to turn our paper over and say "done" when we were finished.
Good luck!!
Well I went to public school but my teacher made it fun by planning a banana sundae party if everyone learned their tables. And each number resulted in a new topping added to the sundae. Like table 1 was for the banana, table 2 a scoop of chocolate ice cream and on up to 11 (or 12) to to be the cherry on top. She kept all the little paper sundae-in-makings up on the wall to show progress...it sure helped me plus bribery always adds a bit of help! ;)
Oh WOW! I NEED those math drills Katie! Also - what a fun idea about banana splits Tiffany. it get's me thinking...
Thank you both so much:-)
http://www.twinsisters.com/onlinecatalog/songsthatteach/math.htm
http://www.k12schoolsupplies.net/Math-s/40.htm
I googled some suggestions and those are two of the sites I have found. They have workbooks for every property of math. And the first one has a musci cd that goes along with it.
I learned my multiplication by the math drills in class as well. I distinctly remember one day the whole class was doing the drill and it was timed. I zoomed through my page and had it done in like one minute. Raised my hand like we were supposed to that I was done and the teacher made some comment about how that was impossible. The other kids were so mad I was done and the teacher said "well she went too fast so it doesn't mean she got them right cause she worked too fast" then she ate her words when I got 100%. lol That has always stuck with me. :)
Anyway, I also learned them by rhymes that went with them, such as "8x8, lay in the floor - 8x8 is 64"
Math games that use the multiplication tables as well are fun and help too.
Anyway, I will stop now. Sorry this got long. :)
i don't know the answer because it is probably the "bane of my existance" as well whatever that means. if it means you don't like math, which i presume by the post you struggle with, i'm in the same boat. in nursing school, that was my one big concern with getting through and i self appointed a tutor who later flunked out of school. thank goodness she got me through "the test" and i passed it by some miracle of God. Anyway, i got desperate and told my husband i couldn't home school anymore unless he took over. He did. End of story. Now they all say stuff like "mom why don't you have dad teach you?" how embarassing!! Don't tell anybody at the hospital - lol!! Really, I wish you the best on this one. Try memorization songs and crazy character acts. When my older kids were getting through it, I would act all goofy and do that for the ones they always got stuck on. My husband photocopies the same multi quizzes and gives it to them, timed on a regular basis. He's hard core.
We've had good luck with the skip counting songs that Math-U-See sells. Their catchy and christian, and they work!
Ditto on the Math U See. We're hitting multiplication in third grade with Dan this year and I was surprised to find that he just KNOWS it already. I've been bracing for the flashcards too, but the program starts teaching doubles of numbers and skip counting from the beginning, on top of spending three years building their problems with blocks so maybe multiplication is not that big of a jump. Am interested to see how the other boys do but what a blessing so far. I know drill books can do the trick too - would love to hear of good ones you find!
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