Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 What a Relief!! February 12, 2008
My 6 yo just simply couldn't get her math facts! We homeschool--and no curriculum seemed to work! I couldn't understand it, and would drill, and drill and drill! This was particularly troubling to me--because she is a VERY bright child--and has an amazing memory. When she was 2 she could recite an entire "Thomas the Tank Engine" episode from memory! She was also reading WELL at age 4. I found this product and thought--well if nothing else--she'll enjoy reading the stories. Boy--was I amazed to find out that after giving her the book to read on her own, she knew ALL her addition facts within one week. She said to me, "I just needed the pictures Mom!"
I have since purchased both the Times Alive CD Rom and the subtraction flash cards. She gets all her subtraction facts now too!
This product was DEFINITELY worth it for me!
My Son was failing Math until he learned the Fun Way! December 28, 2007
My son dropped from a C to a E(F) in math in 1st grade. Over the summer he was diagnosed with dyseidetic dyslexia. Essentailly, his camera is broken. He cannot remember things he just saw or read. His teacher pushed the flash card thing and didn't think I was telling the truth when I explained he could not do them. In therapy, he started the Addition the Fun Way program. He is now halfway though 2nd grade with a strong B average in Math. He admits that when he does bad on a test it is because he rushes though and doesn't use the stories.
I feel that those who think it is too much for the children to learn do not give enough credit to the children! I am actually going to purchase the program so I am better able to help him at home since I don't know all the stories and will get the multiplcation too. These are bound to help my 4th grader and kindergartener too!
 The Only Thing To Make It Connect For My Son November 8, 2007
We purchased this for my son when he was almost 5 years old and entering kindergarten. He was so excited by the stories, he would jump up and down and shout for another to be read to him. He does *not* learn by rote memorization. He needs the fact to have meaning in order for it to click. But even seeing it work in real life (5 bears + 3 bears on the table= 8 bears or Cuisinaire Rods, etc), he can't remember it. These stories have always been what lets him make sense of the various number problems and recall them quickly. 8+6=14 : he remembers 6 felt sick at the 8 gate, bringing the bucket of snails 'for the king' (14).
Each number has its own characteristic and is consistent. 3 is a bee, 6 always gets sick, 5 always drives, etc. For the reviews I have seen here and on other sites that say there is too much going on in the story and kids remember little details rather than the main point: the book reads as a very short story per fact, then it makes a summary statement. The summary is what you are to drill by repetition to them (tell them the bare bones events of the story) and they *do* get it. I think people who say it doesn't work because there is too much to remember, read the story once or twice with it's details, but don't spend the time on the basic math memory statement and expect it to immediately sink in? "Remember: When it's 4+6, 6 smashes into the 4 door and goes to go see the 10 Fix-It Men." When my son forgets, I'll prompt him with "5 who drives and sick 6..." and he immediately recalls "the 11 popsicle!" (6 was sick with a fever and 5 who drives took him to get an 11 popsicle to cool off and feel better.) If you drill the summary statement, I don't see how they can remember anything but the basic points that work to make them remember.
There are a couple that I found a stretch (the story for 8+7=15 was one) and it took a while for it to click for him. However, it still is the only way he can recall that fact quickly.
The book does not do stories for facts with 1, 2, or 9. It gives 'easy' explanations to help them figure those out. My son had the story facts (3's through 8's) down way before he grasped the easy concepts of adding 1 and 2 or the 'trick' with 9's. It has helped to say, "If it's not a story, it's either 0's, 1's, 2's or 9's..." This is particularly true for subtraction. He'll then look at it and think, is 15-6....0? No. 1? No. 9? yes.
For subtraction, the book reverses the story and asks who is missing from the story. 10 Fix-It Men minus 4 door = (10-4= )...Who is missing? Sick 6. I found it helpful to remind him that in subtraction, the biggest number is first and the answer will always be smaller than it. Also that 10 is at the *end* of the story, so think backwards and see who's missing. I thought it would be complicated, but it worked fine.
My son mixed up 3+4=7 and 7+3=10 (two stories with 7 and 3) for a long time and it was necessary for us to drill the facts with the story for quite a while. I like another reviewer's suggestion of learning one fact/story at a time instead of quickly breezing in excitement through many. (They do make sense and so my son wanted to read more; but getting it down pat before we moved on would have helped.) I will try that with his younger siblings. My son is 7 now and recently thoroughly enjoyed basic multiplication in his 1st grade math curriculum. (3x4= ... 3 groups of 4 or three 4's. He then would use his stories to calculate 4+4+4=__. 4+4=8 and 8+4=12. He can see the concept of multiplication because he has the addition memorized by the stories. He finds it quite fun to work these out.) The stories in this book helped him to get to that point but he did require several months of nothing but addition and subtraction facts (no money, time or other math concepts). He still had to be drilled a lot, but he needed the memory association the stories gave him in order to make sense of the drills. He simply could not do it without them. When he 'blanked', I'd prompt him with the simple memory statement and then he'd remember.
I have since learned that the 2nd grade teacher has a huge task in that he/she has to reteach the kids what they learned in 1st grade because 1st graders, developmentally, forget over the summer all they learned. As his teacher, I experienced this (more after kindergarten, but also after 1st) and it was very frustrating for both he and I; but he's in second grade now and breezing through the stuff I thought he might never get. So, that may be part of why some kids just don't get it at this age. I do highly recommend Addition the Fun Way to help seal these abstract math concepts with some meaning, along with manipulatives. The stories really are fun too!
Great for Kids Stuck on Math Facts September 26, 2007
My son has been struggling to learn his math facts. After using the traditional flash card methods for a while, we gave up. Then I tried this book after reading the encouraging reviews. I am happy to say it is working! We've already been through the 3 family and he is remembering the facts- even in random order! If he gets stumped, I simply remind him of the story and then the numbers naturally come back to mind. I highly recommend this book to all parents and ESE teachers who are in a rut with teaching kids math facts. I only wish they had a subtraction one as well.
Perfect for the child who learns "Outside of the Box"!!! March 5, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is the perfect book for a child who learns everything "outside of the box". The average learner may find this book silly and may even think it doesn't make sense at all. But the theory behind this book is like gold for a child like mine (who is very hands-on, or needs some connection to learn something). This book uses characters and stories that may seem really ridiculous to the "average" person (I read some and found myself saying WHAT???!!!???). But, my son (who is 8) was/is struggling with the basic math facts for years now, and I was out of my head trying to figure a way to have him remember. This book was recommended by the special ed teacher at his elementary school, and its only been a couple of weeks, and I can already see a difference in his confidence and speed. Worth every penny I paid, then some!!!
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