HOW TO UNLEASH YOUR CHILD’S MENTAL MATH POWER

In a world where calculator apps are found in every cellphone, we ask ourselves, is mental math still a necessary skill? The answer is a definite YES! If you have asked the same question, you probably are guilty of believing the common mental math myth that being good in mental math is just about being able to do math in your head. According to Cathy Seeley, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics President, although mental math is often associated with the ability to do computations quickly, in its broadest sense, mental math also involves conceptual understanding and problem solving.

How then can you help your child be skillful in mental math, mastering both conceptual understanding and computational fluency? Here are some helpful tips:

  1. Explicitly teach the mental math strategies. Teach your child one mental math strategy each week. This will give your child ample time to master one strategy before learning a new one. Make sure to emphasize when it is best to use each strategy. This will empower your child in choosing the best tool to use when dealing with a certain math problem.
  2. Do not teach mental math strategies as mere tricks. Back them up with math concepts. A common misconception about mental math is that it is just about rote memorization or information retrieval. One must understand that mental math is more than just memorizing multiplication facts. The downside of having this mindset is that we end up putting more importance on the results or answers rather than numerical fluency. Thus, some end up teaching children mere math tricks instead of math strategies that leverage mathematical properties and concepts such as the distributive property, factors of numbers, percentage, and inverses. It is crucial to teach the kids not just the “hows” but the “whys” behind each mental math strategy.
  3. Make the learning experience fun. You may use materials like whiteboards, counters, blocks, Powerpoint presentations when introducing a math strategy. Since younger children are most likely visual learners, they can understand the strategy better when introduced to them with visual aids or hands-on materials. The more engaging the experience is, the more they learn from them.
  4. Apply mental math in real life. The next time you visit a toy store, ask your child how much will two of her favorite dolls cost or how much cheaper is the toy robot than the toy car. Applying mental calculation in everyday life lets children practice their skills wherever they are. It also helps them realize how useful this skill really is, which may motivate them to practice even more.
  5. Practice, practice, practice. Reinforce the math strategies by giving your children oral and written drills. You may also let your kids play mental math online games and apps to gain mental math proficiency.

To bring out the mental mathematician in your child, Kinetic Math offers Mental Math Program which aims to teach children PROVEN strategies to compute mentally with accuracy and speed. This will empower the students to calculate mathematically in their heads without using paper and pencil. In this course, children will develop the fluency, flexibility and strategic thinking in mental computation by addressing the following:

  1. WHAT: Children will learn the basic number facts and other math concepts.
  2. WHEN: Students will have the ability to recognize the demands of a problem and choose the best strategy to solve it.
  3. WHY: Each strategy is anchored to math concepts, making it easier for students to understand why a procedure works.
  4. HOW: Various mental math strategies in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division will be discussed systematically and thoroughly in the course.

 

To know more about our mental math program, you may visit or contact us at:

BGC BRANCH 

3rd floor, Bonifacio Technology Center, 31st St. corner 2nd Ave., Crescent Park West, BGC, Taguig

09179642244

 

SAN JUAN BRANCH 

285 P. Guevarra St., San Juan City

09668149165

 

KATIPUNAN BRANCH 

2nd floor, FBR Arcade, Katipunan Road, Loyola Heights, Quezon City

09954592600

 

Email address: kineticmath@yahoo.com  and kineticmathonlineclass@gmail.com

Facebook page: kineticmathcenter

Twitter: @KineticMath

Instagram: @kineticmathcenter

 

Website: www.kineticmathcenter.net

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Kinetic Math’s Math Wizards Summer Camp

 

Is your child math-ready for the BIG SCHOOL?

Is your child’s mathematical ability at par with kids his age?

 

Below is a guide to some basic math milestones for children in their early years:

 

3 years old

4 years old

5 years old

·         Can identify basic shapes

·         Can sort things by color, size or shape

·         Understands the concept of size

·         Knows the primary colors

·         Can recite number words 1-10

·         Knows that when one item is taken away from a set of 2 items, one item is left

·         Knows that when one item is added to a set of 2 items, there should be 3 items altogether

·         Learns to pick out the “first” and the “last” person in a line

·         Can identify the largest or highest in a set of pictures

·         Can count up to 20

·         Can gibe correct answers to addition and subtraction problems involving small quantities (ex 1+2=3 and 3-2=1) by using manipulatives or pictures

·         Can count from at least 1-20 and identify numbers 1-10

·         Begins to understand volume and can identify the container that holds the most

·         Understands night and day and their relation to time

·         Begins to understand the concept of time and some begin to tell the time

·         Understands what a calendar is

·         Understands and can label the value of different coins

·         Knows what it means to divide something in half using “one for you, one form me” strategy

·         Knows the names of 4-8 colors and can point them out

·         Can count backwards from 5

·         Understands and uses ordinal terms: first, second, third, fourth and fifth

·         Using manipulatives and pictures, can find the answer to simple addition and subtraction word problems that total up to 10.

·         Can skip-count by 10

 

Remember, these milestones are a general guide. Some children reach them early and some reach them later. This summer, provide your child venue to learn the developmentally appropriate math skills for his age. Let him join Kinetic Math Enrichment Center’s Math Wizards Summer Camp. Math Wizards Summer Camp is a summer course for children aged 3-5 years old. This program aims to teach Math concepts in a systematic, engaging and fun way! Exciting games, enjoyable activities and written drills will help them master the necessary skills needed to prepare them for the next school year.

