• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: December 22, 2022
• Written by: Susan

I am always “Doing the Math” whether it’s for how many hours of sleep I’ll have if I can fall asleep soon; how much money will be left in the checking account after paying the bills; or how many more days before I leave my Colorado home of 30 years and move into my new home in New Jersey including how many boxes are packed, or how many more things on my long list I need to get done before that move! The numbers for the latter can be daunting, but now that I have updated my website, I happily get to check one more thing off that long list.

During my busy November, I had the pleasure to “babysit” two little grandsons for 14 days while their parents were on vacation. The 2-year-old and 4-year-old were both such a joy, and a wonderful reason to stop all work for our house sale and home buying to focus on them. We had story time, music time, art time, did play dough, water play, board games and played Uno. We built Legos, acted out The Three Little Pigs story, visited the zoo, and a farm and while each of these activities always include learning time, if you’ve followed my posts, you know, I like to do specific reading and math “work” activities, including learning math facts, with my grandchildren as well.

On the last day, my husband and I had the “opportunity” to fly them back to their home airport. I admit I was a bit nervous about taking on that responsibility but I welcomed the challenge. Many of my friends thought I was very brave or crazy, but for the most part, all went well during the 4-hour flight. The little one, did what 2-year-olds do when they want something they can’t immediately have, but he only screamed a few times. Ok, I gave in to make sure he stopped, including letting him out of his seat, and I apologized to those sitting around us. After the boys were back safe with their parents, I was grateful and do what I always do after safe travels, I make a donation to an organization in need. Happy Holidays and best wishes for a wonderful New Year!

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: May 23, 2022
• Written by: Susan

This weekend, my granddaughter visited for a long overnight stay. She reminds me she is now six years old, and will be in 1st grade in the next school year. We had not done any * “formal” math work in a few months. So, I told her I wanted to do some number work with her. What a happy surprise for me when she pulled out her pack of addition and subtraction cards.

*We always do some form of math. I often ask her some math questions such as, “Do you want 2+3 grapes or 7+4 grapes?” Or, during rides in the car, I give her simple multiplication to solve. “If there are 3 girls, and they stick their arms out, how many arms will you see?”

If you have read my previous posts, you saw I explained how to help children learn math facts using my Math Facts Program.

Then she wrote a math fact out for me: 87 + 5. Well, I had intended to introduce some addition with 2 place numbers, so this was a perfect way to help her learn how to get the answer.

We did a few more of these simple problems using the Unifix cubes. Then I gave her a paper with four more problems which she answered without using the Unifix cubes. One of those problems did NOT need any regrouping. I don’t want children to learn how to do regroup and think they always need to regroup. She handled it!

If you do not have this type of Unifix tray, you can make your own. See my post from October 12, 2020: Teaching Addition and Place Value. If you would like more information on how to teach addition and subtraction and place value, this workbook, Beyond Math Facts, is the one to choose. It can be used along with Two Plus Two Is Not Five. As children are learning new facts, they can do more advanced adding and subtracting in this book.

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: February 25, 2022
• Written by: Susan

Our division workbook, Ten Divided by Five Is Not Five, has a new 5 STAR testimonial posted on Amazon but the testimonial refers to all of our books. I really appreciate reading her last two sentences. Look what this mom had to say, and isn’t this a great reason to buy these workbooks?

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2022
This is such a great series. My special needs child used both the Addition/Subtraction and the Multiplication/Division books and mastered the skills by doing one lesson each a day. The lessons are relatively easy and progress the student very slowly and systematically. There was almost no frustration. We tried a lot of approaches, and this was the absolute best.

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: January 30, 2022
• Written by: Susan

Trigger Memory Company, an online store, is once again selling our Addition and Subtraction: Beyond Math Facts workbook.

Rushmore Office & Teacher Supplies in Sturgis, South Dakota will now be offering each of our math workbooks to their customers.

