How to Build Math Skills This Summer
I was provided a set of Addition Flash Cards from Think Tank Scholar at no cost to me. I did not accept monetary compensation for this post; however, this post does contain affiliate product links. Clicking on the links may result in my being paid a commission based on product sales. Regardless of commission, all opinions expressed in this post are my own. For more information, please review our site policies.
The reopening of schools in the fall is a hot topic right now. Everyone is asking the same question -- is it possible to reopen the schools safely?
Our daughter is due to start kindergarten in early September, and, quite honestly... my thoughts and feelings about this are all over the place. We want to protect her and having her start the year through distance learning has crossed our minds. But we also know how ready she is to start school in the classroom, with a new teacher and new friends. She will benefit so much from being in the classroom... and I know her inquisitive mind will soak up everything it can.
It's an understatement to say that this is a tough spot to be in.
One thing that is certain is our desire to keep feeding her brain over the summer months. Since her reading skills are solid, I decided to switch our concentration over to math. In the early weeks of our quarantine, I created homemade math games to help teach her the basics. Then we switched over the workbooks to help her start thinking beyond counting.
It was clear that she was ready to start learning more... so I started looking for resources that would help teach addition. Thankfully, I discovered these math flashcards by Think Tank Scholar. Now we can continue working with her to build her math skills over the summer.
This set of Addition Flash Cards contains 173 cards. The cards help learners in kindergarten-third grade with their addition tables, 0-12.
I love that these cards aren't just addition problems with the answers on the back. Each card also includes a visual explanation of the answer. Plus, the set includes a full addition chart to help students learn to see number patterns.
But why include the extra information?
According to Think Tank Scholar:
"Studies show that 65% of people are visual learners. That's why we designed these fact cards with visual illustrations and included the full addition chart to help learners see the number patterns. In addition, our innovative tab design focuses learners on facts they've yet to master, keeping them engaged. We feel these extra considerations make the difference in a learner's math literacy and pride of knowledge."
Having the addition chart has been so useful. It took a few sessions for our 5yo to truly understand what the chart was, what the chart told us, and how to read it. Once she understood those things, discovering number patterns became easier.
Which meant telling me the answer to the math problem on the cards became easier.
She knows there are three categories of cards -- Don't Know Yet, Sort of Know, and Mastered. When we sit down to go through the addition table of the day, she tries so hard to get the answer right the first time. If that happens, I let her file the card under "Mastered" so she can truly own her achievement and her knowledge.
Even her 3yo little brother has joined in the learning! Seeing his big sister get so excited about math has inspired him... and, I'm almost amazed to admit that he can tell you what zero plus any number is.
From where I sit as a mom, seeing them both get this excited about math -- about learning in general -- is really, really encouraging. I know she's going to start kindergarten on solid feet, and I'm looking forward to working through the rest of the set of flashcards with her before the fall.
Thanks so much to Think Tank Scholar for the opportunity to try out these cards!
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