Long Multiplication

In this dyslexia blog article there are some tips and advice on long multiplication.

Being able to recall basic multiplication facts is essential for success with long multiplication, therefore it is crucial you make sure your child practices their times tables on a regular basis. Games are a good way to motivate them to learn them !!

Students who have dyslexia will often have a weakness in their working memory. As a result it may be difficult for them to rely solely on mental calculations when solving math problems.The dyslexic student may often forget what they are doing and lose their place . In long multiplication ,of course,there is more of a risk that there will get muddled up since the numbers that they are dealing with are bigger.

When they are are doing long multiplication problems teachers and parents should encourage children to write down every step, including carrying numbers.They should also preferably use scrap paper to help them in their calculations.

Common errors made :

Students make mistakes because they haven’t kept their columns straight. Make sure they line up their numbers correctly and also encourage correct spacing. It is advisable to use squared paper at all times for maths calculations to prevent this problem.
Unfortunately sometimes teachers don’t leave enough space for workings out on worksheets and test papers and this creates problems !!

Forgetting to ‘carry’ numbers A good way to remember the carry number is to write it in a circle.

Forgetting to write down a zero eg :

110
x69
990
660 should be 6600
=1650 ( answer should be 7590 )

You could consider teaching your child alternative methods to solve long multiplication problems. One such method is long multiplication using key facts. This method is recommended by Steve Chinn who is one of the leading experts in the area of dyscalculia. With this method your child only needs to know how to double and half numbers and multiple by 10 to get the correct answer.

Long Multiplication using key facts

E.g 78 x 17

1) First set up an easy multiplication table with the key facts :


1 x 17 = 17
2 x 17 = 34
5 x 17 = 85
10 x 17 = 170
20 x 17 = 340
50 x 17 = 850
100x 17 = 1700

1x 17 is easy to find = 17.
To get 2 x 17 just double 17.
After workout 10 x 17 = 170 .Now you can easily find 5 x 17 – just half 170. ( 85 )
For the answer to 20 x 17 double 170 .
100 x 17 is easy just add a zero to 170 ( 10 x 17=170).
For 50 x 17 half the answer to 100 x17 = 1700 ie 850.

2)After find the easy numbers ( or partial products ) in 78 .

78 = 50 + 20 + 5 + 2 + 1

3) After add up these partial products :
50 x 17 = 850
20 x 17 = 340
5 x 17 = 85
2 x 17 = 34
1 x 17 = 17

Answer 78 x 17 = 1326

In Turkey however unfortunately some teachers are reluctant to teach alternative methods of doing maths calculations. Also this method does require more space on the paper for the workings out. In many cases worksheets and test papers provide little space for students to use .It is assumed a lot of workings out will be done mentally. Teachers here in Turkey need to try to be more flexible in their approaches in order to accommodate all children. I would recommend everyone to look at Steve Chinn’s books for more ideas regarding maths.

Basic Maths Skills

Especially during the long summer holiday it is vital that children with dyslexia / dyscalulia etc practice basic maths skills .

Learning maths is like building a wall with building bricks. If some of these bricks are left out of the wall or if bricks are not securely cemented in then the wall will eventually fall down.

A solid math foundation is vital for children to succeed. Students with weak basic math skills will find maths a struggle as they progress with school. As a result it is crucial for children with dyslexia and dyscalculia to practice and improve their basic skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Here are some good online educational games your child can play.They are fun to play and your child will not feel like he is doing school work !! :

Arcademic Skill Builders

http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/


This is a website that features fun, arcade-type games to practice the four basic operations .Game titles include "Grand Prix Multiplication" and “Alien Addition”. Games can be played with one or more players at a time. There are also some literacy games available.

Crickweb site :

The Digit Workout :

This is a progressive range of mental maths activities in 6 levels, which can help to improve the recall of key number facts . Keep a record of your child’s scores and see if they can improve them.


http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=digitmenu

World Cup Math from Mr Nussbaum

Your child must win the world cup by scoring as many goals as possible against world teams by answering math facts.

http://www.mrnussbaum.com/football/index.html

For other ideas of games see the great website set up by the Woodlands Junior School in the UK .


http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/

Practice basic maths using a pack of cards – Shuffle the cards then turn them face down.Get your child to turn over two cards and write those values down on a piece of paper. Afterwards your child chooses whether to use multiplication, division, addition, or subtraction to find an answer. In the end get them to write down the answer.

BBC SKILLWISE

I find that often in Turkey topics covered on the school syllabus are often rushed through and not gone over in enough detail in order for all pupils to grasp the subject.

