The Myth of Learning Styles
by Kathy Kuhl “If you teach to your children’s learning styles, they’ll learn better,” they told me. But what if you can’t tell how your child learns best? That was my problem. Learning Styles: Popular Theories One of the most popular theories of learning styles is based on the idea that people prefer different way […]
More algebra with manipulatives
by Kathy Kuhl Last time, I began explaining bean algebra—a way to solve linear equations using beans. Manipulatives are simply objects you handle to help you understand a concept. The containers represent the variable x. I labeled mine with post-its. Last week, I showed you how to use beans to model equations like 14 =2x. Click here if […]
Teaching algebra with manipulatives
by Kathy Kuhl Teaching parents in Fort Worth last month, I promised to explain bean algebra—a way to solve linear equations using beans. (I learned this when I was a new public school math teacher in 1979, and I cannot remember or find the source. If you know, tell me.) What manipulatives you’ll need Manipulatives are […]
Adding negative numbers using manipulatives
by Kathy Kuhl When we teach math, we must show why things are so, or better yet, help our children to discover them for themselves. But how can we show negative numbers with manipulatives—counters or some other tokens that help our kids discover what’s true? It’s easy to show addition and subtraction with positive numbers. […]