If your learned multiplication like I did, then you were told to memorize the multiplication table from 1 to 12. That's great for instant recall...but not so much for effortless recall.
Here's what I mean ...
If you were asked to count by 6, you'd have little trouble recalling the table as 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, etc.
But what about if you were asked (like our kids are) to count by 6 but start with 3 or 3 and a half. All of a sudden memorization is not so effortless nor instantaneous.
Launch then tiptoe ...
We've been teaching our kids to "launch" using a nice, round number like 5 or 10 for counting by 11 or 12 or 13. Five and ten are always our friends.
Then "tiptoe" by what's left, in this case we "launch by 5" then "tiptoe by 1" since we're being asked to count by 6.
Starting from 3.5, we "launch" to 8.5 (5 up from 3.5) and "tiptoe" to 9.5 (1 up from 8.5).
Then we simply do it again ... "launch" to 14.5 (5 up from where we are now, 9.5) then "tiptoe" to 15.5 (1 up from there).
With this framework, our kids are not only able to instantaneously and effortlessly count by 6 regardless of the starting point. They are situationally aware of what's in front of them since they are paying strict attention to the starting point of 3.5 and to every point they land on thereafter.
They are conditioned not for recitation as in a memorized table, but to solve simply each time. They are paying attention all the way through what they're being asked to do...great life lesson!
-Carlo
(775) 356-6284
(775) 997-4815
