Homeschool Math Newsletter, Vol. 9
May 24, 2007
Hello! This is Maria Miller from HomeschoolMath.net and MathMammoth.com.
This newsletter contains a few Math Mammoth books news, and then discussion about manipulatives and mnemonic helps for multiplciation tables. Tidbits are not forgotten either.
During summertime I will probably send the newsletter out either less often, or with "lighter" amount of reading. However, I will have several new products coming out in the summer and I know some of you want to know about them, so expect a special issue concerning those.
In this month's newsletter:
1. Math Mammoth news:
2. Mnemonic helps for multiplication tables?
3. What is the real value of manipulatives?
4. How to use a basic school abacus as a manipulative.
5. Tidbits
1. Math Mammoth news
1) I've made a partnership with Scott from Softbasics to offer additional bonus software for people who buy any Math Mammoth CD product or the Blue Series download.
In essence, by buying any of the CDs, or the Blue Series download, you will also get a bundle of 7 software products (math, Language & Arts, testing):
Read here what all programs the Soft-Pak contains!
2) I will run a short end-of-school-year sale on all my books and CDs sold at Kagi store! You will get 25% off of any purchase, be it *small or big, so this includes the CD products and the Blue Series download.
*Kagi has a lower limit of $2 on purchases.
=> Use the coupon code F6AE01338. This offer ends June 2nd so hurry!!
Order Blue Series books
Order worksheet collections
Order CDs
This offer is EXCLUSIVE to my newsletter subscribers, and is not posted on the site.
2. Mnemonic helps for multiplication tables?
I have read different opinions about using mnemonic devices to learn math facts. Some say that mnemonic devices actually slow the student down, and one even went as far to say it was like counting on fingers. I don't want to use Times Tales if it's going to slow her down, and I do want to make sure she knows her math facts cold.
Mnemonic helps in themselves are not bad. We use them all the time, in everyday life situations. You have a phone number, you divide it to 2-digit numbers, maybe remember it has successive numbers, or doubles, etc.
Read my opinion on Times Tales and other similar programs.
3. What is the real value of manipulatives?
Manipulatives are IN. But do they TRULY facilitate learning to such an extent as people promiting them claim?
Read this very interesting entry concerning manipulatives at Text Savvy:
Hands-on, Brains-Off.
I feel manipulatives aren't the ultimate answer to all or most math teaching. They're a good starting point, but children should not be taught to rely on them. Children need to be able to transfer all that concrete play into the abstract afterwards.
To become efficient in math learning, the child has to learn to generalize already used ideas.
Manipulatives ARE good, used in their rightful place. They help students to understand concepts, initially, on a concrete level. But students shouldn't stop there. Kids need to learn to make generalizations. That is where the power of mathematics is.
For example, maybe you'd use The Base Blocks Addition to illustrate the concept of "carrying" to tens and hundreds (or "trading") in addition.
Once the student understands that, they should be able to translate their knowledge into bigger and smaller place values (including decimal addition).
Read also Mama Squirrel's excellent blogpost on the issue; basically there is probably a balance in this, as in everything.
4. A basic abacus as a manipulative
I didn't want to leave out one of the best manipulatives there is for grades 1-2: just a simple "school" abacus that has 10 wires and 10 beads on each wire.
I'm not talking about a Chinese or Japanese abacus with a special counting system.
I'm talking about just using this simple abacus for counting, and treating each bead as 1. You don't have to learn any of these sophisticated systems that have been in use with various abacuses. Just consider each bead being 1, period. Then you have essentially 10 tens, or a hundred, in your abacus.
And that goes a long way explaining tens and ones or 2-digit place value on 1st grade.
Continue reading.
5. Tidbits
Till next time,
Maria Miller
P.S. I apologize if you got multiple copies of this newsletter. If it happened, please unsubscribe from this one, using the link on the bottom.
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