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Basic math is often overlooked by how simple it seems. The problem occurs when a child doesn’t “get it”. In fact, many children do not understand what they are doing and are only memorizing. Memorizing is not a bad thing, in fact, memorizing multiplication facts is something that every teacher emphasizes at some point, but a child needs to understand the math before memorization happens.

Teaching basic math in a way that a child can comprehend it is not so difficult, it just takes time and creativity. (These are two things you will begin to see a pattern in over the coming days and weeks.)

One-To-One Correspondence

A teacher term for learning to count and add is one-to-one correspondence. This is the ability of the child to connect one number with one object. So line up five ducks and count – one – two – three – four – five. Each duck represents one, yet as you move down the row the number or count goes up. Teaching this concept is the foundation for all math.

Once children know how to count with one-to-one correspondence, they can move on to addition and subtraction. If I have 3 ducks and add two more, now I have five ducks. Show this with something that the child can touch and manipulate in order for the concept to stick.

Teach Math with Manipulatives

When teaching any basic math concept, it needs to be paired with a manipulative. This means any object a child can touch and move with his or her hands. The physical moving of objects while learning math will make abstract concepts concrete and enable a child to learn faster and with greater comprehension.

Finally, if a concept is not making sense to a child, do not continue to repeat he same lesson or teaching tactic. If a child does not get the point, try from a different angle. It would be like using the same vocabulary word in the definition. In order to teach the child the concept, use different words and different ideas until something clicks and makes sense. You will see the light bulb come on when you figure out how to teach it so it makes sense.

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Tags: teach math