Triangle Math Cards, Addition and Substraction, Multiplication and Division

Too often students are told that they need to work harder to learn.  Too often the parent, teacher or tutor needs to find a different way to teach students.  This learning tool is an example of a different way to teach.
When working with a picture learner, regular flash cards do not work.  Each side of the card is a different picture to a picture learner.  There is no connection between the sides.
The triangle math cards make one picture for the learner.  This picture has all the math family or math problems for those three  numbers in the same picture.  Once the learner learns this card and I cover one number the learner can still see the number in his or her mind.  One child needed a plus added between the 4's and a minus sign between the 4 and 8 to complete her picture.
There are also multiply and division cards available at Mardels and other learning and bookstore shops.
Instead of a set of addition cards and a different set of substraction cards, you need only one set of cards to teach addition and substraction.  The same is true for multiplication and division. These cards are about 10 dollars a set.

He is reading,

May 22 and 23, I had an opportunity to see a 7 year old that I worked with a couple of years ago.  He has really struggled in school.  In my opinion, he is one of those kids who needed time for his body to develop before he could learn.  He just was not ready to learn in a formal setting.  He needed more time to play outside and develop. He will be 8 about the time school starts again.  He is reading.  When he read for me if he needed help with a word I gave it to him so he could continue reading.  His confidence is growing and he is reading many small words.  He spent a year coming to my house to learn and play, a year in kindergarden and a year in transitional first.  Now he will go to first grade in the fall.  It will be exciting to see how he does.
Children like this are why I tutor.

Classroom  or Individual Patterning

This is a design to help children with patterning.  I am often asked why I have so many patterning activities in my tutoring.  Reading is just one big pattern exercise. If an individual cannot pattern, they do not read or read well. Also when the same patterning activity is used over and over it becomes rote and not effective. Some people just do not like some pattern, so I use a different one.  This is also why the balance boards are so effective.  The balance boards from Balametrics have adjustable levels of difficulty.  You should notice that the pieces of this are three of each color, size, and shape. I like to make these in the colors a child prefers when possible. 

The first set is three large ovals or people or rockets.  Feel free to use three different shapes if you like or have easier access to different shapes.                                                                                                  

Another set is different colors and different sizes with the same shape.

Another pattern is the same color, and shape with different sizes.  The shapes are placed vertically. Once the vertical concept is mastered, the level of difficulty is changed by putting one piece vertical, one piece diagonial and one horzonial.  
People who need this exercise figure it out in about 5 to 10 minutes.  People who do this activity naturally are confused by this patterning or grouping.  People who do not need this also do not like this activity.

Hersey's Candy Bar, Teacher named Holly

One of the student's favorite fraction lessons is the Hershey's Candy Bar. This is one that has the 12 squares in it. It is easy to teach 1/2, 1/4, 1/2, 1/3, and 1/6 with this one. I usually only need to teach this one time. The student is usually asking if they can learn this again. I smile and tell them that I think they are smart to learn it the first time. I usually only use this with a student who is not sure he or she wants to learn fractions. Before you give them the candy bar, tell them they cannot break it apart until you break your candy bar apart. Also tell them they may not eat it until you say they can. My friend Holly, who is a wonderful math teacher uses this with her entire class with great success. She should write a blog and share some of the wonderful games she makes up to teach higher level math. Every student in school deserves a teacher like her.

Fraction Tiles

Fraction Tiles, A Manipulative Fraction Program by Lee Jenkins and Peggy McLean copyright 1972 Activity Resources Company, Inc. ISBN 0-918932-17-3 I found this used at Bibliomania in Tulsa. It has a teacher's book and two student books. It teaches from very simple to Multiplication and Division of mixed numbers. It has tiles from a whole to sixteenths. The tiles are heavier plastic pieces. There are other square Fraction tiles that teach the same concepts. I need this because fraction problems do not stop at 1/6 and are not always round.

Is writing learning

I would like for writing to be learning. It would be easier for me as a teacher for my grandson. I could teach the lesson and give him the book and he could go away, write the lesson and leave me alone. He wants to go back to the public school system; as this to him is normal.For him to go to the public school system, he needs to be able to do his work independantly, and write his work. I have been trying to use this and it is not working for him. Today I did his English Grammar orally with him and had a very pleasant class and he seemed to learn better. He did his fractions work well and seemed to understand it also. We used the Math U See fraction pieces. He liked them and seemed to understand how adding fractions needed to use a common demoniator.

Third day of testing week for grandson, Joel Salatin Polyface video

Tuesday evening, I was going to select a test for Wednesday. It did not feel good. I looked at ideas and just could not select one. I was thinking that this student had had all the success that he could accept. Sure enough Wednesday, he did not do well and we needed to stop and regroup. We did the eye focus work and relaxed. We watched an educational video of Joel Sslatin. Then we watched something he wanted to watch, let him outside and rested. Thursday he did better and I had him do a science magazine. Friday, we had another student over who needs tutoring. We worked for an hour and a half on tutoring. We worked on the balance board, balance beam, with the balls. We also played domines, jenga, fraction dominos and apples to apples. They also took time to ride bikes and play basketball during the breaks. The total time the student was here was 2 and a half hours. Our week ended well.

