Problem Solving With Hero Zero.

Here is a short video that might change the way you look at equations and your understanding of the equals sign. =

This symbols never lies.  = means same. Here is what many consider a novel approach to problem solving. Hero zero makes an appearance and over time problem solving this way will be second nature. You job is to get them to understand equals means SAME and introduce the concept of hero zero and sometimes same is NOT visually obvious and we have to get help from our hero zero.

In the problem 5x + 16 = 4x +12 we are going to end up with NOTHING on one side. We have a symbol for nothing ZERO.

We start off with a low degree of difficulty like this:

3x + 2 = 2x + 6

then

5x + 16 = 4x +12

then

2x - 3 = x + 5

a few more and these kinds of problems won't be scary at all.



Find out more about the best ways to use your base ten blocks at Crewton Ramone's house of math.

Get my book on subtraction, Crewton Ramone's Supremely Simple Subtraction it also covers the basics of this kind of problem solving. These concepts can be taught to and understood by even very young students. Hopefully you begin to see how it all goes together...check out this what's under the cup video and you can see problem solving introduced in the most basic way with what's under the cup. When we bust out hero zero we have moved down the road a little. But 5 + x = 10 and 8 + x = 10 and 3 + x = 8 are great ways to start with the CONCEPT of making same and then finding same on both sides is a natural progression. Moving from whats under the cup to seeing 8 + x = 10 = 8 + 2 therefore x must be two is just another more complicated way of playing what's under the cup, but to kids who have played what's under the cup at an early age the symbols make sense because they have SEEN what the symbols represent from an early age.


"Sometimes it is useful to know how large your zero is." ~Anon

"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." ~Eric Hoffer, Reflections On The Human Condition

Completing The Square New Password Protected Page.

Me trying to complete the completing the square pages.  I  hope you can see that part of this is showing you repetitive lessons that get the students ready for "advanced" mathematics, but it's not advanced if the various parts are easily understood. 

Basic concepts like understanding the equals sign means SAME dividing by two, what a square number is and what square root means need to be understood and internalized WHILE we learn concepts in algebra. Being able to write an expression different ways but have it be the same just in different forms need to be understood too.

Just playing with square numbers at an early age teaches so much, and more importantly makes life easier later.  This page takes you from lessons with toddlers to lessons with high school students all centering around completing the square.

From things as simple as multiplying and dividing by two, building and knowing square numbers, how to square numbers that end in 5,  square numbers whose roots we call radicals--so many fun things we can do with with square numbers including delve into the imaginary.Don't worry we won't go there this time around, but we will head down the road to understanding where the quadratic formula comes from and how to derive it.

But we get there in baby steps. Understanding basic concepts along the way.

So I have added a little to the basic completing the square page.  Now when you go there you can end up

here

which is the entrance page to a nice little page chock full of lessons on completing the square and square numbers. It even contains a link to this blog that you may have missed because it's a few years old, driving home the point that the posts get old but not the lessons on those posts. The page has videos that very few people have seen according to their hit count on youtube because they are not public (I'm talking to you Shalynn). Start at the top and work your way down. Now that you know where you are going maybe you will look at those early videos differently.


The password you need is the sitewide password.  Those that have a lifetime pass just got ye more value for money already spent.  You won't find the videos on these pages anywhere else. They don't come up in searches, you have to know the link. Here is a much more detailed tour of what you get on this page. I could make a PDF on this one topic alone like Supremely Simple Subtraction or Divinely Dandy non Difficult Division--but it's going to be awhile.



Please come back and leave a comment for others.

Third Power Algebra With Little Kids

Base ten blocks make math easy and fun, even third power algebra. Left off an equals sign but you get the point. He factored it two ways and then realized that factoring it down to (3x-2)(x+1)(x+2) would cover all of them…he knew without thinking very hard that x² + 3x + 2 = (x+1)(x+2) and that 3x² + 4x + 4 was just (3x-2)(x+2) so the “last way” was just going to be (3x-2)(x+1) and the other factor of (x+2). So basically he discovered on his own why "we factor it down as far as we can go."

Take 18 for example, 3x3x2 covers all the bases. 2x9, 3x6 same thing, 18.  Just depends on how you multiply the factors.  I use algebra to teach all manner of math concepts. Not only that, you teach more faster because you can compound the lessons.

What you aren’t seeing is the base ten blocks and drawings we used to make this EASY.  So here they are.  My notes for the days class. This was just over an hour's worth of work. But these two are aces. This was FUN for them. Might take you more or less time depending on all manner of factors. (Get it? I crack myself up.)

Started off with the difference of two cubes and they very quickly saw some patterns there...
I leave x³ - 64 for you the reader to do on your own time...might want to start at x³ - 1 with basic ops pieces and work your way up...drawing as you go. Click here for more third power algebra.

We did a few more problems not shown here but they were variations on the drawings you do see.  If these drawings make no sense to you or you are new here go explore over at my house of math. 

The other student was 11. But as he says, "once you get to 10, nobody is impressed you can do algebra."  I'm pretty sure there are still plenty of people who are impressed when all you see is symbols...but what these kids do is see the symbols and translate them into geometric figures that can be easily counted and manipulated in their heads or if need be with the aid of sketches on paper.

