Part 1 in the series. The order of operations is a set of rules – like the drivers’ handbook for math. If everyone follows the rules, we’ll all be safe. But if someone makes a bad turn, we could be looking at a crash. Continue Reading →
Tag Archives: addition
Practicing Math Skills Early in Life Is a Brain Changing Event
New research by Stanford Medical’s Dr. Vinod Menon shows that children can develop math skills and cognition early and quickly – with differences shown in as little as one year! Here is a way to start math learning early. Continue Reading →
How Adding Evens and Odds is like Multiplying Positives and Negatives
Adding evens and odds has the same pattern as multiplying positive and negatives. I rediscovered this while playing cribbage – and keeping my eyes peeled for patterns! Continue Reading →
Teaching Subtraction Using a Balance
Balances are normally used for science stuff. Here’s how to teach subtraction using a balance. Continue Reading →
Two Reasons to Memorize Math Facts
Some people believe that math facts shouldn’t be memorized. Here are two reasons they should. Continue Reading →
Teaching Math without Rules: Addition of Positive and Negative Numbers
I’ve discovered many ways of teaching math through the years and the most interesting one was the addition of numbers with opposite signs. I learned this from a teacher who said that he never understood the rules – so he made up his own method. He “breaks” the bigger number into two pieces so it… Continue Reading →
Quick Addition Tip – Adding 5 to Larger Digits
For some reason I have trouble adding 5 to the larger digits (like 7, 8 and 9). I noticed at some point that the last digit of that addition is the same as if you subtracted 5 from that number. Like this: 7 + 5 = 12 7 – 5 = 2 and 8 +… Continue Reading →
How to Never Find a Common Denominator Again
Do you keep struggling to teach common denominators? Do your kids just not “get it”? Well, it’s time to quit. Yep! You can teach (and do) fractions without ever finding a common denominator. The key is in the definition of addition for rational numbers. If you have two numbers and the sum of them is . Granted… Continue Reading →