Using color to follow a math problem.

My young student that calls when she does not understand her math is working on square root problems. She called Thursday and needed help. She wrote down everything the teacher wrote but did not understand what he was trying to teach. The problems were lengthy and hard to follow. When Ted was showing her and asking if she could follow what he had done, she looked confused. I said no she did not get it. He tried twice and then I told him to use color. We have gel pens. When he took them and put a color on each part of the problem and used to same color to show where it went in the problem, then she could follow the problem. After they used color on 3 or 4 problems, she could follow the problem. The next thing we knew she could do the problem without the color. I had Ted work the last 5 problems for her to follow. I told her to work the problems on her own and then compare them the answer. She got them right and will call when there is another concept she does not understand.

update on March 10 math student

We have worked a few times with this student. Tonight we saw her again at her aunt's house. I ask if she had taken her math test.She smiled and told me she made a normal score. We asked her what score she needed. She needed a 27 to pass and a 43 to be considered advanced. She made a 36 so she was happy. She said she had aimed for a 28. How sad it is to see a student convinced they are so poor in math they only hope a minimum grade.

Reading and Math testing and the reward, Joel Salatin, Hide A way Pizza, video games, baby chickens

Today, my grandson took a math test with 20 questions and made an 85. He took the test in 15 to 20 minutes without asking for help. He sat contently as he took the test and did not need to get up during testing. I am trying to decide if I want him to take another test again tomorrow. I do not want to overdo and have a bad day. After the test we watched the first session of the Workshop with Joel Salatin. This is an effort to teach my grandson to think of a different idea than to what people are usually exposed. I want him to be able to compare different points of view. Then, when it was time for lunch, we went to Hide a way pizza and I let him play video games the rest of the day. Rewards or bribery works. Tomorrow, I may choose to do a field trip instead of another test. We hope to get our new baby chickens tomorrow and a test just will not compete with baby chickens.

Testing success, refusing to give up, Balametrics, Dear, Positive Affirmations, Dyslexia

I am proud of my grandson and myself.  This child successfully took a test yesterday.  When I began working with him in 4th grade two years ago, he would not even allow me read a book to him. It would have been so easy to just give up.  After all he had an attitude, he did not want to learn, and I had things I could do that would have been more fun.
We found he had dyslexia and have worked on correcting the symptoms with a DEAR program and with Balametrics.
Last week, we worked on the balance boards with the Balametrics.  I had him stand on the balance board and bounce the balls in a pattern. I had him say,  I am good at testing, I will do well during testing and I like testing.  This is important when anyone is convinced he will fail any test he takes.  Previous testing has taught him that he is dumb and will fail anyway.
I told him we were going to take a reading test and it would be easy.
We have worked all year on him being able to do his schoolwork without help on every problem.  For the test he needed a clear desk, and could not ask questions or talk to me. He also could not get up. He asked if he could have a bottle of water at his desk.  This was allowed.  I sat in a chair 3 feet from him and worked on the computer. 
I chose a reading test with a selection about Hypothermia by Franklyn M. Branley. There are about 549 words and three charts in the selection. There were 7 multichoice questions to answer at the end.  I chose this subject because his Dad and Uncle are on the volunteer fire department and helping others in important in his world.  I told him that it would take him about 10 to 15 minutes to take the test and he would do fine. I refused to let him time himself.  I wanted to teach him that he could do the test instead checking the timer.  The timer would have been a distraction. He began to tell me he could not possible do this as it was too long and had too much information.  I assured him he would do fine and I would sit here and wait for him.  He finished in 15 minutes without complaining and answered 5 of  the 7 questions correctly.

My version of testing

When my two oldest children were homeschooling and we did certified testing, it was play week.  We tested in a formal test situation.  A parent could not be in the same testing room as their child.  Certified teachers had to give the test.  We had to follow all the testing rules.  They did fine.
They thought testing week was fun because I told them the test were not important to them. However, I would appreciate it if they did their best because it showed me where I needed to work on teaching them the next year.  We tested in the morning. Then we went to eat out with our friends and to the park or zoo or other fun activity in the afternoon.These two children loved testing week.  They also tested well.
My youngest child did not test well.  When we found out he had dyslexia, we knew why.  This child has finished college and had to work harder and have more help but he did finish and is a hard worker.

Testing, Is testing important to learning

Formal testing is a compete waste of time in my opinion.  Then, why am I going to waste a week testing?  My grandson, that I am homeschooling, is afraid of tests.  He thinks he cannot do them.  Life has many different kinds of tests in many different situations.  Most of what I consider the important ones are not formal tests.
One saying is "when the going gets tough; the tough get going".  Another that is "Man up".  I did not hear either until I was grown.  What I heard was "Is that what you are supposed to do,"  "Then do it".
I am going to do formal testing because my grandson needs to realize he is stronger and smarter than he thinks he is.  He needs to overcome his fear of testing and so we will do formal testing.  Then, hopefully, when life gives him a test he will be willing to do his best.