Creative ways to learn math facts?

[melk]

Does anyone out there have some fun games or creative ways to memorize math facts? My dd really needs to get them down but can't stand flash cards (I don't know why, it's like the site of them alone makes her angry, lol!). It's kind of like I need a sneaky way to get her to learn them without her realizing that's what she's doing.

Thanks for the help!

 

[kristasmom]

When my DD was struggling with learning multiplication we found some really cool CD's at an educational toy store (can't remember the name - sorry) that had some cool songs and rhymes on it. They had addition, subtraction, and division ones also. That seemed to help her.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Go to EBAY and find a Turbo Twist Math or Turbo Twist Extreme.

Well worth the investment

 

[disneysteve]

When DD was working on her addition, I started playing blackjack with her every nite. She had to add up her cards out loud. That really helped her get more familiar with the numbers. I also took the opportunity to train her in basic blackjack strategy so now not only can she add but she's also a darn good blackjack player.

 

[laurie31]

It's an oldie but a goodie - School House Rock

Laurie

 

[drayke]

Does anyone out there have some fun games or creative ways to memorize math facts? My dd really needs to get them down but can't stand flash cards (I don't know why, it's like the site of them alone makes her angry, lol!). It's kind of like I need a sneaky way to get her to learn them without her realizing that's what she's doing.

Thanks for the help!

I hated flash cards too. However, I learned the following as a way to remember and check my answers:
Anything multiplied by 5 ends in 5 or 0.
Anything militiplied by 11 is the number twice.
Anything multiplied by 3 when you add the numbers in the answer result in a number divisible by 3.
Anything multiplied by 9 results in an answer that is one less than what is multiplied plus the difference to equal 9.

 

[DisneyDotty]

When DD was working on her addition, I started playing blackjack with her every nite. She had to add up her cards out loud. That really helped her get more familiar with the numbers. I also took the opportunity to train her in basic blackjack strategy so now not only can she add but she's also a darn good blackjack player.

Love it, love it, love it!

 

[MerryPoppins]

The Leapfrog Twist and Shout games are pretty cute. You try to get faster and faster. My daughter liked that she was competing against herself.

I also am a firm believer in computer games. My kids liked the Math Blaster games and some of the stuff put out by The Learning Company.

 

[DisneyArk]

I kept a link to a site that another DISer posted that has some fun math games. The down side is that it has ads that you have to close. Below are a few games for addition and subtraction, but the main site allows you to choose games based on grade and subject.

main site search
http://games.funschool.com/games.php

Paint by math facts
http://games.funschool.com/game_paint_brush_math.html?g=1129&category=58&level=3

Go Cart math
http://games.funschool.com/game_go-go_go-karts.html?g=1651&category=58&level=3

And my son LOVES Math Blaster!!

 

[Wishing on a star]

These days, the approach to math is much more critical thinking...

My son would probably benefit from a math program that uses other approaches. And, this seems very hard to find.

Anybody know of any good math programs that would use things like rhymes, and repitition???

 

[ducklite]

Teach her how to play Blackjack! She'll have to learn to add in her head, and learn how to count for ante's.

Oops! DisneySteve beat me to it!

Anne

 

[MinnieM3]

I use the card playing idea, too. Try rolling dice, too. My kids LOVE this!

 

[AnaheimGirl]

My 2nd grader loves this dice game. You roll the 12-sided dice to come up with a number (your target). Then you roll the regular dice and try to use those numbers in any combination to get to your target number, or as close as possible. We only use addition, subtraction and multiplication, but for older kids, you could probably include division and exponents.

She also loves playing Carmen SanDiego Math Detective on the computer.

 

[Twinkles6892]

I hated flash cards too. However, I learned the following as a way to remember and check my answers:
Anything multiplied by 5 ends in 5 or 0.
Anything militiplied by 11 is the number twice.
Anything multiplied by 3 when you add the numbers in the answer result in a number divisible by 3.
Anything multiplied by 9 results in an answer that is one less than what is multiplied plus the difference to equal 9

With the 11 one, careful, that only works up to 9.

And the 9, that's really hard, I just remember it as the numbers will all add up to nine, 9, 2+7 = 9, 3 + 6 = 9.....

And zero, is always zero! I always got those ones wrong when I was younger!

 

[disneymom3]

We play lots of dice games. There is one called Cinco that is really fun. Yahtzee works too. We also do one where on the paper is the multiple of a specific number times 2-12 and then you roll the dice and cover the answer. Whoever gets their sheet covered first wins. So, for instance, the multiples of 2 sheet has boxes (in random order) with 4, 6, 8. 10 and so on. The multiples of 7 sheet has 14. 21, 28. 35 etc. Or we play roll the dice and multiply by a certain number, then add the scores and whoever gets to say, 250 first wins. You can do that one with adding or subtracting too. Just add or subtract the specific number.

 

[Sparx]

school house rock and blackjack.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

and with the 9's its 09,18,27,36,45 then you reverse each number for 54, 63, 72, 81, 90. Someone with a coherent brain - feel free to better explain. I promise I won't be offened!

 

[crazee4mickey]

It really works and is soooo easy!
I'll try to explain this for the 9 times table---hope I don't confuse anyone!

Hold up your 10 fingers ask yourself "9 x 1 is..." then put down the pinkie finger on your left hand as it symbolizes the number "1". Count how many fingers are to the right of this finger---answer is "9".

Ask yourself "9 x 2 is......" Hold up all 10 fingers and put down the second finger on your left hand. Count the one finger to the left of the "down finger and you have "1" which is how many tens there are and then count the fingers that are still up to the right of the "down" finger--there are "8". The answer is "18".

Ask your self "9 x 3 is....." Hold up all 10 fingers and put down the third finger on your left hand---count the fingers to the left, there are "2" which is how many tens there are. Then count the fingers still standing to the right of the third "down" finger and there are "7"---the answer is "27".

Ask yourself "what is 9 x 4?" Hold up all 10 fingers and put the forth finger down...count to the left and there are "3" fingers which is how many tens there are...then count the fingers to the right and there are "6"---the answer is "36".

Ask yourself "what is 9 x 5?" Hold up all 10 fingers and put the fifth finger down...count to the left and there are "4" fingers which is how many tens there are...then count the fingers to the right and there are "5"---the answer is "45".

Ask yourself "what is 9 x 6?" Hold up all 10 fingers and put down the thumb on your right hand ...count to the left and there are "5" fingers which is how many tens there are...then count the fingers to the right and there are "4"---the answer is "54".

And so on......
It works right up to "9 x 10" which is cool----
"9 x 10 is......"Hold up all 10 fingers and put down the pinkie finger on the right hand, count the fingers which are up to the left of it there are "9" which tells us how many tens there are...9 x 10=90

 

[Daisy Duck 5]

How about playing crib with him? I knew how to play crib when I started school.

 

[damo]

The big wheel on the Price is Right had my son adding really well before Kindergarten. It was his favourite show!