I Don't Get It ... MATH HINTS

Below are some hints for helping a child who has difficulty with arithmetic. These are hints for a child who has hit the wall. A child who constantly says he hates math. A child who may have already failed a year of math.  She may demonstrate little or no awareness of the patterns in math, be unable to remember procedures, and see no relationship between numbers let alone the relationship between daily lessons. The suggestions below are not the way to teach a math class. They are for the individual child who needs more than after school tutoring at the local strip mall math center.

1. Math is a subject that builds on past knowledge. Slow down and give a child time to play with and learn new knowledge before moving on. 
2. Break a procedure into small components and see what a child is missing. If you are working with a child trying to learn how to add mixed numbers and she does not realize that when the numerator (number above the line) is larger than the denominator that the number is greater than one  -- you need to backtrack. 
3. Working with fractions means heavy work with concrete items. I always have paper available and draw constantly when teaching fractions. Operations with fractions often produce numbers that don't make sense to a child. For example: multiplication of fractions produces a smaller number and division a larger one. This is counter intuitive for many children. Sometimes a child just needs different words to understand why this is so. A child might understand an explanation along with a physical representation showing that when we multiply a fraction we cut (don't use the word divide) the number by the number given. For example: 1/2 times 1/2 is cutting 1/2 into half making two 1/4s. Division of fractions is really asking how many 1/2s are in a half. There is only one, so the answer is 1. Having an explanation is magic for some children. For others it only confuses the issue, so a quick run-through explanation should be followed by the "how to get the answer procedure." A procedure may be all a child is able to deal with at the time.  
4. For children who seem confused with working with numbers you might have them make number cards. Get blank playing cards and have a child put dots on the cards. Use at least ten cards to represent the digits 0 through 9.  The cards are set up so there are two rows of dots.  

   

   Example of child-made number cards
   Note: 9 is represented as three 3's and as 4 and 5

   Play with the cards. First have the child call out the number of dots as quickly as possible. Make a second set and play matching games with the cards, as well as memory games. What does this do? It helps children quickly recognize a pattern. Instead of calling out the number have the child call out even or odd.  This is a good game for 6-8 year olds who are having trouble with numbers or for the older child who isn't sure about evens, odds, or primes. I have seen children in 4-5th grade who really could not visualize a number. They may have been working on defining a prime number, but they could not tell if 22 was an even or odd number.  
5. Help students learn how to figure out basics with their fingers.  This is to get a feel for the numbers and to use fingers quickly if needed. It is useful to a tactile learner. It is amazing how many children who are having difficulty in 2nd - 4th grade math have to count before they can hold up 7 fingers.
6. Use number lines and hundreds charts to show patterns and the directionality of numbers. Some children find one more useful than the other. There are a number of activities  on the Internet on the use of number lines and hundreds charts. Start with the easier ones to see what you child knows. Point out patterns and how the numbers change in different columns.
7. I create songs and stories to help students remember procedures. I have a great division song for the child who doesn't remember where the numbers go. I use stories when teaching a child how to regroup to add or subtract. Under a place value chart we place a street with houses or stores. Each house has an address and each place only accepts items grouped like their address. When we add, our house gets too full and we have to give some numbers to the neighbor, but only in a set of 10s or 100s.  Sometimes  one must go to a neighbor to borrow a ten when you subtract.  Later on in an addition problem one must return that ten.  I am sure mathematicians gasp in disgust at teaching math this way, but these students probably will not grow up to be engineers, mathematicians, or find any need for high level math. All they want to do is get out of 4th grade.
8. Practical math usually is fun. Gardens, cooking, decorating a room,  or sewing, help a child use math. This is a good way to learn the concept of "measure twice, cut once".
9. Use math terms with explanations.  I say: "look at the denominator, the bottom number, and tell me if it is the same as the numerator, the top number."  Using math terms with the explanation exposes the child to the terms, but helps them understand what you are talking about even if they don't know the vocabulary. 
10. It is essential to understand a child's learning style. Some students need to draw things out for themselves, others find that confusing. Some need the reasons why, others need to slowly learn a procedure before learning why. 
11. Teach the child how to use examples that are shown in the book. Some children don't understand what an example problem has to do with what is expected of them. Point out an example, show how it can be used as a model, and teach them how to create their own examples.  It they are unsure what to do with a problem such as 1/2 + x = 3/4,  show them that in the case of 5 + x = 9 it's easy to see that you take 5 from 9 for an answer of 4. I have found this way of understanding is often developmental, so while the 2nd grade student may not be able to generalize the knowledge, a 3rd grader might have an "aha!" moment.

