Visual Learning Techniques for Fifth Grade Math
Visual learning techniques can be very useful for teaching fifth-grade math. Math at this grade level incorporates concepts of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, rounding numbers, estimation, exponents and ratios. Visual learning aids help students learn and practice these concepts and apply them to their math skills. The class can also participate in making the visual aids by helping to decorate math posters and other visual tools that will help the whole math class engage in learning math.
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Flash Cards
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Flash cards are widely used visual learning aids, and they are especially effective for the fifth-grade student age because the students are old enough to make the flash cards themselves, which is a big part of what makes the cards effective. Have students list their multiplication, division, addition and subtraction tables on stacks of flash cards. A math problem should be written on one side of each card, and the answer to that math problem should be written on the back of the card. Have students refer to these visual aids when they are studying for exams. They can even quiz each other with the cards.
Posters
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Posters are an effective visual aid for fifth-grade math students because the students can participate in making and decorating them. They are visual creations that can be kept hung up in the classroom throughout the school year. Students will associate the sequence and answers to math problems if they see them everyday next to designs and colors. For example, if "100 / 10 = 10" is on a poster and decorated with large blue colors and swirls, students will have the visual recollection from the poster to refer to when they see the math problem on tests and when they apply math in the world outside the classroom.
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Interactive
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Visual learning techniques include interactive games for fifth-grade math classes. Multiplication and exponent math problems can be created in a skit fashion, where individual students can stand up in front of the class and act out a multiplication problem. For example, nine students can play numbers 1 through 9, one student can be the "multiplication power!" and one student can be a constant number, such as a 2, to be multiplied by. The number 2 and the "multiplication power!" characters are mains, and the other number characters can come in and out as students create skits that represent the answer that comes from the various numbers being multiplied.
Games
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There are a number of team games that can become visual-learning aids for fifth-grade math students. Set up a team relay game in the classroom where a student from each team goes up to the chalkboard to race at writing the correct answer to a math problem that is read aloud. First, have the students see how quickly they can write the correct answer, such as a fraction reduction, on the board. Then, once a team has won that round, have the winning team write out the original problem beside the answer so that the game's visual learning technique is complete.
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