So many students struggle to add integers correctly. But when I teach adding integers using this method, my students understand and master it quickly.
Check out this simple, effective method for teaching students how to add one positive and one negative integer:
Treating each quantity as that amount of positives and negatives will help your kids to understand how to find the sum.
p.s. We teach this easy-to-understand way of adding integers throughout our integers videos, lessons, and unit.
Even better, we're giving away our complete integers unit (including all the videos, notes, practice exercises, review, assessments, and more) absolutely FREE as our gift to you.
Jaida is sitting down to her math homework. No problem, she thinks, adding like terms was so easy!
She opens her notebook and starts on the first problem. 3x + 2 – 5x.
Um…..what am I supposed to do again?
Students often get stuck and need a quick refresher – whether it’s during homework, while studying for a test, or even just at the start of the next day of class. (It’s amazing how students seem to completely forget something they learned just 24 hours ago, isn’t it!?)
So where do they go for that refresher? Well, if you the teacher are around then lucky you!
But if you’re not they’re scrambling. The book is confusing. Mom always makes it more complicated than it should be. I left my notes at school! Kahn Academy’s videos are so long. Um, um…
This is just one place that MathLight’s quick review videos come in handy. Students can quickly pull up a quick 2-3 minute video that will re-explain the key concepts in no time flat.
And this is just one of the awesome ways you can use these free videos in your classroom. Check out this quick 2-minute video to discover how you can use these free videos to help your students refresh, review, and reinforce key concepts.
Students use quick review videos to prepare ahead for a coming lesson, to brush up on a previous lesson and of course, to prepare for assessments.
At MathLight, we provide quick review videos for every lesson of every unit. And the best part? Right now, you can use them for free in your classroom!
As you grade Brandon’s quiz you quickly realize the problem is NOT that Brandon doesn’t know which number is larger but that he mixed up every single inequality symbol.
Sigh.
For such a simple concept, it’s surprising how many students mix up the inequality symbols. Maybe you’ve tried drawing an alligator or a bird or whatever other trick you can come up with to try to help them remember.
But this technique is so simple that you can teach it in a snap & your students will actually remember it.
Check out this easy trick to teach the inequality symbols in this short 3 minute video:
What’s your “Golden Nugget?” – the one key concept you took away from this video? Share it with a comment below.
p.s. Did you know that each MathLight unit comes with a guided unit review that actually teachers good study skills?
Each review sheet contains a checklist of all the terms, concepts, and problems the students need to know for the test. As you review in class & they study at home, they can check off each concept as they master it or star items they need to come back and review more.
The review also provides the opportunity to practice each type of problems so students can test their skills before the real test.
And if they're stumped, they can easily access quick review videos that will review & re-teach the concept in just 2-3 minutes.
Your lesson is going along great… Your class seems to be tracking with you until you decide to ask a question that actually makes them think.
“Why do you think a negative times a negative equals a positive?”
Crickets.
Then – joy of joys – a hand!
“Yes, Carl?”
“Um, could you repeat the question?”
One of our highest goals as math teachers is to develop critical thinking – to teach students to think logically and arrive at the right conclusions on their own.
But sometimes that feels, frankly, like Mission Impossible.
Enter the Debate Your Cause Technique.
It’s not exactly a silver bullet, but this simple technique is a fantastic way to get your students thinking and learning how to express their mathematical thoughts. (Yes, they really do have them….)
Check out this awesome & easy technique in this short 5-minute video:
How can the Debate Your Cause technique help accomplish Mission Impossible in your class? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Here at MathLight, we believe that math shouldn’t be confusing, and we’re setting out to prove just that.
How are we going to do that? We’re starting with easy-to-understand videos that explain complex algebraic topics in a way that students can actually understand.
Then we’re adding examples, notes, practice problems, and assessments that integrate directly with the videos and guide students to a deeper understand.
And who is “we” you might ask? We’re a father-daughter team, both of whom have successfully taught secondary math for a combined 34+ years. We know what works & what doesn’t. And, best of all, we know how to explain math in a way that students actually understand.
All this adds up to one amazing value for teachers – all the curriculum is provided for you, saving you hours of work reinventing the wheel. Plus, you can use the videos to flip your classroom, supplement your own instruction, provide remedial help for those who are struggling, and much more!
The first MathLight units will be designed for Pre-Algebra classrooms and will hopefully be available by the end of July 2016.
And the best news of all? We plan to give away our complete Integers unit for free. You read right – absolutely free!
