Basic Math Facts for Kids

In the elementary grades, teachers expect students to study their basic math facts at home in order to improve the speed with which they perform more complicated calculations. For example, practicing addition of single-digit numbers will improve a child's ability to add more quickly when faced with double- or triple-digit problems. This repetitive practice also applies to subtraction, multiplication and division and can be compared with improving reading speed by memorizing sight words.

Teaching Basic Math Facts with Timed Worksheets

Morning is the best time to teach math to children. An elementary school day can begin with a morning madness worksheet that contains multiple (30-40) basic, single-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication or division problems. Each child works individually on the math madness worksheet for two minutes to see how many problems he or she can complete in that given time. Usually, the basic math worksheets contain only one type of computation so that a student's skill level in that area can truly be evaluated.

Untimed worksheets can also be given. These can be more complex, including money math, word problems and mixed computations to test the classroom's general understanding of applied math concepts.

Using Money to Teach Basic Math Facts

A great way to teach basic math facts is to do a hands-on exercise using coins and money. The classroom can be set up to mimic a candy store or toy shop, and children can be grouped in pairs and take turns being the cashier and customer. Items in the store are given a price. For younger kids, prices can be set in cents (pennies), while older children can set prices in dollars and cents (decimals).

This basic math lesson will teach simple addition and subtraction while students learn that these important math skills apply to the real world. Kids love playing store, and math lessons that incorporate this type of fun, hands-on learning will help students who are tactile and visual learners, as well as engage those who are otherwise averse to paper-and-pencil mathematics.

Learning Basic Math Facts by Telling Time

Using the clock can be another effective way to teach basic math facts to kids. Children can learn to count by fives up to sixty minutes on the face of the clock and can even begin to understand the concept of fractions (1/4 hour, 1/2 hour, etc.).

Simple addition can be done by adding minutes on a toy clock. Similarly, subtraction can be taught by subtracting minutes. Kids in third and fourth grade can reinforce multiplication facts with word problems about time. For example: "Sally ordered an ice cream cone and it took 2 minutes to make. Joe's ice cream sundae took 4 times longer to make. How long did Joe have to wait for his ice cream?"

Basic Math Facts Games and Activities

Simple games using dice or cards can be assigned for homework in order to improve students' math computation skills. Create a math kit for each student at the beginning of the year and include a pack of cards, dice, a 10-by-10 laminated and numbered square, bingo chips and more. Then make up different games depending on the math facts being worked on in the classroom.

One very easy game can be to roll two dice a certain number of times and record the sum of each roll onto a bar chart. This game can be done using multiplication or subtraction as well. It can also be similarly done as a bingo game for two people. Each person takes a turn rolling the dice, adding the numbers (or subtracting or multiplying) and covering the result on a numbered square. The first player to get three in a row wins.

References

• 100 Math Activities Kids Need To Do By 3rd Grade. NY: Scholastic, Inc., 2004.
• Strip, Carol A., Ph.D., Helping Gifted Children Soar. AZ: Great Potential Press, Inc., 2000.