Children especially who have learning disabilities; such as dyslexia will generally take longer to learn new concepts. They need to be more given time to “over- learn “ subjects studied.In other words ,they need plenty of opportunities to practice skills which they have learnt until they are fully compenent .

Skillwise is a useful site for parents to use with their children to help them go over topics already learnt at school and to practice skills.

Skillswise is a BBC website designed to help adults who want to improve their basic skills in reading, writing and maths. The site is aimed at learners as well as tutors.

The site is geared for adults however it is also useful for children as well.

It contains different modules on a variety of topics such as spelling,grammar,writing, measures,shapes and space,fractions, decimals and percentages etc.

It includes very clear factsheets which explain the topic fully, also there are ready made worksheets with answers which can be printed out. In addition quizzes and games are available to test information learnt.

There are also some useful articles about teaching dyslexia and dyscalculia learners for tutors . They explain some of the problems they have with learning and how tutors can help them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/

DYSCALCULIA DAY 3RD MARCH

Dyscalculia Day

This day has been established by the Dyscalculia Forum to help raise awareness of dyscalculia worldwide.

This International forum was formed for dyscalculics, teachers, parents and others interested in dyscalculia .

For more information go to Facebook – Dyscalculia Day 2010

or THE DYSCALCULIA FORUM : http://www.dyscalculiaforum.com

Very little is known about dyscalculia, for example how many people it affects,its causes or treatment.

People with dyscalculia experience great difficulty with the most basic aspects of numbers and arithmetic.

Estimates indicates that it affects somewhere between 3% to 6% of the population. These statistics refer to children who are ‘purely’ dyscalculic – i.e. they only have difficulties with maths but are ok in other areas.

In Turkey the level of mathematics studied in schools is high .The style of mathematics teaching is very traditional with an emphasis on multiple choice questions. Manipulatives are rarely used in Turkish classrooms to assist mathematical learning. Teachers generally have no understanding and no appreciation of the problems faced by students who have dyscalculia. There is non- existent remedial help for those struggling with mathematics. The only option for parents is to hire a private tutor to help their child.

In UK high school students can drop mathematics at high school and still progress to university, as long as they have obtain a GCSE grade in mathematics at c grade. In contrast, Turkish students must carry on studying mathematics throughout high school.

Mathematics Support Centres are to be found in the majority of UK higher education institutions. Also in many further education colleges there are numeracy tutors to help students with mathematics. In contrast in Turkey students have no such help or support.


What is Dyscalculia?

There is no accepted worldwide definition of dyscalculia at the present .

The UK government defines it like this:

“Dyscalculia is a condition that affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills. Dyscalculic learners may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems learning number facts and procedures. Even if they produce a correct answer or use a correct method, they may do so mechanically and without confidence."

(DfES, Guidance to support pupils with dyslexia and dyscalculia, 0512/2001)

Respected experts in this field such as Butterworth, Sharma, Miles and Chinn suggest that the nature of dyscalculia rests with the inability to see, handle and understand numbers. The inability occurs at the concrete level but especially at the abstract level.

Dyscalculic children have problems in the following areas : :

Counting: Dyscalculic children can usually learn the sequence of counting words, but may have difficulty going back and forth, especially in twos and threes.

Calculations: Dyscalculic children find learning and recalling number facts difficult. They often lack confidence even when they produce the correct answer. They also fail to use rules and procedures to build on known facts. For example, they may know that 5+3=8, but not realise that, therefore, 3+5=8 or that 5+4=9.

Numbers with zeros: Dyscalculic children may find it difficult to grasp that the words ten, hundred and thousand have the same relationship to each other as the numerals 10, 100 and 1000.

Measures: Dyscalculic children often have difficulty with operations such as handling money or telling the time. They may also have problems with concepts such as speed (miles per hour) or temperature.

Direction/orientation: Dyscalculic children may have difficulty understanding spatial orientation (including left and right) causing difficulties in following directions or with map reading.

Does dyscalculia also affect people with dyslexia?

Research suggests that 40-50% of dyslexics show no signs of dyscalculia. They perform at least as well in maths as other children, with about 10% achieving at a higher level.

The remaining 50-60% do have difficulties with maths. Not surprisingly, difficulty in decoding written words can transfer across into a difficulty in decoding mathematical notation and symbols.

For some dyslexic pupils, however, difficulty with maths may in fact stem from problems with the language surrounding mathematical questions rather than with number concepts – e.g. their dyslexia may cause them to misunderstand the wording of a question.

In summary, dyscalculia and dyslexia occur both independently of each other and together.

