Re: Off-topic: How to help kids improve multiplication speed?

[Guest guest]

,

The school did little to support progress in math so I took it upon myself. They

used a visual system to teach adding and two years later subtraction, about

third grade. The system they had was basically finger counting single digits but

they counted points and corners on the numbers them selves. 3 count the three

points etc. He would use his fingers as well. (Bare with me there is a message

here). I transferred the finger counting to grouping starting with 5s and then

10s. 5,10,15 etc. Each week or two I would add a number. 2s. 3s. It worked but

it was slow and stopped after double digit Then at one point DR G increased the

Zoloft and over night he got it, period.  Times tables, triple digit division

and multiplication, all on paper. Then after that he suggested we add Effexor,

in two days he had mental math like a champ and still does. The Effexor was very

bad for Connor, real negative and self destructive thoughts and behaviors we had

to stop but the

point being is at some point in the recovery a connection is made and the

lights go on. I taught him fractions, integers and factors over the summer. Word

problems still kill him and his math grade is the pits but if he sees the

numbers he gets it, totally. It may just take more time to heal and allow the

brain connections to happen.

Keep pushing but I found I was making it so important he was fighting learning

it, Then it all made sense and he loved it.

Bill

From: <thecolemans4@...>

Subject: Off-topic: How to help kids improve multiplication speed?

" " < >

Date: Monday, November 16, 2009, 10:00 PM

 

Hi all,

Sorry for the off-topic request, but you guys have all these great tips!

We are struggling (long term) w/my son - 10yrs old - and his math. We have

really neglected a couple of areas in Math because any time we tried to work on

math in the past, he flew into tantrums that could last all night. Sigh. I've

never seen someone put up a bigger fight. Excuses excuses. Anyway, that is

over, and we are trying to get him up to speed.

His multiplication speed is really poor, and it makes it harder for him to grasp

other areas. By the time he has an answer, he has lost his place. Just teaching

him to have his pencil ready to write while he is reading a problem helped some

- that simple thing was a big deal that it took me a lot of time to catch on to.

In the past we've worked from the multiplication tables, helped him practice

them, had him call them out, etc, but any improvement in speed only seems to

last the evening, and by the next day all the work seems lost.

Do you have some suggestions of some sites that could help address that problem?

I wonder if there are games that would help strenghten these core abilities?

Thank you for your help,

[Guest guest]

,

My 11 year old also had issues with multiplication tables two years

ago. We had tried everything, from touch math with his special tutor

to memorizing " multiplication rhyme-story " and nothing seemed to

work. Finally my husband decided to try the old fashioned approach

( when we we're kids the teacher had big posters around the room, and

we had to say them slowly, every morning when we came in the

classroom, right after the flag salute). We taped big multiplication

tables around the walls of his bedroom. We added one at a time as he

memorized them. Every night before going to sleep he had to say them

at least twice (slowly). We promised him a big surprise if he managed

to memorize and retain them. It took a couple of months, but he did

it! He still remembers them today and we still have the posters up

on his wall:)

I hope this helps!

Argie

On Nov 16, 2009, at 7:00 PM, wrote:

> Hi all,

> Sorry for the off-topic request, but you guys have all these great

> tips!

> We are struggling (long term) w/my son - 10yrs old - and his math.

> We have really neglected a couple of areas in Math because any time

> we tried to work on math in the past, he flew into tantrums that

> could last all night. Sigh. I've never seen someone put up a

> bigger fight. Excuses excuses. Anyway, that is over, and we are

> trying to get him up to speed.

>

> His multiplication speed is really poor, and it makes it harder for

> him to grasp other areas. By the time he has an answer, he has lost

> his place. Just teaching him to have his pencil ready to write

> while he is reading a problem helped some - that simple thing was a

> big deal that it took me a lot of time to catch on to.

>

> In the past we've worked from the multiplication tables, helped him

> practice them, had him call them out, etc, but any improvement in

> speed only seems to last the evening, and by the next day all the

> work seems lost.

