Memorizing Addition Facts

We are following The Well-Trained Mind version of the classical home school education as much as we can--it's intensive :) Memorization is an important piece of the classical education and memorizing addition and subtraction tables are suggested. I totally agree. Committing these tables to memory only helps with training your mind mentally and the speed in which you can do any math (lower or higher math). I've been doing my homework on tricks to teaching addition facts. It seems that there are a couple of ways to go about teaching these:

• Fact Families:  For instance, the fact family for "8" would be 8+0=8, 7+1=8, 6+2=8, you get the idea . . . 
• I like the Flocabulary CD/book that uses this method. I just have to wait to afford it because although it is not that expensive, I've pretty much maxed out my home school budget getting ready for this school year. So let me know if you get it before I do :) 
• The School Bell has a system of tubs and printables for fact families that looks interesting.
• or there is the way that I learned with mental tricks like these which you can find a couple of below and more on this link 

• Adding Zero: Model adding zero (with younger students) or review it with older students. If a child understands that when you add zero you add nothing, he/she should never get a basic fact with zero wrong. Make sure this understanding is in place.  
• Adding One (Count up): just say it and count up one.  
• Example: 6 + 1 = say 6 then 7. 
• 44 + 1 = say 44 then 45  
• Adding Two – Count up Two: Adding two means saying the larger number, then jumping up or counting up twice. Again this is always correct and never changes. 
  • Example: 9 + 2 = say 9 then 10 then 11
  • 45 + 2 say 45 then 46 then 47

What do you like? Do you agree these facts should be memorized? Did you have tricks to figuring out addition and subtraction problems easily?

Ap: Math Bingo

Sterling has been playing the ap Math Bingo and loving it this morning. You can choose between addition, subtraction, division, multiplication and I think there is an everything game. Anyway, you earn little bugs and then you can use your bugs in the bug bungee game. He said it's his new favorite game on the iPad :) Yea! Anything to make math work a little more fun. Even Carter was playing, with Mom's help. He read the addition sentence, we counted the problem together and then he found the answer and marked it. The ap was 99cents--it's worth it!

Fractions: Use a Hershey's Bar

What a concept! I read this idea on a home school blog and immediately thought of Carter who absolutely loves a Hershey's chocolate bar :) He may take after his mother with a little bit of a sweet tooth!

As I will be starting fractions at some point this year with Sterling, I just wanted to make note of the idea for future reference.

I guess there is a book called The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar Fraction Book that may be worth checking out (oh, bummer, our library doesn't have it). I'm sure that I can come up with my own explanation for fractions with a chocolate bar divided evenly into 12 small rectangles . . .

Group It! A Skip Counting Activity

Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s may not sound like much fun. But using “skip counting” with real objects you find or make at home is a different story...it can be hours of entertainment. Because patterns are a foundation of mathematical reasoning, first graders need to spend lots of time identifying and practicing them. Here's a hands-on activity to touch and move real stuff while building abstract reasoning…paint, shoes, and coins in hand!

What You Need:

• pairs of shoes
• washable paint (tempera or acrylic)
• paper or plastic plate
• paper (white, newspaper, or brown wrapping paper)
• 50+ pennies
• table or any flat surface

What You Do:

1. Have your child gather as many pairs of shoes from the household as he can. Ask him to line them up in pairs on the floor. With your child, count by 2s to find the total number of shoes. Then count each shoe again, counting by 1s. Ask your child if it’s quicker and easier to count by 2s or to count by 1s. Finish by counting again by 2s—the more practice the better. Roll out some paper and trace the shoes in pairs. Let your child color the pairs.
2. Pour some paint in a sturdy paper or plastic plate. If it's too thick, don't hesitate to add some water to dilute it. Have your child put her hands, palms down, in the paint and make handprints on a sheet of paper. Ask her to press down all four of her fingers and her thumb. In this part of the activity, your child is making groups of five. Have her make as many handprints as she wants (at least 10). Count by 5s to findhttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8640699946094621142 the total number of fingers and thumbs shown.
3. Place a group of pennies on the table. Ask your child if it's faster to count the pennies by 1s, 2s, 5s, or 10s. Have him place the pennies in stacks of 10. Help him count the pennies by 10s to find the total number. Simple? Yes. But a great introduction to skip counting, an important first grade skill. So keep the paint and pennies handy. And look for everyday excuses to count in groups!