(From : BDA website )

HERE IS A DYSCALCULIA CHECKLIST
prepared by Gill Cawse – Specialist tutor for maths difficulties, Winchester College

If the answer to most of these questions is ‘yes’ then there is a likelihood that the pupil has dyscalculia

Has difficulty with the direct retrieval of number facts.

Makes counting errors

Reliance on immature strategies such as finger counting and makes errors with these

Slow speed of processing of numerical information

Inability to estimate

Has poor knowledge of the worth or value of a number

Has poor grasp of procedures and concepts

Poor sequential memory for numbers and operations

Cannot see patterns in numbers e.g. if 10,20,30,40 then 12, 22,32,42

Poor grasp of the 10s base of the number system

Has trouble moving up and down the numberline or number square

FRACTION ART

Many children who have dyslexia or dyscalculia struggle with the concept of fractions. Here is a fun way for parents to help their dyslexic children to learn about fractions while doing some art work….

Ed Emberley is an award winning American author who has written a number of art books including one called Picture Pie .You can find out more information about this book at Amazon.com. He also has his own web site :

http://www.edemberley.com/

On this site, as well as in his book he shows how to make drawings using whole circles and parts of circles. Children can make great pictures of flowers, birds and other animals as well as learning about fractions in an interesting way . On his website there are ready made circle templates with instructions of how to make the different animals and flowers etc…

COOKING WITH YOUR KIDS

Here in this dyslexia blog article we talk about how to use cooking to teach your child....

Cooking can be a fun way to help your dyslexic child learn maths as well a good way to encourage them to read. At this festive time of year its really nice to do some baking !!

Cooking involves many educational skills such as reading and comprehension. In addition it requires counting, measuring, understanding time as well as sequencing.

You could start by getting your child to make a packet cake mix (such as the Dr Oetker Lillifee Muffin mix) which is simple for children to make by themselves.

First of all get them to read the instructions and then follow the steps to make the muffins. They hopefully will be more motivated to read if they want to make some yummy cakes or biscuits !!

Once they are able to make packet mixes successfully you could buy a simple cookbook written especially for children.

Once you have decided on a recipe from the cookbook get your child to make it.N.B you can help when and if necessary .

They could count out the number of eggs required or they could stir the mixture a certain number of times.

Let them help measure out the ingredients so they can learn about grams, kilograms and millilitres.

Cooking is an excellent a way to teach fractions. For example, you can cut a cake into 8 equal pieces and then you can explain that one piece of the cake is 1/8.

Also they can learn about time from cooking , if you ask them to work out at what time a cake needs to be taken out of the oven.

You can also make up word problems to test their maths. For example if you're making a cake, ask your child to help figure out how many eggs it will take to make 2 cakes, if it takes 3 eggs to make one cake. Ask them to work out how many sausages they would need to cook for 8 people ,if each person wants 2 sausages. Etc ..

Cooking really is educational as well as good fun for kids !!!

TELLING THE TIME

Many children with dyslexia struggle to learn to tell the time easily.
Dyslexics especially have problems telling the time on a clock with hands:

They may be able to tell whole hours and half hours (5:00, 5:30, etc.) but not smaller chunks, such as 8.04.
They often find it difficult to distinguish between the minute and hour hands.
Concepts such as before ( to )and after (past) on a clock are confusing for them.

As a parent there are several ways you can help them to learn to tell the time.

You could buy a teaching watch for your child. I obtained one which is produced by ELC ( Early Learning Centre) from Leonardinis.This watch has different coloured hands – for the minute hand and for the hour hand. There are a set of numbers for the minutes as well as for the hours.Also the watch face has ‘past’ and ‘to’ written on it in different colours.All these things make it easier for your child to tell the time.

http://www.leonardini.com.tr/

When I go out with my child I make him the ’official time keeper’ – and ask him at frequent intervals what the time is in order that he practices !!!

In addition there are many online free games which children can do to practice telling the time .
In a previous blog entry I wrote about online maths computer games,including ones to practice telling the time.

I found a very good puzzle by Larsen . The child has to match the correct clock faces to the right time.The puzzle contains 42 different clock faces with both the 12 and 24 hour time written on it.
This is available in Turkish as well as English.I bought mine from the Toyzz shop.
You could also make your own matching clock face game if you wanted.

I found an interesting article Charlottes clock taken from the Special Children Magazine,issue 166, May/June 2005 ,which is written by a mother of a child with special needs.In this article she explains how she approached teaching the time to her child. The techniques she described could be used with a dyslexic child.

http://www.mathsextra.com/articles.htm

www.mathsextra.com/documents/CharlottesClock.pdf

NINE TIMES TABLE

Nine times table trick

Dyslexic children, as I have mentioned before often struggle with learning the multiplication tables. Here is a neat way to help them find the answers for the 9 times table.

