Jan20
In an earlier post, we explained the difference between interleaving and blocked practice. Remember that interleaving (mixed practice) basically consists of organizing tasks by mixing different problems and exercises together in order to avoid solving problems in a mechanical way and instead stimulating the child to reflect on the strategy needed to solve each problem. […]
Continue reading »Jan06
In an earlier post, we learned how to calculate the perimeter of any polygon and formulas for regular polygons and rectangles. Today, we are going to learn how to calculate the perimeter of other types of polygons: rhombuses, isosceles triangles, isosceles trapezoids, and stepped polygons. NOTE TO OUR READERS IN THE U.K. – This post […]
Continue reading »Dec30
In this post, we are going to continue analyzing the book, How I Wish I’d Taught Maths by Craig Barton, which is about evidence-based education. Today we will talk about the chapter that focuses on self-explanation which is the self-reflection that takes place when you are reading or learning something. Effects of Self-Explanation Self-explanation consists of […]
Continue reading »Dec23
When thinking about math in the early years, math for little ones, we contemplate counting, first numbers, and acquiring numerical sequence. And indeed, it is at this stage where we begin to develop the ability to count. But these are not the only math topics that children can learn in the early years. There is […]
Continue reading »Dec16
”What is the difference between interleaving and blocked practice?” We will be writing various entries explaining the difference between these two types of practice and how we use them in Smartick. Blocked Practice In math textbooks and classrooms, it is common for students to study a topic and then, immediately after, apply what they have […]
Continue reading »Dec12
If we go to any elementary school and ask the teachers if the 7 and 8-year-old children can read, they will most likely say yes. If we were to do a reading test we would definitely see children who read well and pronounce words correctly. However, we would also find children who read slowly, struggle […]
Continue reading »Dec09
At Smartick we are committed to incorporating manipulative materials into our learning method. Although virtual environments have some natural limitations when it comes to ”manipulating” the materials themselves, we have been able to adapt them to our method to maximize learning for the underlying concepts. You can find more information about the topic in this […]
Continue reading »Dec04
What is Smartick Coding? In each Smartick Coding session, children work on computational thinking that, we will discuss in this and future posts, is very closely related to mathematical, logical, and abstract thinking. Smartick Coding is an ambitious project that works from the most basic control flow structures until Boolean algebra or the basics of […]
Continue reading »Dec02
In today’s post, we are going to learn how to calculate the absolute value of a number with help from some of the exercises that we have in Smartick. The absolute value of a whole number coincides with its numerical value without having to think about the sign. It is represented with vertical bars around […]
Continue reading »Nov25
Let’s continue with our posts about Craig Barton’s fantastic book focused on evidence-based learning in mathematics. Today I will talk to you about the fourth chapter, which focuses on cognitive load and multimedia learning. This chapter addresses how the cognitive load is fundamentally affected by different agents involved in the teaching-learning process. Cognitive Load Theory […]
Continue reading »Nov18
On the Smartick blog we have dedicated many entries to explaining what a fraction is, what types there are, how to do addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with them, equivalent fractions and much more! In today’s post, we are going to organize these entries to make it easier for you to find the content you […]
Continue reading »Nov11
Today we are going to better understand the multiplication of decimals by using a very common manipulative material: money. It is going to help us understand why multiplying by 10 moves the decimal position to the right. Equivalence of Bills or Coins with Numbers First, we are going to establish the equivalence of each coin […]
Continue reading »
