[Blindmath] Math help

[cnsbaker at access.k12.wv.us]

The student I worked with in 3rd grade had diffculty with borrowing and all the complicated Nemeth Code for the cancellation signs. While we continued to work with her on this we also wanted her to feel successful in the classroom.

When taking a problem like:

827-399, we would start in the hundreds column.
800-300 = 500, then add the tens column and subtract the tens,
500+20= 520-90= 430, then add the ones and subtract the ones,
430+7= 437-9= 428

She would also check her answers on an abacus if she was unsure of herself.

While this seems a long way to do math, it is very fast mentally and she was able to answer problems quicker in class with her sighted peers which gave her confidence and helped her feel part of the class as a whole. During time with the vision teacher, we continued working on the Nemeth Code, and she was exposed to it with her braille textbooks, so she understood there was more then one way to arrive at the correct answer.

It took her until 5th grade to be proficient and quick with the Nemeth Code, and that would have hurt her from being a successful confident student if that were the only technique we allowed her to use.

She took all the advanced math classes and even took her college math courses while in highschool. So try several different techniques until you find what works best for the individual student and let them use that, but keep exposing them to all the others. They will need to know the Nemeth Code to be successful in any higher math class and if they want to go to college.

We are supposed to prepare them for every opportunity.

Connie


----- Original Message -----
From: PR Stanley <prstanley at ntlworld.com>
Date: Monday, March 21, 2011 6:24 am
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] Math help
To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics <blindmath at nfbnet.org>


>  >find my article on using the Braillewriter  in arithmetic at
>  >www.tsbvi.edu
>  >and then search for Kapperman and look for an article written by me 
> 
>  >entitled Using the Braillewriter as a Calculation tool
>           Is this what you're refering to?
>           http://www.tsbvi.edu/component/content/article/54-technology/3238-arithmetic-calculation-using-the-braillewriter
>  
>  Cheers
>  Paul
>  
>  
>  >GK
>  >At 05:36 AM 3/20/2011, you wrote:
>  >>Hello, I am having a very difficult time figuring out how best to 
>  >>teach my 3rd grader math using the nemeth code.  He is at about the 
> 
>  >>2nd grade math level.  He is able to set up and add and subtract 
>  >>simple problems on the brailler.  My problem is once he starts 
>  >>borrowing and carrying it becomes so hard with all the Nemeth 
>  >>signs.  I am thinking of using the abacus, but as I am learning how 
> 
>  >>to use it for indirect borrowing, it seems very complicated and I 
>  >>am not sure my little guy can handle that concept.  He has VERY 
>  >>limited vision, so I don't want to use a CCTV. Any suggestions?
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>
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