For example 9 x10

First take 1 away from 10

10- 1 = 9

Then take the answer 9 away from 9

9- 9 = 0

So the answer is 90

Another example : 9 x 7

First take 1 away from 7

7 – 1 = 6

After take the answer 6 away from 9

9-6 = 3

So the answer is 63

Try it out !!!

THINKING BLOCKS : HELPS SOLVE MATHS WORD PROBLEMS

Students with learning disabilities , including dyslexia, often find it diffcult to tackle mathematical word problems.One useful approach is to teach children how to use diagrams or models to solve word problems.

THINKING BLOCKS is an free interactive math tool on the internet which helps children solve maths word problems including addition,subtraction, multiplication, division etc by building simple math models.

It was developed by classroom teachers to help students learn how to solve multistep word problems. Using brightly colored blocks, students model the relationships among the parts of each word problem. With the help of a virtual teacher, students walk through a simple problem solving process and arrive at a solution. Incorrect answers elicit helpful questions, hints, and suggestions that lead students toward the correct answer.When building the models, students must identify information that is given as well as information that is unknown. Identifying and solving for an unknown quantity is a key concept in algebra.

http://www.thinkingblocks.com/

After click on "try it".

FORMULATOR TARSIA

FORMULATOR TARSIA- MAKE PUZZLES , DOMINOES ETC

Dyslexic children can benefit highly by playing educational games to help them to learn.Children ,after spending all day at school learning from textbooks and completing worksheets, don’t want to do more of the same thing when they get home at night. !! As a result, school subjects need to be presented in a different format and in a more fun way; in order to stop the child from being bored.They are more likely to learn as a result of a different approach.In this blog we will try to give parents some ideas they can try with their child.

Formulator Tarsia, from the Hermitech Laboratory is a free programme that can be downloaded. It a really great programme and I recommend parents and teachers try it. It is designed to create maths problems, but it can also be used for other subjects as well.I have used to test maths eg addition , subtraction, time etc as well as for Turkish eg opposites, synonyms. It doesn't have some of the Turkish letters - like Ç, Ö, Ü etc but I still think you can use it effectively.

Once downloaded and installed, it is relatively simple to use, you can choose from different types of puzzle, jigsaw, dominoes and card.

When you have chosen your puzzle type, you can type in the contents for your puzzle, this is in the input screen, when you have completed one field, click on the next number in the sidebar and a new input field will appear.

You can check your puzzle contents by clicking the table tab at the bottom of the screen.

Clicking on the output tab will reveal the puzzle that students will be given,of course, you could cut these up before you give it to your child but the puzzle will already be unsorted.

Clicking on the solution tab will reveal the solution to your puzzle

You can save your puzzle by pressing the disc icon, ,

You can insert images: to insert images, in the input screen, click on the image icon at the top of the screen..

If you would like to download the free Tarsia software so you can make your own puzzles, visit
http://www.mmlsoft.com/ go to downloads ( Tarsia Formulator )


For examples of puzzles see :
http://www.mrbartonmaths.com/jigsaw.htm

http://www.mathsnet.net/jigsaw/gallery.html

This site has a lot of ready prepared puzzles but they are for secondary level ( orta okul ) :

http://www.mathedup.co.uk/index.htm

LATTICE MULTIPLICATION

Lattice multiplication

Very often children with dyslexia or learning disabilites may find problems with the traditonal method for long multiplication.This is because it relies heavily on the working memory .

If your child is struggling with multi-digit multiplication then lattice multiplication is a good tool to try out as it will help them to gain confidence.

Lattice multiplication is a method of multiplying large numbers using a grid. This method breaks the multiplication process into smaller steps, which some students find easier. Digits to be carried are written within the grid, making them harder to miss.



Here is an explanation of the lattice multiplication method :


Let's multiply 216 x 32. First write the 216 across the top, and the 32 down the right side of a 3x2 rectangle. ( see above diagram )

Now fill in the lattice by multiplying the two digits found at the head of the column and to the right of the row eg 6x3 .
When the partial product is two digits, the first (10's) digit goes above the diagonal and the second (1's) digit goes on the lower right of the diagonal. If the partial product is only one digit, a zero is placed in the triangle above the diagonal in the square.

At this point, we have the multiplication done. Now we add along the diagonals beginning in the lower right to get the final product. Any "carries" when adding are illustrated outside the rectangle.

