The game idea in this free math tutoring video comes from LetsPlayMath.net. We just added Cuisenaire Rods to make it more tactile and visual. If you watch through the whole thing you will see my girls using the distributive property over and over to figure out multiplication facts. And at the end, you’ll see what kind of number awareness happens when kids have a chance to work with these rods a lot. They understand this stuff better than I do, I can promise you that!
Tag Archives: hands-on
Multiples-Tac-Toe Game – Free Math Tutoring Video
You don’t need the Cuisenaire Rods too much for the game in this free math tutoring video, but it’s helpful to have them around just in case. I found this game at LetsPlayMath.net. She’s got lots of great suggestions over there!
What on Earth is a Distributive Property? – Free Math Tutoring Video
“The Distributive Property” is usually a term that gets filed under “Useless Information” in most people’s brains because they are simply told to memorize it and not shown what it means. This free math tutoring video shows you what it’s all about and why even little kids can understand it.
I use Cuisenaire Rods to explain the concept. You could also use other manipulatives or even graph paper. It is very important that students actually understand what they are doing in mathematics. If they are continuously expected to memorize formulas for things they don’t understand, the bridge will crumble at some point for many of them. There needs to be connection to reality. Using these math blocks establishes that reality.