Math in Beyond

[blessedmommyof4]

I am looking for advice on how to be sure and ground my dd in her math facts. We have been using a combination of Rod and Staff preschool books with the Rod and Staff grade 1 math book for her K year in math. My son (upcoming 4th grader) caught on to math concepts very easily, but has struggled learning his facts. I do not want to make the same mistake with our daughter. I want her to have her facts mastered! I plan on using the HOD math grade one with her. I love the plans in Beyond for this math. I just wanted to see if any of you who have done this math supplemented to help with the memorization of the facts? In the Singapore Math workbook, I only see one page devoted per family for learning combinations that equal 6, 7, 8, etc. I am just afraid my dd will not master facts with this small amount of practice. Any success stories of how you had your children master their facts would be so appreciated!

[MelInKansas]

Singapore math is meant to be conceptual and there is not much empahsis on learning math facts, especially not at that level. My DD is in 2B right now and they are NOW doing lots of practice with math facts (times tables, + ones she learned through repetition I would say but again there was no emphasis or quizzing on the facts). There is practice but I would say my DD probably will not have them completely memorized even at the end of this practice she is doing. She doesn't memorize that fast.

How have you seen it be a problem that your son doesn't know the math facts even though he knows the concepts? I am just curious. I know when you are doing 3 digit multiplication or whatever it is easier if you already know the times facts, but he can still figure it out right? I guess I feel that is more important. I know there are probably parents who supplement with flashcards and other things to get the facts down, I just haven't done that.

Just re-reading your post, I would say overall there is enough practice for them to get the addition facts, and so maybe I should trust that the multiplication facts will come also. She has just done enough problems now that she remembers them.

[MomtoJGJE]

We've never really done work on math facts. My oldest (10) adds/subtracts without thinking now and has for a while. We did have her list out the multiplication tables just to make her work faster, but she could figure it out before.

I agree.... is it just taking him a long time but he gets the process? Or does he just not understand it at all? There is a big difference. My girls understand the processes they've learned completely and get the facts through repetition. If they didn't get it at all we wouldn't move on until they did.

[blessedmommyof4]

My son understands the conceps easily, but about half way through Singapore grade 3 math, he began to hate math. I'm talking tears and major concentration blocks! I could not understand why he hated it because he understood everything so well. Then, I realized that even though he could figure out a problem, it would take him a long time to get it because of his lack of instant recall concerning math facts. We took a year off of Singapore and did Rod and Staff for one year because they drill, drill, drill those math facts! Things have improved, but I do not want to stay with Rod and Staff only. I like it, but it does not have enough conceptual teaching. So, I am planning to return to Singapore. I was just hoping to supplement with something for dd so we do not run into the same problem with her concerning math facts. I may just supplement with Rod and Staff for facts practice.

[mom23]

CLE has a great flashcard system for + and - fact learning. It would add some time to your math lesson, but you could do it with Singapore for sure!

[StephanieU]

As someone who has taught math (middle school through college), memorization should come after understanding the concepts. If your kids have mastered the concepts, then make or buy some flash cards. Just do a couple at a time throughout the week. The more they practice, the faster they will get. And you can even just think of the problems on the fly in the car, on walks, waiting at a doctor's office, etc. Don't stress about it at the 1st grade level too much. Just give her a lot of time to practice in a fun way. Oh, and there are online games, etc that you can let her play too - like while her brother is doing his school work. Again, practice is what will really get them memorized.

[MelInKansas]

That's a really good point, we do math all the time, my husband is great about quizzing the kids at dinner time or whenever he is with them, he makes little math problems out of the things happening around us, or the peas on our plates, or whatever. That adds in practice that is fun and also helps them learn and remember the answers.