Math Facts--Part 2. Last week I discussed the importance of learning math facts to the point of automaticity or fluency (click here if you missed it). This week I am sharing a few strategies and tips. First, and I cannot stress this enough, it is so important that math facts be learned systematically. Whether your child is [...]
A: While it might seem “old school”, learning math facts to fluency and mastery (i.e., quickly) level is still a very important skill. Math facts are addition, subtraction, multiplication, or even division problems that students should be able to recall within a few seconds. Why is this important? Learning math facts develops their number [...]
Here are a few suggestions on how to make practicing spelling words fun, engaging, and multi-sensory: If your child is going to practice writing his or her spelling words, he should SAY the word (sound by sound, not letter by letter) as he WRITES the word, and thus using three senses--visual, auditory, and motor. The [...]
This week’s tip…..Help your children improve their reading comprehension skills by having them pre-read their textbooks (when they were in kindergarten, we used to call this taking a “picture walk” through a book). Before reading a chapter, your students should skim the headings and read the picture captions as well as study tables, charts, [...]
A: Recent studies using functional MRI analysis have allowed us to map the areas of the brain that we use in reading and writing. They have shown that about 20 percent of people are chronically poor spellers due to a neurological glitch. Typically, there are three zones of the brain used - one in the [...]
A: We have had a lot of success with students and the Wilson program over the last 16 years--both children with dyslexia and children who just need a little boost and more decoding strategies. It is different from other reading programs because it teaches sounds through a multisensory approach for both reading and spelling. [...]
Children guess when reading when they do not have the strategies to decode multi-syllable words. ETS offers the Reading REWARDS program as an individual tutoring option where students are taught strategies to increase speed and accuracy with reading and spelling multi-syllabic words. Students learn strategies that have been effective for building oral and silent [...]
A: I like them! The making of the cards themselves, deciding what is important, etc. counts as already reviewing the material once. Flash cards also allow for studying in both directions. For example, from term to definition or from definition to term. There are additional benefits--flashcards are easy to transport in a zipped plastic bag [...]
A: To help your child stay organized with math problems, have him use graph paper. You can easily print out graph paper in different sizes (to accommodate the size of his handwriting) from several internet sites. He can also turn lined paper sideways to help maintain columns when doing problems such as long division or [...]
