The ability to count “in head” seems to many an obsolete skill due to the availability of a calculator in any gadget. However, both the child and the adult constantly have to deal with numbers, and there is no possibility to use the electronic assistant all the time. The team “IQClub” has developed fascinating and individual games that allow you to train memory and thinking, learn numbers and make quick decisions.
Ability to mental arithmetics does not belong to the list of innate human skills. This truth is easily proved by one scientific fact: the primitive people of Africa or Asia do not have a deep knowledge of numbers and arithmetic operations. In some tribes, the numerical system ends with the figure 5, in others – with 7. If there is a need to describe the phenomenon or situation outside of these numerical values, they use the word “many”.
It is not easy for children to cope with mental arithmetics. The first meeting of a child with figures should take place in illustrative (visual) items. The child learns about the numbers from 1 to 10 from parents and tries to use the received knowledge: count candies, toys, birds on the branch, cars in the parking lot near the house, items in the shopping basket and so on. Gradually the baby will have a certain number associated with the “visual appearance”.
Children have very developed direct visual memory, therefore, for improving memorization of figures they are usually illustrated in an anthropomorphic form or recorded next to bright pictures in children’s books.
Plus and minus
All new information for himself the kid perceives in a game form. It is not necessary to refuse this approach and an attempt to learn the child to count in head. Focusing on boring and incomprehensible things is very difficult for a child, and a dynamic game will help him quickly learn new information. A long story about the nature of arithmetic operations will only tire the child. It is worth including count in any household situations to warm up interest in learning: the process of cooking the favourite food, walking around the park, going to the supermarket. You can offer your child a mutual preparation of dinner – and the child will specify the required number of ingredients.
Another exciting and effective way to teach a child to the numbers – usage of online simulators:
- The game “Fruit Mathematics”. This simulator from “IQClub” has a simple and understandable algorithm of operation, which allows the user to train attention and quickly recognize images. Each error leads to a loss of life potential in the game, so the child will try to be extremely careful.
- “Numerical coverage” – this game should be offered to the kid when he gets acquainted with the numbers from 1 to 100. Under the terms of the game, the child needs to memorize a set of digits on the screen and record them from memory in the exact sequence. The simulator improves the perception of numbers and expands the capacity of the memory.
- Game “Click in the right order” will help to develop the assiduity.
After forming a general idea of the number, parents should teach the child the addition and subtraction of figures. At first, the game “Who lives in the house?” The game would seem to be fascinating and simple for the kid at first. Take a large cardboard box, fold two creatures into it and ask the child: “How many inhabitants live in the house?”. After receiving the correct answer, put some more figures in the improvised house. At first, the kid will think about his answer for a long time and make mistakes, but do not rush to scold him, shame him or speed him up. He will certainly surprise you with his knowledge when he masters elementary mathematical operations.
For the training of fast addition, the game with the same name from “IQClub” will help. In the “Fast addition” simulator, the player should choose several terms so that their sum is equal to a given number.
How to teach a child to multiply and divide?
If an average kid usually does not cause problems with the addition and subtraction, then it is much more difficult for the child to cope with multiplying. Such an arithmetic effect as division cause even more complexities. Visual examples and online simulators come to help the parents again.
First, the adult should turn to the simplest objects and explain to the child that the addition is the sum of groups of identical objects. So, you can take two small boxes, each of them is filled with an equal number of objects. For example, there you can add two covers, three cubes or four pebbles. The adult should bring the child to simple mathematical conclusions: twice 2 is 4, twice 3 is 6 and so on.
The next stage of training is to turn the multiplication table from a dangerous monster into a good friend: study it by the column, like a poem. Usually, multiplication by five is especially liked by kids, since it looks like a set of rhymed lines.
Traditionally the most difficult mathematical operation for a child is the division, so the primary school program leaves this topic to the end of the course. By the time the division is studied, the kid must have a good knowledge of the multiplication table, but at first, parents should not abandon the usual illustrative examples. How to separate apples so that each family member gets an equal amount? How to cut a cake to treat all the guests? When the child learns this process, it is worthwhile to explain to him the subtleties of division: not all the numbers are divided into each other without a remainder. So, apples that cannot be divided equally are given to the child.
The “Guess the Operation” simulator will help to consolidate knowledge of the basic arithmetic processes. In this game, the “IQClub” team prepared a response with unknown signs of mathematical operations for players. Attempts to find the right sign allow the kids to think creatively and react quickly to a changing situation.
Parents rush to rescue
Any arithmetic operations can be turned into an exciting process if you tell the child about the properties of numbers. For example, to get the number 5, you should add 2 to 3 or 1 to 4; subtract 2 from 7 or 5 from 10; divide 10 by 2.
Particularly, 0 and any round numbers are noted mentioning. To get the number 30, it’s worth adding 15 and 15; subtract 20 from 50; multiply 10 by 3 or 5 by 6.
Easy about the complex
When the baby does not have any problems with elementary arithmetic operations, an adult has to open a world of complicated procedures: multiplication of two-digit or three-digit numbers for him, division with remainder and operations with fractional numbers. Special formulas of rapid addition allow the child to easily and quickly cope with any mathematical task. For example, to multiply any two-digit numbers by 11, it is enough to add the numbers from the first multiplier and enter the result in the middle of the answer. For example, 14 × 11 = 154, therefore 1 + 4 = 5,
In the addition of large numbers, there is a “magic” too, – to one of the terms, it is necessary to add a number, which is then easily subtracted from the answer. For example, 346 + 360 = (346 + 4) + 360-4 = 350 + 360-4 = 706.
Such formulas will be effective and simple not only for schoolchildren but also for adults who have to constantly deal with large numbers.
Constant fitness for the brain with the help of “IQClub” games helps to train memory, quick reaction and thinking.
