If your child or student struggles with dyslexia or dyscalculia, you most likely have experienced the frustration and defeat that can result in teaching the times tables through traditional rote learning methods. Memorization through repetition simply does not work for most children who struggle with learning disabilities. However, strategies using right brain math are extremely effective for students with learning disabilities. There is an alternative to memorizing multiplication facts that will work for your child.
How to Teach Multiplication to Students with Dyslexia & Dyscalculia
Although there are a few great programs geared for the dyslexic student (such as Susan Barton’s Reading & Spelling System), when it comes to right brain math, many struggling learners are left in the dark. However, there is a mnemonic-based system called Times Tales® which utilizes visual cues to teach children how to recall upper math facts, quickly and effortlessly. We mostly think of math as a left-brain learning modality. However, this right brain, mnemonic-based system has proven greatly successful for children with learning disabilities such a dyslexia and dyscalculia.
Disclosure: This post was written by a member of the Trigger Memory team – founders of Times Tales, Pet Math and the Kids Chore Chart.
Mnemonics are such a wonderful right-brain learning tool, it’s surprising it isn’t being taught in every classroom. This amazing, visual memory aide is so effective, that many children even as young as six years old (see video below) are able to quickly and effortlessly recall the answers to the upper times tables using the Times Tales® system of learning.
If your child or student has dyslexia or dyscalculia, this might just be the answer to their math struggles!
For some students, the result of incorporating this unconventional, mnemonic system into learning multiplication is the difference between success and failure.
RELATED POST: How Memorizing Multiplication Facts Made My Child’s Confidence Soar!
4 Reasons to Use Right Brain Math to Teach Multiplication to Struggling Learners
#1 – It’s EFFECTIVE!
Using a mnemonic aid to learn the times tables is a proven highly effective way for children that struggle with learning disabilities such as, dyslexia and dyscalculia to master the times tables. A mnemonic, memorization system is a right brain learning technique that is geared perfectly for the visual learner.
If you are a parent that has been in the trenches of trying to help your child learn through traditional methods, you most likely have experienced the frustration of the ineffectiveness of the rote memorization method.
While many children with learning disabilities can grasp the concept of multiplication, they must have proficiency in recall of math facts in order to achieve successful math computations.
Utilizing a visual, mnemonic aid for quick recall of the upper, most difficult times tables, has proven high test score results for many children that are struggling learners. In fact, an independent student published by Florida National University, showed an average of 81% increase in multiplication scores for children with learning disabilities, after they were taught the Times Tales® program. CLICK to read the full 37 page report.
#2 – It’s FAST!
Many teachers, tutors and parents have found that incorporating mnemonics to achieve mastery of the times tables, cuts the time spent with traditional rote learning methods down to a fraction. One of the most frustrating aspects of teaching the multiplication tables is the “I forget” factor. One day a student may know the math facts, then completely draw a blank the next. This happens because the brain has not been told to retain that information.
However, since mnemonics work by giving the brain a “memory peg” to recall the facts, miraculously most children are able to remember the answer months and even years later!
For the classroom teacher, using mnemonics to teach the upper times tables for ALL STUDENTS, can shed weeks and even months from traditional classroom instruction time.
For the parents that discover their children are falling behind in math (as a result of not having their upper times tables mastered) utilizing this type of program is a great way to get their kids caught up quickly.
The speed in which mastery can be achieved using this system ALSO benefits tutors that have a limited amount of time to teach a specific subject.
#3 – It’s EASY!
Even children as young as five or six years old (who have not yet learned the concept of multiplication) are able to effortlessly recite the upper, most difficult times tables with this visual, memorization method. How can mastering the upper facts be of any use IF the student hasn’t yet learned the concept of multiplication? The answer is that for most students, the hardest part of multiplication mastery is memorizing the upper, most difficult times tables.
This step in the learning process, causes many children (especially those with learning disabilities) feelings of stress and defeat. Children that already have the upper facts memorized right from the start, can make the process of learning the multiplication chart seamless, fast and stress-free.
#4 – It’s FUN!
Most children absolutely LOVE using mnemonics! Why? Because it’s almost like a magic trick of the brain! One of the best parts is, when children learn to utilize mnemonics as an aid in memory retention, they have discovered a valuable tool that they can use the rest of their lives.
There are many testimonials from parents that say their children absolutely could NOT remember the math facts by any other method. Once their children switched over to this right brain, visual math, it suddenly “stuck“ and they could remember the answer! If you would like to try out the Times Tales® program to see how it works for your child or student, you can get a FREE sample today.
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