• Category: 2 Ladder, addition and subtraction, addition and subtraction facts, Count by 2s, Doubles in addition, learning math facts, math facts, record-keeping, Two Plus Two Is Not Five, understanding what math facts mean, using doubles addition, word math, word math problems
• Published Dated: August 19, 2014
• Written by: Susan

A few weeks before my granddaughter was coming to stay with us, I asked her what she’d like to do during her visit. Her mom encouraged her to tell me. Well, my mouth dropped when instead of hearing, “Go to the zoo, get ice cream, feed the ducks or play,” I heard, “Homework.”

“Homework?” I asked, thinking she had assignments from the kindergarten class she will start in September. Both my daughter-in-law and son replied that they wanted me to work on math facts with her, and to send her home with my book. Hmm, that was the first mention of this ever. I was pleased; okay, I was very very pleased!

Since my granddaughter could already mentally add and subtract easy math problems, mostly counting to get her answers, I knew she understood what the math facts meant. When she came, I tested her orally on some doubles, zero facts, and Number +1 and Number -1 facts to see which ones she could answer quickly, without having to count. Then I started her Math Facts Pack with only those “known” facts. I marked the Record-Keeping Checklist to show which facts she knew quickly, and then she did some written work in my workbook: Two Plus Two Is Not Five.

During the week that she was with me, she learned to answer the Number -1 facts or Backwards 1 facts quicker; the rest of the Doubles facts to 10 including the subtraction facts to go with them; the Right Next to Each Other Facts **; and I had time to introduce the 2 Ladder *** addition facts. Basically, she finished learning the facts in Tier 1 in Two Plus Two  Is Not Five. I gave her additional math fact cards to add to her Math Facts Pact as she learned new ones. I was pleased that she even liked to make up her own story or word math problems to go with a fact, sometimes getting into quite a long detailed story about them!

I picked certain rows for her to do in the workbook. Some facts were easy for her, so I had her skip rows. Also, since she is so young, only 5 ½ years old, she was not inclined to want to sit and do pages of math, and I didn’t expect her to! I had lots of fun stickers for her to choose from as she finished a row of math facts. She really enjoyed placing them on the pages and decorating the outside of the workbook! I kept several sharpened pencils ready for her to choose from. When we first started working, she formed most of the numerals incorrectly, so gradually I taught her the correct way.

Numeral 1: Down
Numerals 2, 3, and 7 all start the same way
Numeral 4: Down like an L, then another line down (Not like the one in this font.)
Numerals 0, 6, 8, and 9 all start the same way: Around like a C (6: Around like a C and in. 8: Around like a C to an S and up. 9: Around like a C to an O and then down.)
Numeral 5: This one is tricky. I like, down, around, and then go across at the top.

As she learned new facts, I gave her counters to show what the facts meant. I really like the Unifix cubes that Didax sells.

All in all, I absolutely loved working with my grandchild on something that I love teaching! Math facts are so important to doing just about anything in math, and just about everything in this world can relate back to math!

** Right Next to Each Other facts include: 10-9, 9-8, 8-7, 7-6, 6-5, 5-4, 4-3, 3-2. The answer for these facts is always 1.
*** 2 Ladder facts include: 2+4, 4+2, 2+6, 6+2, 2+8, 8+2. (Counting by 2s)

For more detailed information on how to work with your student, please email me and request my free tips. I will also attach the first 24 workbook pages from the book so you can try it out with your student!