Sawyer hates math. They do math first thing in the morning at Kindergarten everyday. And everyday Sawyer complains about going off to school just because he doesn’t want to do math. Then he comes home everyday with wonderful stories of the fun he had at school… after math was done. He finds it boring I guess. So when I was offered the book, Multiply and Divide with Sticks and Steps®
by Maureen Stearns, claiming a “pain-free” method for teaching multiplication and division, I jumped at the chance to review it and try it out with Sawyer.
Here’s the lowdown…
PROS:
- The bright and fun cover is inviting and exemplifies the ease of use of the method and layout of the book.
- The learner only needs to know how to count to conquer the method and learn to multiply and divide!
- The steps to the method are clearly laid out in order of difficulty and build on previous knowledge.
- There are many large and clear examples of the method in use.
- Offers a simple to learn method for the young or struggling learner who has difficulty with memorizing multiplication and division facts.
- Helps all learners, even those without learning difficulties, to better visualize and truly understand the concepts of multiplication and division.
CONS:
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From a 5 year old boys’ perspective: the book did not contain cars or trucks or trains or construction equipment. But with a little mama thinking, the method could potentially be adjusted based on a learner’s interests.
Whenever I see something that touts “pain-free” and “only 5 minutes,” I become a little skeptical. But as an educator myself and mama of 3 young kids, I can assure you that this method for learning to multiply and divide is just that: easy enough for a 5 year old and pain-free. I was very impressed with the layout and clarity of the book and it’s examples. And the simplicity of the method itself makes me thump my head with a “why didn’t I think of that!” I highly recommend this book for any teacher, homeschool educator, or parent of young children.
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