Numerical Fluency Tips – The Visual Element

In the last blog posting I discussed the importance of developing numerical fluency (the ability to effortlessly recall and use basic number facts). Unfortunately, many students in 2^nd through 5^th grades, and at times even higher, have a limited grasp of numerical fluency. To avoid making mathematics a frustrating process for all those involved in the teaching and learning process, today I will go over some tips, designed for parents with children in elementary school, to effortlessly recall number facts.

Before I begin…

Think about the last time you attended an excellent presentation. It could be a classroom lecture, a keynote speaker discussing the importance of social media, or even a YouTube clip explaining how to tie a tie. The common quality in any excellent presentation is a facilitator explaining goals and objectives right from the beginning to ensure the audience is on the same page. After that, a great follow up tool is the visual element.

Visual elements add impact and interest to a lesson. Pictures are useful in reinforcing many concepts. Let’s look at this image for example. 

 

 Possible questions you can ask are:

• How many circles are there in the picture?
• If each circle is a penny, how much money is shown in the picture?
• If each circle is a dime (a nickel, a quarter, etc.), how much money is shown in the picture?
• Shade in half of the circles. How many are not shaded in?
• Shade in half of the circles that are not shaded in. Now how many circles are not shaded in?
• Again, shade in half of the circles that are not shaded in. Now how many circles are not shaded in?

When a child has a visual element to look at, concepts as simple as counting, or slightly more complex like fractions, become easier to understand.

In my next blog posting, I will go over tips to effortlessly recall addition and subtraction facts. For now, use visual elements to practice concepts with your child!