By Sally Ann Stanley found here on education.com

Sally is an experienced educator, with over 14 years of teaching experience. In addition to teaching, she has also created educational materials, including ancillary, textbook, and test items, for Grades K-8 for major educational publishers.

Capture That Fraction

Compare fractions in this two-player math game. Improve your proficiency and understanding in a fun new way! Using just a deck of cards, pencils and paper you can create a more interesting way to practice an important skill. In Capture That Fraction, you must work together to determine who has created the larger fraction. Use a number line, pictures, or multiplication to find a winner. Build off of the methods your child is using in the classroom. Have them teach you!

Terms to Know:

numerator: the number above the line in a fraction; indicates the number of parts being considered
denominator: the number below the line in a fraction; indicates the total number of parts in the whole

What You Need:

• Deck of cards
• 2 game boards (Create a game board by drawing a horizontal line on a single sheet of paper, in order to create a fraction bar.)
• Scratch paper and pencils (optional)

What You Do:

1. Remove face cards from the deck and put them aside. Shuffle the remaining cards.
2. Divide the deck between the two players. Each player should place their deck face down next to themselves.
3. Players simultaneously turn over two cards from their decks and place them on their game boards, using one card as a numerator and one card as a denominator.
4. Players calculate who has the largest fraction. The simplest method of comparing fractions would be to multiply each fraction by the denominator of the other fraction. (For example, with the fractions 1/2 and 1/3, compute 1/2 x 3/3 = 3/6 and 1/3 x 2/2 = 2/6. Clearly, 1/2 is the larger fraction, because 3/6 is larger than 2/6.)
5. The player who has the largest fraction wins all of the cards from that round. If there is a tie, split the cards evenly among players.
6. Play until one player has accumulated all of the cards or time is up. The player with the most cards wins the game.

Variations:

• Require players to place the smaller card in the numerator and the larger in the denominator.
• Change the rules so the smaller fraction wins.
• Add in face cards and give them their respective values (jack = 11, queen = 12, king = 13).

By William L. Gaslin, Charles Lund, & Martin M. Gaslin found here on education.com

14: An Addition Game with Just a Deck of Cards

This single-player game is designed to help a first grader practice adding up to sums of 14. You'll need a deck of playing cards and a basic knowledge of addition facts in order to play. Work together with your child at first, and gradually allow him to take over as he masters the rules. Challenge him to play multiple times with the goal of improving his score. You'll see his confidence and speed grow as he plays again and again!

What You Need:

• One deck of playing cards (Print a deck.)

What You Do:

1. Shuffle the deck. Deal all 52 cards into 13 piles of four cards each. All cards should be face up.
2. Look for combinations of cards that equal 14. Keep in mind aces = 1, jacks = 11, queens = 12, and kings = 13. You may pick up any two-card combinations and discard them, but only if those cards are on top!
3. Play until there are no more possible moves. Count the remaining cards. This is your score.
4. Play again, and try for a lower score! With practice, you might be able to clear all of the cards!

Variations:

• Add jokers into the game (dealing a few piles of five, in order to accommodate them). Let jokers be wild, on the condition the player must say what number a joker represents each time it is used.
• Play with multiple players! Take turns removing cards from the board. Players should keep the cards they've removed; these will be their points. If a player is stuck, they may take any one card (instead of two) to help the game move along. Play until all cards have been picked up.

By William L. Gaslin, Charles Lund, & Martin M. Gaslin found here on education.com