> Do you have some suggestions of some sites that could help address

> that problem? I wonder if there are games that would help

> strenghten these core abilities?

>

> Thank you for your help,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

That really does help - thank you!  At the very least, I don't see any harm

having a multiplication table up and available for him while working on the

multiple digit problems while he is learning the structure. He keeps losing his

place because it takes him too long to come up with the number.  I wish I had

thought of that earlier instead of being so militant!

________________________________

From: Argie Olivo <golivo@...>

Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 4:20:30 PM

Subject: Re: Off-topic: How to help kids improve multiplication speed?

,

My 11 year old also had issues with multiplication tables two years 

ago.  We had tried everything, from touch math with his special tutor 

to memorizing " multiplication rhyme-story " and nothing seemed to 

work.  Finally my husband decided to try the old fashioned approach 

( when we we're kids the teacher had big posters around the room, and 

we had to say them slowly, every morning when we came in the 

classroom, right after the flag salute).  We taped big multiplication 

tables around the walls of his bedroom.  We added one at a time as he 

memorized them.  Every night before going to sleep he had to say them 

at least twice (slowly).  We promised him a big surprise if he managed 

to memorize and retain them.  It took a couple of months, but he did 

it!  He still remembers them today  and we still have the posters up 

on his wall:)

I hope this helps!

Argie

On Nov 16, 2009, at 7:00 PM, wrote:

> Hi all,

> Sorry for the off-topic request, but you guys have all these great 

> tips!

> We are struggling (long term) w/my son - 10yrs old - and his math. 

> We have really neglected a couple of areas in Math because any time 

> we tried to work on math in the past, he flew into tantrums that 

> could last all night.  Sigh.  I've never seen someone put up a 

> bigger fight. Excuses excuses.  Anyway, that is over, and we are 

> trying to get him up to speed.

>

> His multiplication speed is really poor, and it makes it harder for 

> him to grasp other areas. By the time he has an answer, he has lost 

> his place.  Just teaching him to have his pencil ready to write 

> while he is reading a problem helped some - that simple thing was a 

> big deal that it took me a lot of time to catch on to.

>

> In the past we've worked from the multiplication tables, helped him 

> practice them, had him call them out, etc, but any improvement in 

> speed only seems to last the evening, and by the next day all the 

> work seems lost.

> Do you have some suggestions of some sites that could help address 

> that problem?  I wonder if there are games that would help 

> strenghten these core abilities?

>

> Thank you for your help,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Bill.  I REALLY needed to hear that!  When I'm feeling guilty and

ashamed that I haven't pushed harder, I know that a part of me has been

'understanding' that his brain would lock up when he tried to do this.  I went

thru a period in the last couple of years where I couln't split a simple

fraction or balance a check book even with a calculator because my brain fog was

so bad (for a few weeks I could not even count scoops to make a pot of

coffee!!!), and I know that I've been more lenient when he was like this.  Now

as he seems to be hitting a good point, I'm ready to work with him.  You are

always reminding us not to internalize too much.  I wish I worked harder but I

need to stop having the regrets and pick up things where I am, knowing that I've

worked in other areas because that's where he needed the most help at the time.

It also encourages me to go ahead and start pushing and testing those other

SSRIs now, instead of sticking where it is safe.  He only takes 1/2 of the

lowest dose of Zoloft because any more and he complains that he doesn't feel

like him, and things get rough for him.  Time to try some more, because he

seems to have really hit a great place.  What better time to mess it up than

now?  lol.  (Just kidding all of you who are worrying about the ssri's!)

(First, I'm going to try to figure out what you mean on counting corners when

I'm not sleepy - I love tools like that.  I visualize the numbers somewhat like

dominoes to add but don't know quite how to teach that.)

Thank you Bill for that encouragement.  Garrett is a bright guy, and his IQ

above average, so I really feel like when the block loosens it's grip, he'll be

able to do like Connor.  Still, listening to you over the last few years, I

think you're a particulary great Dad.