Mardel Stores, located in numerous states, continues to stock up on our math workbooks for their teacher and parent customers.

Other stores which have continued to buy our math workbooks for their customers are:

Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, New Hampshire;
Tools 4 Teaching in Evansville, Indiana;
The Autism Community Store in Aurora, Colorado;
Butler’s Office Equipment Supply in Gallup, New Mexico;
Knowledge Tree stores in Memphis, Tennessee;
School House in Green Bay, Wisconsin;
Rainbow Resource Center;
Learning Essentials in Wasilla, Alaska;
Learning Express in West Palm Beach, Florida;
School Basics in Barnett, Missouri;
The Tardy Bell in Texarkana, Texas;
Excellence in Education in Monrovia, California;
School Crossing in Colorado Springs, Colorado;
GW School Supply in Fresno, California;
Teacher Store in San Angelo, Texas;
Creative Apple in Chico, California,
The Teacher’s Apple Basket in North East, Pennsylvania;
Teacher’s World in Spokane Valley, Washington;
Art & Learn in Fargo, North Dakota;
Apple Educational Supplies in Greensboro, North Carolina;
The Bookworm Educational Supplies in Vallejo, California;
The Bookies in Denver, Colorado;
Learning Express Huntsville in Alabama;
Learning Tree Educational Resources in Valdosta, Georgia;
Teacher’s Touch in Myrtle Beach South Carolina;
Eight Cousins in Falmouth, Massachusetts;
The School Shop in Bloomington, Illinois
The Learning Post in Urbandale, Iowa;
The Storybook Garden in Weslaco, Texas;
Every Season School Supplies in Duncanville, Texas;
Givens Books-Little Dickens in Lynchburg, Virginia;
The Teacher’s Choice Plus in Glendale, New York;
The Chalkboard & Gifts in West Monroe, Louisiana
The Wise Owl in Canton, Ohio;
Educational Wonderland in Columbia, South Carolina;
School & Office in Woodbridge, Virginia;
Just Imagine in Ridgecrest, California;
Creative Kids in Lakewood, New Jersey;
Wonderland Toys & Classroom Resources in Soquel, California;
Neely’s Educational Materials & Supplies in Los Angelos, California;
Apple Core in New Iberia, Louisiana;
Parent Teacher Store-Lexington in Kentucky;
Teacher’s Toolbox in Victoria, Texas;
Apples & More, A Teacher Store in Bellevue, Nebraska;
Parent Teacher Tools in O’Fallon, Illinois;

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: October 22, 2020
• Written by: Susan

Not sure about when to start teaching addition and subtraction math facts to little ones? Once they show readiness and understanding, go for it! See my post, Readiness Skills for Teaching Addition and Subtraction. Also read the testimonial below received a number of years ago from a parent of a then 4-year-old.

Readiness Skills for Teaching Addition and Subtraction posted June, 2014.

While my daughter and son-in-law are working from home due to Covid, I am helping out with their preschooler. She is not quite 4 1/2 years old, and I am teaching her math facts using my book, Two Plus Two Is Not Five. I found she is learning the strategies and their names from the book. She can write answers on a line or two from the pages in Two Plus Two Is Not Five, but the writing part is not one of her favorite things to do since the print is a bit small for a preschooler.

Helping Young Children Learn Math Facts

Modifications to Try

So, the last two times I worked with her, I gave her a paper designed with just five facts on a line. There are only three lines on a page, and I folded it in 1/3s with only one line showing at a time. I encouraged her to use different colored markers for answers. This very much appealed to her! She also gets to pick out a sticker for completed lines. Between the two papers, I covered at least a sampling of all of the strategies she’s learned. Note: As she is still mastering proper number formation, I did not correct the backwards 2 on one of the papers.

