Raising Smarter Children

 

This is our final segment in our back to school success series.  If you want more tips, just leave a comments and we’ll respond as soon as possible.

Do you have a child or student who studies and studies to learn their math facts, then can’t remember them during the test?

Does your child or student take months longer to learn their facts than you’d like?

Here’s some great news.  In this final part of our Back To School Success Series, here’s the secret formula for learning and remembering math facts in HALF THE TIME. 

This is an excerpt from my best seller, Learning vs. Testing, Strategies That Bridge The Gap Between Learning Styles and Test Taking Success.

It’s so easy, every parent, teacher and child can use it right away!

1.  Get these materials:  several packages of 5 inch by 7 inch unlined colored notecards and a note card box to store them in.  A full package of thin tipped colored markers (You can use both for all the other subjects as well.)

The secret is that your child is going to learn addition and subtraction at the same time, and following that, multiplication and division  at the same time.

Start with just a few facts for day one to give your child confidence.  For addition and subtraction, have your child make a right side up triangle, in one color, on a colored 5 inch by 7 inch note card that is unlined.  At the top of the triangle, put the answer to the addition or the subtraction problems.  On the bottom corners, put the other two numbers that make the addition or subtraction answer.

Remember to put these two numbers in another color, different from the answer at the top.

Then, have your child hold the card, above eye level, trace the fact, saying it aloud, while snapping a mental image of the fact on the triangle.  Have him or her do this several times, making sure that the card is above eye level where your child can recall any picture easiest.  It could be up to their left or up to their right, or maybe even straight up above their eye level.

While your child is doing this, make up a test for them on that fact.  As an example, put the addition fact every way it could appear on a test - numbers lined up, numbers across, etc.

After your child has practiced their fact, take the card away, remind them to look above eye level, and see the fact in their own mental movie.  This is what A+ students do - they turn everything they see and read into pictures.

Then, hand your child the test, and watch the fun begin.  If your child needs to look up into his or her “magic memory snapshot”, that’s great.  Just be sure to tell your child’s teacher what he or she is doing before any test.

If you happen to notice your child needs to correct anything, simply take the card, have your child use more colors to decorate the triangle and repeat the process to give time for another look.  Don’t use words like right and wrong, just give your child’s eyes another look, because you will preserve their self-esteem, and make them confident in the process.

For multiplication and division, do the very same thing - only invert the triangle to separate the mental image from addition and subtraction.

In just a few short weeks, your child will know all their facts - in precisely half the time!

Remember, every child is smart!  For more information on how to learn in any subject, visit our website at http://www.howtolearn.com

Warmly,

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis M.D.

P.S. If you like this post, please leave us a comment, or if you have questions do the same and we’ll respond.

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