 

Topics:

  1. Match and Sort
  2. Counting
  3. Shapes
  4. Patterns
  5. Length and Size
  6. Weight
  7. Capacity
  8. Comparing Sets
  9. Comparing Numbers
  10. Number Bonds
  11. Addition
  12. Subtraction
  13. Time
  14. Money

 

To know more about this program, you may contact or visit the Kinetic Math branch near you:

BGC BRANCH 

3rd floor, Bonifacio Technology Center, 31st St. corner 2nd Ave., Crescent Park West, BGC, Taguig

09179642244

 

SAN JUAN BRANCH 

285 P. Guevarra St., San Juan City

09668149165

 

KATIPUNAN BRANCH 

2nd floor, FBR Arcade, Katipunan Road, Loyola Heights, Quezon City

09954592600

 

Email address: kineticmath@yahoo.com  and kineticmathonlineclass@gmail.com

Facebook page: kineticmathcenter

Twitter: @KineticMath

Instagram: @kineticmathcenter

 

Website: www.kineticmathcenter.net

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Kinetic Math’s Mental Math Masters Program

How many Php50 bills make Php3000?

What is half of 890?

What is the sum of 392 and 799?

 

Can your child answer these questions without using the calculator or paper and pen? In order to do so, one needs to know mental math strategies. Mental computation is a process that require the manipulation of numbers in one’s head.

In this modern world of tablets, laptops, and smartphones, it is still important to equip children with mental computation skills because these can be used in daily life such as in budgeting, in purchasing things and in measuring objects. In addition, mental computation also facilitates learning many structural topics such as percentage and properties of real numbers. Finally, strong mental calculation skills boost the child’s confidence in his mathematical skills.

If you wish to make your child develop these skills, you may enrol him at the Kinetic Math Enrichment Center’s Mental Math Masters Program. This is one of Kinetic Math’s summer programs. This program aims to teach children aged 6 years old and above PROVEN strategies to compute mentally with accuracy and speed. This will empower the students to calculate mathematically in their heads without using paper and pencil. In this course, children will develop the fluency flexibility and strategic thinking in mental computation by addressing the following:

 

  1. WHAT: Children will learn the basic number facts and other math concepts.
  2. WHEN: Students will have the ability to recognize the demands of a problem and choose the best strategy to solve it.
  3. WHY: Each strategy is anchored to math concepts, making it easier for students to understand why a procedure works.
  4. HOW: Various mental math strategies in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division will be discussed systematically and thoroughly in the course.

 

To know more about this program, you may visit or contact the Kinetic Math branch near you:

BGC BRANCH 

3rd floor, Bonifacio Technology Center, 31st St. corner 2nd Ave., Crescent Park West, BGC, Taguig

09179642244

 

SAN JUAN BRANCH 

285 P. Guevarra St., San Juan City

09668149165

 

KATIPUNAN BRANCH 

2nd floor, FBR Arcade, Katipunan Road, Loyola Heights, Quezon City

09954592600

 

Email address: kineticmath@yahoo.com  and kineticmathonlineclass@gmail.com

Facebook page: kineticmathcenter

Twitter: @KineticMath

Instagram: @kineticmathcenter

 

Website: www.kineticmathcenter.net

Read more...

Kinetic Math’s Integers and Algebra Summer Course

Why do many high school students fail or get low grades in Math?

Why do some students have difficulty answering entrance test questions in Math?

 

One of the many culprits for the above-mentioned difficulties is the poor basic foundational knowledge and skills in algebra and integers. Understanding algebra and integers are necessary to solve equations.

Algebra is a branch of Mathematics that uses numbers and letters that represent numbers. Algebra strengthens logic skills and introduces abstract thinking. In algebra, students must understand that symbols such as x and y stand for numbers that vary and that these symbols can be used in solving real-life and mathematical problems.

In integers, on the other hand, students deal with zero, positive and negative whole numbers. It is very important to learn this because we use integers in our daily lives- weather, finances, sports, geography and science. Since performing operations on integers involve signs of the numbers and signs of operations, some students struggle in remembering the rules and procedure for certain problems or equations.

This summer, Kinetic Math Enrichment Center will offer the Integers and Algebra Summer Course. Integers & Algebra Summer Course aims to help students transition from the visual model method to the abstract concepts of integers and algebra. In this course, students will learn about integers and build on the knowledge to develop skills in algebra. This will train the students to think and reason logically, orderly and abstractly.

To know more about the program, you may contact or visit the Kinetic Math Center near you:

BGC BRANCH 

3rd floor, Bonifacio Technology Center, 31st St. corner 2nd Ave., Crescent Park West, BGC, Taguig

09179642244

 

SAN JUAN BRANCH 

285 P. Guevarra St., San Juan City

09668149165

 

KATIPUNAN BRANCH 

2nd floor, FBR Arcade, Katipunan Road, Loyola Heights, Quezon City

09954592600

 

Email address: kineticmath@yahoo.com  and kineticmathonlineclass@gmail.com

Facebook page: kineticmathcenter

Twitter: @KineticMath

Instagram: @kineticmathcenter

 

Website: www.kineticmathcenter.net

Read more...