Fun-Schooling Bookstore

Logic games and lessons for children with Dyslcalculia who can't memorize math facts and multiplication tables. For students of all ages who struggle with foundational math skills.

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How does Math Craft work?

Kids who struggle with math have difficulties for many different reasons. Some may panic when they must deal with numbers. Those with dyscalculia may have a learning disability that affects the parts of their brain usually used for processing quantity and numbers. Others seem to work with numbers in a confusing way and need to lay a fresh foundation for math. Some students just have difficulty memorizing, so they count on their fingers. Math Craft helps with all these different issues!

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First of all, Math Craft is fun so it engages the brain in ways that arepleasurable. Some of the ways it does this are: building and playing “make-it-yourself math games, new and interesting activities with magnets, and fun pages with logic and search activities. Thus, fear and panic are replaced with anexpectation of having fun. Also, each day of games and activities introduces new math skills one at a time, enabling children to feel like math is something they CAN do and CAN succeed at.

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Students become less resistant and more willing to learn math. Next, Math Craft engages different parts of the brain. For most of us, math and quantity are performed in the visual cortex of the brain. The blindfolded activities and using homemade “mag-nut” game pieces help the student engage a variety of senses in counting, grouping, and pattern activities. Touch, movement, weight, sound, and the cold temperature of the steel engage different areas of the brain. Then, as they play the games using the heavy magnetic game pieces, their senses build on this new approach to quantity in a different part of the brain. The abacus is introduced to help reinforce these skills.

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Math facts are often forced on children before their brains are ready. This causes confusion in the foundational understanding of math. Pages that teach sequencing and mag-nut grouping activities may not seem to have much to do with math. These are designed to lay a fresh foundation for understanding quantity and 1:1 correspondence. Parents and teachers don’t explain math concepts, they simply read directions to the student and let them discover the meaning, sequence, and properties of numbers naturally.

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Don’t try to explain “why” – only explain the meaning of the words if necessary. When they discover a property of numbers by themselves, they will truly understand it. There are no memorization drills. Students are introduced to multiplication facts and concepts using their magnetic game pieces. Next, specific multiplication facts are introduced by using the abacus to do, or to check, written problems (multiplication mysteries). Then the student fills out skip counting charts. Last, a game is introduced requiring them to use the new math fact. In time they will realize that they know the answer.

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Some students may complain that the lessons are too easy; just explain that Math Craft doesn’t only teach facts, but trains the brain for understanding math. Math Craft is designed to be flexible and provide an individualized approach. Learners who are able to do the activities easily can be allowed to skip any activity that says “Extra Games.” Parents are able to adapt the program to the needs of individual students. The first test is in lesson 13. The student isn’t learning multiplication facts to take a test, but for use in a game. The purpose of the tests are to find out which games they need to play more of and to make customized games.

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Instructions for Parents and Teachers:

Work together on the first few lessons. Students who read well may be able to complete many of the lessons independently, EXCEPT sorting and stacking the “mag-nut” game pieces while blindfolded, and games that require more than one player. Math Craft Multiplication is designed to enable students to learn the multiplication “tables” without memorizing them. Most lessons begin with activities that introduce multiplication facts with the mag-nut manipulatives, the abacus, and skip-counting games. Then, dice games and/or card games enable the math facts to be used over and over in a fun setting.

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Most of the games can be played with one or more player. Let the student play the games alone long enough to get good at them, then play against others. Since the dice games are mainly chance and only part strategy, everyone has a chance to win. They can be played in larger groups, which can be lots of fun. To get the most benefit, everyone should watch during the other players’ turns. The students can check with each other to be sure they have the correct amounts, numbers, totals, number of moves, etc . . . It’s okay to let the student play games they enjoy as much as they want. You don’t have to move quickly to the next lesson. It’s okay to take it slow and let the facts really sink in. At the end of each lesson, a game is presented that will enable the student to have fun learning the math fact or facts taught in the lesson. Plan time after the lesson to play games for a half hour or more.

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About the Logic Games:

The Number Logic Games are activities that the student can do without much help.They will need to just use logic to find the pattern and finish the picture. Your student will develop many important logic skills, math skills, and focusing skills when playing these games.

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You, the parent or teacher, can decide how often you should use Math Craft. For many, the ideal will be one or two days each week. Others will be ready for a more intense program of daily Math Craft activities and games. If you want a plan to start with, schedule two or three days a week. If you only do one lesson a week, it would be good to have a game day where the student spends some time playing some of the games they have already learned. If they enjoy playing the games at the end of the lesson, encourage them to play them as much as they want to!