Number lines help to develop number sense in early math. Have a student draw lines with a pencil to the nearest 10, for example, when skip-counting by tens. In addition, a number facts chart aids in computing numbers or problem solving. Use of a multiplication chart, for example, helps train the memory because the full set of facts is visible. Having the answers in view and finding the same answer in the same location each time helps with memorization. Eventually the student will demonstrate speed and reliability in knowing number facts and the charts can be removed.
Interactive play with games is crucial when explaining math concepts. Children, especially, are more attentive during play. Math games can help the child relate school math to daily life. For primary-grade help, have them play the egg-sum game, where a dice is rolled and the sum is found in a labeled egg carton. The first person to place the most jelly beans in the carton wins. For older math learners, math board games, such as Suduko or Cribbage, help to engage the student in a fun, no-pressure learning environment.
Manipulations can be used to better grasp math concepts, removing the study from the abstract to the actual. The use of structured, concrete materials helps to clarify number relations, place value, measurement and money. When teaching money, have one student count actual paper money and coins when shopping. Set up a grocery store with real items and price tags. Have him fill a bag with the items he wants while a fellow student adds up the total. Use of tactile objects while counting is an important strategy in making better mathematical connections.
Ask students to talk about what they are doing. Too much explanation from the teacher or silent written practice from the student can lead to frustration. Talking out the different ways to approach a math problem and what steps are needed to get the answer is helpful in learning math language and computation. Students with the additional problem of language confusion can use concrete materials to explain how they are setting up or solving a problem.
Some minds have a hard time with concepts of vertical and horizontal, for example, or grasping what a multi-digit number represents. Pages can be structured with boxes to help with this. For example, provide a double box for the answer to a two-digit subtraction problem, so that the student identifies the problem as two separate, but related, entities. Teachers can also dictate problems for students to translate into a picture, then have them draw the same math problem vertically and horizontally.