Remember when people are having problems learning new material the ability to learn by just being there seems to vanish. The ability to refer to past knowledge seems frozen out of the brain by fear or confusion. Slow down.

One a different note:  I have written a chapter book for children who are having problems in school. Swute's Stories  is about a little mouse who didn't quite "get" school.  Fortunately his parents helped him find his special talent. Finding that talent took time but for the little mouse's happiness it was well worth the effort.

Sound Catalyst - The Letter R

Good readers (and spellers) understand the letter R's role in words. Yep, R stands by itself in words such as rat and ridiculous, but give that letter a chance and it will influence and confuse. Even alone it creates a problem because many children have learned that R has the "er" sound. No, it has the rrr sound which is close but not the same. We say rat not er- at.  But back to how R influences other letters.

•  Combine R with an e, u  or i and  you will discover that er, ur, and ir  are all pronounced "er" That is difficult enough for some children to remember while reading. It becomes a major hurdle in spelling because a child can't figure out what to write by sounding it out. She just has to remember when to use  ir, er, or ur in the middle of a word. That memory is probably a visual memory which doesn't help if you have a poor visual memory for print, or if you've never seen the word. Examples: fern-firm, skirt - spurt, nerd-nurse, curl-girl 
• Children with dyslexia often have a difficult time remembering that er -- the suffix (at the end of a word) is spelled er - runner, writer, player.  I have had children protest, "Why can't it be ir?  How do we know it isn't ur?"  Remember dyslexia often requires direct, uncomplicated explanations and lots of reminders and repetition before the rule is understood and remembered.
• Put an a in front of R and you have the sound ar as in star.  This means you really cannot sound out the word star letter by letter. This digraph  is difficult for some children because they think it is just another er sound that doesn't look like er.
• Combine o with R and you have or: for, tore, adore ---- unless there is a w in the mix, and then you have word and world.  
• Speaking of Ws,  or we should say not speaking, because W becomes silent before an R: wreck, write, and wrinkle.
• What if the group gets bigger ? Ar with an e often sounds like air: care, hare, or dare
• Ir with an e becomes fire, sire or retire.
• Children learn that ee is pronounced long e, but put an R into that group and you get: deer, peer, or cheer.
• Ai has the long A sound such as  paid, maid, raid.  Add an R and you now say: pair, chair and hair.

Obviously, children should not be taught all these rules at one time. I posted this to remind parents that the letter R can make reading and spelling very confusing for a child with reading problems. Sometimes, when they are having difficulty, it help to remind them that R is rather a pushy, demanding letter.

Quick Tip: -TION words

Most readers quickly pick up that the syllable -tion is pronounced shun, but a child with dyslexia often stops when trying to read words such as reaction or exclamation.

One way to help a child recognize this syllable is to create a list of -tion words and have your child read a few words a day. Start with the easy two syllable words. Put the list in columns. They words should be written or typed in a fairly large font. The next day practice the same column. Have your child read the column top to bottom and bottom to top so they don't memorize the list. This practice is fun for many children since there are so many long words that end in -tion. 

Here are some -tion word examples:

• Two syllables: action, notion, potion, motion, nation, station, caption, fraction, section. question, caution
• Three syllables: vacation, tradition, subtraction, addition, solution, selection, rotation, location, direction, quotation, petition, narration, pollution, emotion, nutrition, correction
• Four  or more syllables: abbreviation, appreciation, aviation, capitalization, characterization, circulation, colonization, conservation, constellation, cooperation, definition, education, hibernation, illustration, introduction, multiplication

This is a good activity for a poor reader in 3rd through 5th grade. The list above is a good representation of some -tion words an upper elementary child should be able to read and define. The list is also good practice for dividing a word into syllables. Check this link  for more -tion words with addition links to their meanings.

