Maria's Math Tips, January 2016

Welcome to a new year!! smile
  1. Math Mammoth news
  2. Videos for the multiplication tables (grades 2-4)
  3. Math anxiety (grades 1-12)
  4. DIY 2016 desk calendar
  5. SAT practice (grades 11-12)

1. Math Mammoth news

Upcoming sales...

I will run a sale in latter part of January at Kagi store — I will let you all know about it later smile

Educents is running a sale on Math Mammoth BLUE series bundle and Light Blue Series Bundle, both through January 8.

You can find Math Mammoth downloadable products at CURRCLICK at 25% off... till January 19, 2016. This sale includes individual products, and excludes the already discounted bundles.

Homeschool Buyers Co-op will run a 40% off sale from January 21 till February 1. All the large Math Mammoth and Make It Real Learning bundles will be 40% off.


Announcing...

Math Mammoth International Version

cover for Math Mammoth Grade 1-B Complete Worktext Currently available for grades 1-4, this version differs from the US version in these aspects:
  • The currency used in the money chapters in grades 1-3 is the Australian dollar. (The download versions for these grades include the chapter on money also for US, British, European, South African, Canadian, and New Zealand currencies.)
  • The curriculum teaches the metric measurement units. Imperial units, such as inches and pounds, are not used.
  • The spelling conforms to British international standards (British English).
  • Page (paper) size is A4.
  • Large numbers are formatted with a space as the thousands separator (such as 12 394). (The decimals are formatted with a decimal point, like in the US version.)
Check it out at the link below:
Math Mammoth, International version

2. Videos for the multiplication tables

I've made a series of videos to help students/children learn the multiplication tables from 2 to 12. They are presented in a specific order — easiest ones first — which makes learning them MUCH easier.



Each teaching video has a similar structure:
  1. First, we study the SKIP-COUNTING list or pattern for the specific table.
  2. Next, I drill the table itself, but the STRUCTURE of the table is visible to the student during the drill. This ties the table with the just-learned skip-counting list, and also helps the student to use the CONCEPT of multiplication to possibly figure out some of the answers that are not yet memorized.
  3. Lastly, we practice the table backwards. For example, I ask, "How many times 5 is 35?" This essentially teaches the basic division facts at the same time (though, I don't mention them as such).

    The series of videos also include "INTERLUDES": short video lessons in which we look at multiplication patterns, missing factors, word problems, and puzzles.

    Check out also my article on how to learn the multiplication tables.

    And don't miss Mathy's (my mascot) VICTORY DANCE after having studied all the times tables:



3. Math anxiety

Here's a neat infographic concerning MATH ANXIETY... nothing earth-shaking, but nice reminders of some basics.



Courtesy of Maths Insider


4. DIY 2016 desk calendar

You can still download the free Do-it-Yourself (DIY) printable desk calendar for 2016!

=> 2016_DIY_Printable_Desk_Calendar_v2.doc

It also has fun activities for children! For each month of the calendar, your child (or children) can connect the dots, trace a maze, or match the twins, and then color the playful images — creating a truly personalized calendar for the new year.



The activity pages come from my daughter Abby's website Children's Best Activities, which includes all sorts of fun creative and thinking skill activities, like coloring pages, matching pairs, dot-to-dots, mazes, and much more!

After trimming, the calendar pages are sized to fit into an empty CD case.

This DIY Desk Calendar has been done in collaboration with Homeschool Buyers Co-op.

Simply download it here:

=> 2016_DIY_Printable_Desk_Calendar_v2.doc

5. SAT practice

Those needing practice problems for the SAT test, here's one more resource for that:

New SAT Practice Test Section — Andrew Vickery, Math Coach


Thanks for reading! :)

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Till next time,
Maria Miller
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