Above Mentioned 2011 Testimonial

“Before we found Two Plus Two is Not Five, we tried at least half a dozen learning systems and workbooks to teach math to our 4 year-old son. But we found that he was not able to learn much from them other than counting up the numbers on his fingers or pictures on the page. Then we happened upon the Two Plus Two is Not Five system. From the start, he has mastered the tricks easily. As part of the exercises, he has learned a number of new skills including counting backwards, counting by twos and adding/subtracting doubles. The system of learning the trick, practicing, and then doing the mixed exercises has quickly reinforced the learning and helped us immediately spot weaknesses in learning that we worked with him to correct. The structure of the book makes it easy to sit down with him, walk him through the tricks, and let him practice until he masters the skills. There is limited parental preparation involved, and we go through one page a night, five nights a week.” Deborah and David Liu, Palo Alto, CA

If you have questions about teaching math facts, or helping your children learn, check some of the Blog posts for helpful hints, and if you still need some assistance, please contact me. The workbooks are filled with practice pages, the strategies to help children learn, and much more!

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: October 14, 2020
• Written by: Susan

As mentioned in the previous post, my favorite tool to help children learn place value concepts is a plastic Unifix tray showing the 100s, 10s and 1s places. To show simple subtraction, start with a few simple math facts such as 9-1. Have the child show 9 cubes and place them in the 1s column of the tray. Ask them to subtract 1 of these, and they will see 8 ones are left.

HOW TO DO THIS WITH A DOUBLE DIGIT FACT

Using place value to show 10-5, or 12-6, or 10-9: Children first need to represent the 2-digit number 10 as 1 ten and zero ones, or the 12 as 1 ten and 2 ones.

TO SHOW 14-5=9

This next photo shows 14 as 1 ten and 4 ones.

EXCHANGE 1 TEN FOR 10 ONES

In order to subtract 5 ones, first an exchange has to happen. I ask the child to hand me the 1 ten, and how many ones are in a ten. As I hand them back ten different color Unifix cubes, I remind them that these are ones, and to place them in the 1s place in the tray. Of course, the ten 1s won’t fit, but that’s okay.

Next, the child counts to see that there are now 14 ones in the 1s place. (4+10 = 14). They can complete the subtraction problem. 14 (ones) – 5 leaves 9. Once they see why 14-5=9, then they are ready to memorize the math fact. Two Plus Two Is Not Five has all the strategies, tips and practice pages you need to help your students learn and memorize addition and subtraction facts.

Finally, try this for several different math fact problems such as 12-6, 10-9, and 14-7.

More posts will follow with place value. Adding and subtracting with 2-digit numbers, with and without regrouping, and on to the 100s place. Can’t wait? Beyond Math Facts offers instruction and many reproducible practice pages, and is available at many stores, and at online vendors, or you can buy directly from our Buy page. See the sample pages on this website! Word math is also included in this unique workbook.

Questions? Use the Contact Form and I will reply.

• Category: addition and subtraction addition and subtraction facts Beyond Math Facts place value Uncategorized
• Published Dated: October 12, 2020
• Written by: Susan

My favorite tool to help children learn place value concepts is a plastic Unifix tray showing the 100s, 10s and 1s places.

First, children can see how adding 3 (ones) and 5 (ones) = 8 ones. Then add 8+1 more = 9. Only 9 ones can fit in the 1s place. What happens when you add 9+1 more? You have 10 ones.

EXCHANGING 10 ones for 1 ten

To do an exchange, I ask the child to hand me the 10 ones, and I hand them back one different color Unifix cube, and say that now they have a “new” ten, and to place this 1 ten in the 10s place on the tray. There are zero cubes left in the 1s place. 9+1 is 10. (1 ten and 0 ones) I also explain that this is the same as exchanging 10 pennies for a dime. Do a few more problems using math facts 5+5, 2+8, 6+4. Include math word problems such as: If you have 2 pennies, and I give you 8 more, how many will you have?

SUBSTITUTE FOR UNIFIX PLACE VALUE TRAY

You can make a place value tray out of paper like the example shown in Addition and Subtraction: Beyond Math Facts. (See a photo at the bottom of this post.) Or, use a plastic tray from a food item, like I did. This happens to be from a box of blintzes.