Quick Spelling Tip -- V

Poor spellers often have a difficult time determining when to place an E at the end of a word. One quick rule is that English words don't end in the letter V.  If a word has a V sound at the end, it is spelled with a VE.

Some example are solve, gave, above, believe, and dove.  The few words that end with v are names, or shortened, slang  forms of a words such as luv, which my spell check determined isn't a real word.

Fingers and Math

I doubt there is anyone who has not used their fingers sometime when figuring a math problem. Some people will tell a child not to use their fingers, but I encourage it for the younger child. Using fingers helps a child feel math.

If your child (1st - 4th grade) is having trouble with arithmetic, ask him to hold up seven fingers. If he can do this without counting, ask him to hold up seven fingers without holding up all the fingers on either hand. I have seen five-year-old children do this easily and nine-year-olds who had to count their fingers to show the correct number of digits!

If your child had a difficult time with the above exercise, and is over five, here are some hints to help her feel numbers.

• Call out a number and have your child practice holding up the correct number of  fingers.  Start easy: 1, 2, 5 and 10. Go to 6, 9  and 3. Next try 4 and 8 and finally 7.  
• See if they can demonstrate the even numbers two different ways. For example: 6 is 5 and 1 and also 3 fingers on each hand.
• Write a number and see how quickly a child can show it on his fingers.  
• Have your child do the first three activities under a table or in some way so she can't see her fingers.
• Hold up a number of fingers and have your child say how many fingers she sees.  
• Hold up a number of fingers and have your child quickly write the number.
• Practice addition facts with answers of 10 or below using fingers.
• Practice subtraction facts with top number 10 or below using fingers.

All activities should be done as quickly as possible. These are short activities. Many can be done for two to three minutes in waiting rooms, at restaurants, etc. They should be done frequently until your child has mastered them.

After a child has a feel for the numbers 1 through 10 he can learn to add a larger number using his fingers.  For the problem 13 + 5.  Gently tap the table with a closed fist and say 13, then open your fist and count up 5 fingers 14, 15 ,16 ,17 18. This does not eliminate the need to memorize math facts. It is a method to demonstrate the concept and give your child some initial tools if needed.

Start with the Vowel

(One of the Best Tips in this Blog!)

Quick Reading and Spelling Tips

When a child mispronounces a short word or doesn't even attempt to read it, we are inclined to tell that child to "Sound it out."  The child then dutifully starts at the beginning of the word and will say ca -aa- kaa - eee?   The problem is usually the vowel sounds. So here is one of the best hints I have found for poor readers.

Sound it out from the vowel!

A prerequisite for this method is that a child has to recognize vowels and know their sounds. For children with learning differences (LDs) exposure to a rule does not mean they will apply the rule while reading. Sounding out starting with the vowel gives a child practice in applying the rule. 

As an example we will use the words:  spit, split, and spite.

Start from the vowel and read to the end of the word. (see how-to examples below) Some children may need to be reminded of the rule: vowel consonant e (examples ake, ope, ite, ute ) makes the vowel long (say its own name) and the e is silent.  Most children will see this pattern if the vowel is read first. Then go back letter by letter to read the entire word.

SO

• spit is read:  it,  pit,  spit
• split is read:  it,  lit,  plit,  split  (Reading it this way helps a child who might have difficulty with blending the consonants spl at the beginning of this word)

and

• spite is read:  ite,  pite,  spite

As a child's reading improves this method can be applied to multi-syllable words. Obviously, a word has to be phonetic when using this method. This method wouldn't be used with non-phonetic words such as once or where.

Quick Reading and Spelling Tips -- QU

• QU sounds like kw.

• Q is almost always followed by a U in English words.

• Exceptions to the rule are usually words from other languages. One example is the word Qatar. 

When reading, many young children confuse the words: quick, quite, and quiet. If they cover the 'qu' with a finger they should see that the words are phonemic.