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Math Difficulties & Gifts
Dyscalculia
(Math Disability)
Why Do We Need Math?
Math and Dyslexia
Math & Dysgraphia
Math Accommodations
Math Giftedness
Math Links
A+ Math (Games & Flashcards)
Math Facts Interactive Games
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Problems with Math Facts
Problems with math facts
memorization can be a tremendous burden on an elementary
school child. Because of the modular organization of the
brain, a child or adult can have severe problems with
math fact memory, but have perfectly normal (or even
great) memory for words and experiences, and even
superior ability mathematical reasoning.
There's something about this quirk of the brain that
causes a tremendous about of embarrassment and even
self-flagellation. Students kick themselves over the
fact that they can't seem to remember their math facts,
even though they practice again and again.
We talk more about how to help with math facts problems
in
The Mislabeled Child,
but usually this problem happens because of problems
associating numbers with specific quantities. Students
may know how to count up to ten and then count
backwards, but they don't automatically have an
association with how big 7 is compared to 4. In fact,
they may have to count or write out the numbers in order
to figure out addition or subtraction.
There are many short-cuts to learning math facts. The
most common mistake people make is thinking that
repetitive drill is the answer to getting them to learn.
This is very ineffective for kids with dyscalculia.
What's easier is to figure out what a student's
strongest route for memory is - visual memory, personal
or story memory, musical memory - and then to use that
to provide an association between the correct numbers in
a math fact.
Commonly math fact problems prevent students from moving
on to more difficult types of math problems (for
instance long division or two-step math problems) - in
that case, working with a math facts chart is a good
idea until the steps of a new math procedure are well
learned.
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