TTYL,

________________________________

From: Bill klimas <klimas_bill@...>

Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 9:31:35 AM

Subject: Re: Off-topic: How to help kids improve multiplication speed?

 

,

The school did little to support progress in math so I took it upon myself. They

used a visual system to teach adding and two years later subtraction, about

third grade. The system they had was basically finger counting single digits but

they counted points and corners on the numbers them selves. 3 count the three

points etc. He would use his fingers as well. (Bare with me there is a message

here). I transferred the finger counting to grouping starting with 5s and then

10s. 5,10,15 etc. Each week or two I would add a number. 2s. 3s. It worked but

it was slow and stopped after double digit Then at one point DR G increased the

Zoloft and over night he got it, period.  Times tables, triple digit division

and multiplication, all on paper. Then after that he suggested we add Effexor,

in two days he had mental math like a champ and still does. The Effexor was very

bad for Connor, real negative and self destructive thoughts and behaviors we had

to stop but the

point being is at some point in the recovery a connection is made and the lights

go on. I taught him fractions, integers and factors over the summer. Word

problems still kill him and his math grade is the pits but if he sees the

numbers he gets it, totally. It may just take more time to heal and allow the

brain connections to happen.

Keep pushing but I found I was making it so important he was fighting learning

it, Then it all made sense and he loved it.

Bill

From: <thecolemans4>

Subject: Off-topic: How to help kids improve multiplication speed?

" " <groups (DOT) com>

Date: Monday, November 16, 2009, 10:00 PM

 

Hi all,

Sorry for the off-topic request, but you guys have all these great tips!

We are struggling (long term) w/my son - 10yrs old - and his math. We have

really neglected a couple of areas in Math because any time we tried to work on

math in the past, he flew into tantrums that could last all night. Sigh. I've

never seen someone put up a bigger fight. Excuses excuses. Anyway, that is over,

and we are trying to get him up to speed.

His multiplication speed is really poor, and it makes it harder for him to grasp

other areas. By the time he has an answer, he has lost his place. Just teaching

him to have his pencil ready to write while he is reading a problem helped some

- that simple thing was a big deal that it took me a lot of time to catch on to.

In the past we've worked from the multiplication tables, helped him practice

them, had him call them out, etc, but any improvement in speed only seems to

last the evening, and by the next day all the work seems lost.

Do you have some suggestions of some sites that could help address that problem?

I wonder if there are games that would help strenghten these core abilities?

Thank you for your help,

[Guest guest]

,

My son has struggled with this also. The thing I believe has helped the most is

Fact Triangles. The Math program at school uses these, and we have all the

triangles at home and use these instead of flash cards. If you are not familiar

with them, it is a triangle and the 3 numbers are on each point, and when

quizzing you cover one of the numbers. My son is a visual learner so after

awhile he automatically started to associate 8, 3 and 24. It works in " all

directions " because it naturally turns into him understanding division too. You

may be able to find copies on the internet and print off, or could easily make

your own too.

>

> Hi all,

> Sorry for the off-topic request, but you guys have all these great tips!

> We are struggling (long term) w/my son - 10yrs old - and his math.  We have

really neglected a couple of areas in Math because any time we tried to work on

math in the past, he flew into tantrums that could last all night.  Sigh.  I've

never seen someone put up a bigger fight. Excuses excuses.  Anyway, that is

over, and we are trying to get him up to speed.

>

> His multiplication speed is really poor, and it makes it harder for him to

grasp other areas. By the time he has an answer, he has lost his place.  Just

teaching him to have his pencil ready to write while he is reading a problem

helped some - that simple thing was a big deal that it took me a lot of time to

catch on to.

>

> In the past we've worked from the multiplication tables, helped him practice

them, had him call them out, etc, but any improvement in speed only seems to

last the evening, and by the next day all the work seems lost.

> Do you have some suggestions of some sites that could help address that

problem?  I wonder if there are games that would help strenghten these core

abilities?

>

> Thank you for your help,

>

>

>

>

>

>