MORE WITH ADDITION FACTS

Once your student is comfortable with showing an exchange of 10 ones for a ten, ask them to add other math facts. Example: 9+5 (A “Magic 9” math fact from Two Plus Two Is Not Five) Have them show the 14 Unifix cubes on the tray.

Only 9 cubes fit in the 1s place, so an exchange is made. They give you 10 cubes. You give them 1 “new” ten to place in the 10s place. Four cubes remain in the 1s place. The number 14 is shown as 1 ten and 4 ones. Again, you can relate this to adding pennies. 9 pennies + 5 more pennies can be exchanged for 1 dime and 4 pennies. (See photo below.)

After children understand using place value for facts such 9+5=14, they ought to memorize the math fact. Two Plus Two Is Not Five is a workbook with all the tricks and tips to help your students learn and master addition and subtraction facts. Use this book along with Beyond Math Facts.

More posts will follow with subtraction and place value, on to the 100s place. Can’t wait? Beyond Math Facts is available at many stores, and at online vendors, or you can buy directly from our Buy page.

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: October 7, 2020
• Written by: Susan

I can go on and on about how effective and helpful these math workbooks are, and some of the proof is in the pudding. You can read the many notes from administrators, parents, teachers, and grandparents posted in the Testimonials page.

However, when SCHOOLS order copies more than one year in a row, in fact, three years in a row, even though permission is granted to make copies for their students, and a school chooses to order one copy of Two Plus Two Is Not Five for each 2nd grade student, then that ought to be a reason you may want to take a look at these workbooks.

Contact me if you want more information about the special pricing for bulk orders so you can order books for your school or class.

If you want or only need one copy of each title, there are discounts available on this website on the BUY page. Or, contact your local educational store.

• Category: addition and subtraction addition and subtraction facts learning math facts math facts Teaching math facts Two Plus Two Is Not Five
• Published Dated: May 4, 2020
• Written by: Susan

I found a website, Simply Charlotte Mason, which had a posted question from a parent who needed help for her child to learn math facts. One of the responses was from a parent who was using Two Plus Two Is Not Five.

“My daughter is finally making progress on her addition/subtraction facts since we’ve been working through a book called Two Plus Two is Not Five by Susan Greenwald.  We used the RightStart abacus, different ways of doing flashcards, online games, card games – but she always ended up in tears.  The Greenwald book teaches all of the facts using tricks.  It’s very incremental – you start with one trick, practice it, add another trick, practice both tricks and so on.  It’s really helping – she’s gaining so much confidence, and making so much progress.  We are about 75% of the way through the book – and I’m already placing an order for the next book on multiplication.”  

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: January 1, 2020
• Written by: Susan

Children need to learn and master math facts so that they will be able to do more advanced math work, and really, they will need knowledge of math facts for just about anything in life! Think recipes, measurement, making change, budgets, and those are just a few!

To start the new year off, we are offering a sale on all of our individual workbooks. You can save more money per book by purchasing a 2, 3, or 4 book package, and we also still have greatly reduced copies of the multiplication book, Five Times Five Is Not Ten! We often receive some books with damaged or scuffed covers, and so we offer them at a greatly reduced price. To purchase new scuffed copies of Five Times Five Is Not Ten, select *Scuffed: $10.50. Save $5.45!

Children need to learn and memorize addition, subtraction, multiplication facts! Start your children or classroom off right in this new year with Longevity Publishing workbooks!

If you are an administrator for a school, please contact us regarding a purchase with a P.O. Please also see the Testimonials to read what other educational professionals have had to say about the books. One principal from a school ordered one copy of Two Plus Two Is Not Five two years in a row for each second grade student. She wrote: We are very excited to have such an awesome resource for our students to work on building fact fluency. Teachers and students are loving it!