From: Donnalyn Yates <donnalyn@memoryjoggers.com>
To: Teacher2Teacher Public Discussion
Date: 2007100118:03:38
Subject: Re: Memorizing Addition/subtraction


I know your frustration!  I'm a retired teacher who ran into the same
problem.  I did something quite different for memorization.  Since
children respond to pictures, rhymes and clapping, I made up rhymes
for each addition and subtraction fact.  I only taught a few rhymes at
a time but it worked!  For example: "2 + 8 is 10, I'm in a lion's den.
10 minus 8 is 2, he started to nibble my shoe!" Draw a picture of a
lion nibbling a boy's shoe. It's easy to remember the rhyme,
especially if you have your child say it in a sing-song voice. Then
while the child is saying the rhyme, have him clap out a pattern with
you or a sibling.  The success of this method is that it is fun,
repetitious and the brain stores information using rhymes. Visual
learners remember the pictures. The student is remembering that 2, 8
and 10 belong together whether it is adding or subtracting. 

Since it worked so well for my students I wrote rhymes for all the
facts.  I'm not trying to make this a commercial but just wanted to
share the idea with you.  You can make up your own rhymes and
pictures.
If you want to see what I'm talking about, www.memoryjoggers.com

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