(This explanation is from : http://mathforum.org/ )

To watch a demonstration video of Lattice multiplication go to :
Mary Bryan Elementary School : Maths videos
http://mb.msdpt.k12.in.us/Math/Algorithms.html

Also :
http://blog.syracuse.com/video/2008/06/everyday_mathematics.html

For blank lattice grids go to :
http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/lattice.html

http://www.mathwire.com/numbersense/mult.html

http://www.skillsworkshop.org/n/e3l1l2latticepaper.pdf










.

FINGER TABLES

FINGER TABLES - 9 TIMES TABLE

Your child may be struggling with multiplication because he is dyslexic.Here a really neat way to teach your child the 9 times tables using their fingers !!

1. Hold your hands in front of you with your fingers spread out.
2. For 9 X 7 bend your seventh finger down. (9 X 3 would be the third finger etc.)
3. You have 6 fingers in front of the bent finger and 3 after the bent finger
4. Thus the answer must be 63 ( see diagram above )
5. This technique works for the 9 times tables up to 10.

ITS VERY EASY AND YOUR CHILD WILL PICK IT UP QUICKLY!!

A MULTIPLICATION GAME

YOU CAN USE ORDINARY PLAYING CARDS TO HELP PRACTICE MULIPLICATION FACTS !!

Dyslexic children often find difficulty learning their times tables They will however learn their facts much more quickly if you play games with them on a regular basis , as it makes learning more fun. Below is one example of a game you could try using playing cards !!

Remove the Kings and Queens from a deck of cards.

Use a marker pen to write an "11" on each Jack and a "12" on each Ace.

Shuffle the cards and then take it in turns to flip over two cards.

Your goal is to say the two multiplication facts that go with the pair of cards eg a three and and five =‘15’ .You keep the cards if you are the first one to say the answer.

The one with the most cards is the winner.

If you wish, focus on the facts that give your child the most trouble. You could give a small reward if your child gets a certain number of cards.

EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE

Developments in computers can be of great benefit to children with dyslexia.Computer programmes can be used to assist the learning process. While there is no substitute for individual tuition, computer programmes provide valuable reinforcement, variety and can increase motivation.They can be very useful for parents who are trying to help their dyslexic children.

There are now some cd roms available in Turkish which can be used to practice reading, writing and maths.

Below are a few I have used with my child :

Mine'nin Matematik Evi – Logomotif
3- 7 - Millie's Math House includes seven activities where kids explore numbers, shapes, sizes, patterns, addition and subtraction as they build mouse houses, create wacky bugs, count animated critters, make jelly bean cookies and answer math challenges.This has won some awards.

Akıllı Çocuklar- Logomotif
Akıllı Çocuklar 1, 3-7
NB Akıllı Çocuklar 2 ve 3 – for older age groups

Okumayı Çok Seviyorum- Logomotif

Aimed at supporting children who are just learning to read.Contains a variety of stories and games .

BİLBUL 4 İşlem – Kara Korsan’ın Hazinesi- Logomotif

A pirate game which involves correctly answering addition,subtraction multiplication and division questions to reach some buried treasure.

ALFABE – Eurosoft
For 3-7 aged children. It introduces children to all the sounds and letters of the alphabet It is in both Turkish and English.

I haven’t used this one – but it may be useful :
EL YAZISI - Konuşan Harfler - Eurosoft

For more information :

http://www.eurosoft.com.tr/

http://www.logomotif.com.tr/

MATHS MANIPULATIVES

Manipulatives are physical objects that are often used in teaching mathematics.They can help to make abstract mathematical ideas concrete.It may also make maths more interesting to children and can bring the subject to life.

Manipulatives include items such as blocks, geometric shapes, plastic counters; base ten blocks, fraction pieces, geoboards, tangrams. Many different kinds of manipulatives can be purchased at your local ‘Kırtasiye’. It is also possible to make them yourself using household objects, such as egg boxes, beans, or buttons.

The following links show how you can make your own manipulatives:

http://specialneedseducation.suite101.com/article.cfm/math_manipulatives

http://www.mathcats.com/mathtoolbox/

http://mason.gmu.edu/~mmankus/Handson/manipulatives.htm

VIRTUAL MANIPULATIVES

In addition to concrete manipulatives conceptual understanding can also be be developed through the use of visual representations.Computer-based virtual manipulatives can be found on the internet.

The National Library of Manipulatives has the largest collection on the web.

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vLibrary.html

There is also a Turkish site which has virtual manipulatives : SAMAP Project ( Abant Izzet Baysal University)

http://www.samap.ibu.edu.tr/

It must be remembered that manipulatives must be clearly explained and presented by the parent or teacher, otherwise the child may be confused. If, however, manipulatives are used properly, they can be very helpful in developing the mathematical understanding of children with learning disabilities.