TITLE I TIDBITS:
I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving. As you are likely aware, most first grade classes are working hard on basic addition and subtraction. Students are using counters, number lines, fingers, etc., to begin adding and subtracting numbers within 10. The standard for first grade is to be able to add and subtract within 20, so understanding the "concept" of addition and subtraction is very important before moving on to those larger numbers. I highly encourage families to use addition and subtraction flashcards at home to help students MEMORIZE their facts. At this point most students know how to "figure" out an answer to a basic addition or subtraction problem. The goal, however, is for them to memorize them, as that will free up energy to work on more complicated math concepts. Research shows that fact memorization is the number one determinant of future success in math so I can't stress it's importance enough.
Besides helping students memorize their facts, flashcard practice also earns your child Dojos and cash to spend in our Title I store. Following are a few tips for reviewing flashcards with your child:
FLASHCARD TIPS:
1. Limit the number of cards being flashed to 10. When your child knows each of the 10 really well (before you can count two seconds in your head), remove 1 and add a new one. Repeat this process until all cards are mastered (hopefully by the end of the year). Make sure your child knows at least 9 of the 10 cards being practiced really well. These are the confidence boosters. No one wants to practice 50 cards, 45 of which they don't know!
2. Take note of the level your child is working on when I send new Flash 4 Cash slips home every two weeks. If your child is working on +2's in school, for example, you will want to practice cards with +2s on them.
3. Flash card practice doesn't always have to mean a sit-down session of flashing with your child. Drilling him/her on the way to an activity, during dishes, etc., can really add up and totally counts as practice time.
4. Mix it up. Play flashcard games, like WAR. Practice using websites like XTRAMath. To access the XTRAMath site, follow the instructions and use the password that your child brought home this week. We will just be beginning to use this program in first grade at school. One thing to note: this website only drills students on addition facts until they are mastered. Therefore, it is still necessary to practice subtraction with flashcards or using other sites like PAWS.
As always, if you would like additional tips on flashcards or anything math-related, please don't hesitate to call or email. Have a wonderful holiday season, and remember to participate in our monthly poll,
Respectfully,
Mrs. Klocke
Besides helping students memorize their facts, flashcard practice also earns your child Dojos and cash to spend in our Title I store. Following are a few tips for reviewing flashcards with your child:
FLASHCARD TIPS:
1. Limit the number of cards being flashed to 10. When your child knows each of the 10 really well (before you can count two seconds in your head), remove 1 and add a new one. Repeat this process until all cards are mastered (hopefully by the end of the year). Make sure your child knows at least 9 of the 10 cards being practiced really well. These are the confidence boosters. No one wants to practice 50 cards, 45 of which they don't know!
2. Take note of the level your child is working on when I send new Flash 4 Cash slips home every two weeks. If your child is working on +2's in school, for example, you will want to practice cards with +2s on them.
3. Flash card practice doesn't always have to mean a sit-down session of flashing with your child. Drilling him/her on the way to an activity, during dishes, etc., can really add up and totally counts as practice time.
4. Mix it up. Play flashcard games, like WAR. Practice using websites like XTRAMath. To access the XTRAMath site, follow the instructions and use the password that your child brought home this week. We will just be beginning to use this program in first grade at school. One thing to note: this website only drills students on addition facts until they are mastered. Therefore, it is still necessary to practice subtraction with flashcards or using other sites like PAWS.
As always, if you would like additional tips on flashcards or anything math-related, please don't hesitate to call or email. Have a wonderful holiday season, and remember to participate in our monthly poll,
Respectfully,
Mrs. Klocke