• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: January 12, 2009
• Written by: Susan

This is an amazing and wonderful happening. My son and his wife become parents, and I am so excited for them! Their daughter was born this afternoon and all are doing well. Living on the opposite end of the country is going to be difficult. For now, I have to be content with having heard her, by phone, test her lungs, and I will be eagerly awaiting for more and more pictures to be uploaded on a regular basis. Maybe once they are home, they will use a video camera so I can watch my first grandchild online, that is until the time I fly to visit and get to hold her.
And so now, one plus one is now three.

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: January 10, 2009
• Written by: Susan

The first review of Five Times Five Is Not Ten was just posted at Amazon.com. The reviewer captured so many of the points of why the book works.

Yes, children have to memorize the multiplication facts.
Yes, there are strategies to help learn the facts.
The book has plenty of practice pages.
The facts are not taught in a sequence of 1s,2s,3s, etc.
Go at the student’s pace.

My math books are available around the country in so many school supply stores, Barnes and Noble stores, Borders, and lots of online stores too. If you can’t find a copy, email me or buy it on my website. www.FiveTimesFiveIsNotTen.com.

I also have TIPS to teach the math facts. Email me for your free copy, and let me know if you are a teacher or a parent.

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: December 31, 2008
• Written by: Susan

My third book, Five Times Five Is Not Ten, is mentioned in the January 2009 issue of Learning Magazine. On page 36 in the Resources for Successful Teaching section is a picture of and a blurb about my book.

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: December 20, 2008
• Written by: Susan

One website, HelpingWithMath.com, posts information about my book, Two Plus Two Is Not Five, and there are bunch of sample pages that can be tried with students if someone is not sure about whether or not to purchase the book.

Several different tricks and strategies from the beginning of Two Plus Two Is Not Five are available. I agreed to allow these pages to be posted because these practice pages do help children learn math facts.

The workbook problems in my books are not random; the problems are structured to give children good practice and review with math facts as they learn them, and to review what they already know.

Link to HelpingWithMath.com:
http://www.helpingwithmath.com/resources/math_facts.htm

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: December 20, 2008
• Written by: Susan

There is a new update added onto my TIPS TO HELP CHILDREN LEARN webpage.

You can see more information on how to teach math facts, and request a free copy of a more detailed program which is perfect if you are working with your own child, or if you are a teacher who is able to work one-on-one with students, or in small groups.

Children need to learn the math facts, and no one is ever too old to start.

The program is well worth the time, and does not take more than 10-20 minutes a day! Just follow the simple instructions, be sure to practice the math facts daily, and give some written practice too.

Visit www.longevitypublishing.com, www.FiveTimesFiveIsNotTen.com, www.SusanGreenwald.com, or www.TwoPlusTwoIsNotFive.com to see the simple steps and to email for details. The website also offers workbooks for purchase.

• Category: addition and subtraction math facts Uncategorized
• Published Dated: December 16, 2008
• Written by: Susan

Schools will soon be closed for a two-week break. Many of the after school activities that children are involved in will also be suspended for this time period. Without the pressure of not-enough-time-in-a-day, you can start to help your child focus on learning math facts.

Once you get going, you and your child will see that it does not take up a lot of time, and it is easy, even fun to learn math facts.

First, determine which math facts are “known,” meaning the fact is answered automatically and correctly, without counting to get the answer. Record these facts. If you are using Two Plus Two Is Not Five or Five Times Five Is Not Ten, there are record-keeping pages in the books. Use 3″ by 5″ cards to make a practice card for each known fact. Review these with your child daily. Remember, your child knows them, so they will be easy to answer and your child will feel good about knowing the answers quickly!

Next, teach a few new facts each day, and add these new facts to the stack of known facts. Try to give written practice and review as well. Two Plus Two Is Not Five and Five Times Five Is Not Ten both have a lot of reproducible practice pages. www.TwoPlusTwoIsNotFive.com shows lots of sample pages from both books.

Gradually, over a period of 2-3 months, all the 81 addition, 81 subtraction, and 81 multiplication facts will be mastered, and your child will not have to count out answers when working on more advanced math skills. You can also work on division facts, but the practice pages are not yet available.

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: November 10, 2008
• Written by: Susan

Susan Jones’s website, www.resourceroom.net/math , has posted a review of my multiplication book. We agree on the philosophy that people do need to memorize the multiplication table, and know the multiplication facts automatically.

I am glad that she mentioned the beginning of the book-I discuss the importance of making sure students understand what the the multiplication fact means before expecting them to memorize answers. Also, I show how to introduce the different strategies.

Number lines, charts, counters, and calculators are all great tools to introduce multiplication with, but the bottom line is that fluency, or speed and knowing the correct answers to the multiplication facts is essential! Calculators can be used when students are working on higher level math-only after the math facts are learned, and after students can demonstrate on paper what the calculator does for them.

For example, be able to solve the long division for 367 divided by 71. In order to complete this calculation, a student needs to be able to divide, multiply, and subtract!

Another example of the importance of understanding the calculation before depending on a calculator: Can a student multiply 4.11 by .9 correctly and understand why the answer is less than 4 and not about 36?

We also agree that as the facts are being taught, they need to be practiced within the rest of the curriculum, not just in isolation to learn rotely. For example, after a student knows 2×8 and 8×7, the student can work on math problems, including word math or story problems, that have the problem:

72
x 8

Also, the student should see that this is different than

72
– 8

and

72
+ 8

I have more tips to teach math facts on my website: www.FiveTimesFiveIsNotTen.com

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: November 4, 2008
• Written by: Susan

Just last week, I received notice that Five Times Five Is Not Ten: Make Multiplication Easy is an Award-Winning Finalist in the Children’s Educational category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News. This is posted online at: www.usabooknews.com/bestbooksawards2008.html

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: October 8, 2008
• Written by: Susan

People often email me to ask about where to buy Two Plus Two Is Not Five: Easy Methods to Learn Addition and Subtraction and Five Times Five Is Not Ten: Make Multiplication Easy. The books are sold nationwide, even in Alaska and Hawaii! More than 200 school supply or educational stores carry them, and if you email me, I will let you know which stores in your state stock the books. Barnes and Noble stores stock the book in their stores. If you type in your zip code at their website, you can see the stores closest to you that have stock. Some Borders stores sell it too. Call first to check. There are various online and homeschool stores that also sell both books. Email me for a list.

While the books are also available through my website, www.TwoPlusTwoIsNotFive.com, I strongly encourage customers to shop at their local stores or favorite online stores.

• Category: Uncategorized
• Published Dated: October 7, 2008
• Written by: Susan

In addition to writing math books, I also like to speak to people, both parents and teachers, about the importance of math facts mastery. At the end of September, I spoke at the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics. One session was just about strategies to help children memorize addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. The other, structured for special education or math resource teachers, was on how to set up and individualize a math facts program. This past week, during Borders’ Educator Appreciation Weekend, I was a guest author at three of their stores, and signed copies of my books, Two Plus Two Is Not Five and Five Times Five Is Not Ten. I am looking forward to traveling to California in December when I will be speaking again at the California Mathematics Council at Asilimar on Friday, December 5. The session is titled, Teach Fluency of Math Facts 1:1. Also, I will do a book signing and talk about my books at the Sand City Borders store near Monterey, and at the Golden Apple Store in Pleasanton. Both of these stores hosted me last year as well, and I am glad to have the opportunity to return this year.