They have been factoring polynomials since they were little, just like these two.



Algebra is important. It is the greatest labor saving device ever devised by the mind of man and yet it is currently the most failed subject out there. If you work in retail or fast food, you won't need the algebra much unless you get into top management.  But if you are in the sciences or engineering or architecture you will use algebra EVERYDAY. How do I know? Because when ever I am around engineers or scientists or architects I ask them, "how often do you use the algebra?" And the answer is always: "EVERYDAY."

Little girls can do this just as easily as little boys by the way:


Third (and 4th) power algebra, negative expressions, integers and more are covered in depth on the advanced algebra page. You'll need a password though.

The lessons go like this...I give them the symbols for example x³ - 27 and they have to give me the drawings or just give me the factors...this is exceptionally effective for teaching much more than just factoring polynomials, it can also be used to teach remedial math.

Concept based teaching with base ten blocks works. I can show you how, Find me on facebook, twitter, tumblr, instagram etc.

If "advanced algebra" for your 8 year old is too much for you maybe you could start with subtraction...here is a FREE SUBTRACTION BOOK to get you started, soon stuff like you see here will be child's play.

LAST CHANCE 2016 PASSWORD SALE

Start off the new year right with a nifty new PASSWORD at a great price. 7 day sale starts NOW. (14Jan2016) Some of you need to quit using shared passwords you didn't pay for and come clean.  NOTE: many of the the links below have FREE videos that show you how to teach math, and samples of what you will find behind the paywalls. People find these quite valuable too.  Even if you don't buy anything: learn some math while your here.

Sale Price: $225.00 Reg price: $249.00
2016 price: $350.00

You save almost enough to by a combo kit combo. But for sure enough to get a set of blocks. People often buy blocks but have no idea how to best use them. Indeed, entire companies have been set up that fail to give you the training and info you need to best use your base ten blocks.

Training in San Diego.

This is your last chance to get them before prices go up again. Also a last chance to get "live" video training for 1/2 off. I will be doing monthly webinars for just 100 bucks for 4 to 5 hours of training. Questions get answered, discoveries are made, problems solved and parents and teachers emerge with a whole new attitude toward math and math fun. Take a moment and check out these testimonials I've collected...lol...and this isn't even all of them. Here are a bunch more.  

YOU can have results like that too; change your children's math life forever and avoid MANY problems that are coming in the very near future if you keep doing math the "traditional" way by getting started NOW. The longer you wait the worse it gets...some of you may already be here now and you will find it is much easier to avoid problems than to fix them.


The GETTING STARTED PAGE is a 5 dollar value all by itself. Many people have found it useful to go to that page and use it as a starting point. Make sure to check out the FREE PDF's on that page too. You will find lots of FREE vids chock full of valuable useful information on many of the page links you find here.

"If you get all of this for free I can't image what you get for money." ~Amazed Math Mom.

Passwords

sale is over

If all else fails use this link:
https://www.paypal.me/CrewtonRamone

Four Passwords.  Note: there are free lessons and videos you will find useful on almost all of the "entry" pages for the password protected pages below.  Just click the links below for short FREE lessons



Lifetime Passwords are just that...you get a pass for a lifetime. Pay once and you are good, forever. Come back as often as you like. Watch vids, download PDFs. You get all my passwords to get through all my pay walls all for one low price...currently that takes 4 passwords. When you purchase the LIFETIME you get it all.

I

Sitewide. 

Sitewide: this is the password that gets you the most bang for the buck. It's the password that gets you into the most pages. It gets you into all of these pages (and more):

Advanced Algebra:  This page show how to do negative expressions and integers as well as graphing polynomials, some story problems and more. Shows little kids doing "advanced" math. The point is not that they are geniuses the point is if they can do it you can do it and learn how o show your kids too.  There is NO PLACE else you will find 5 and 6 year olds factoring problems like x² - x - 6 or 8 year olds factoring third and fourth power polynomials and HAVING FUN DOING IT.  They ask for it. http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/homeschool-math-advanced-algebra-entry-page.html 

Percentages:This page is great because it makes percentages so easy. Problems like 12 is what percent of 40?  Or 49 is 70% of what number? Are super easy once you can see what you are doing. This page is priceless because the knowledge you find on it is contained nowhere else on the internet that I've seen. http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/Percentages-With-Base-Ten-Blocks-Entry.html 

Problem Solving. This page makes problem solving child's play; also introduces systems of equations using "Ten Apples Up On Top".  Problems like  3x - 2 =  2x + 5 are explained in detail.
http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/PPPS-Entry.html 

Sample Lessons: This page alone is worth the whole price. Not just theory but theory in practice you get to see me "do it," unrehearsed on the fly with real live students of all ages and abilities. As one little girl recently said, "it's WAY more fun when you are doing it, than just watching videos." This is why we say math is NOT a spectator sport. http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/Sample-Lessons-Entry.html

Sample Lessons with Sarah: Speaking of theory in practice, here is a page of vids with me working with an autistic girl. You see some of the actual lessons that got her to pass her GED and ACT Compass test. We should be very thankful to Sarah and her mom for giving me permission to use these. "Maybe another autistic  person like me will see it and they will know math is easy too because they saw me. Yeah?" I have been told this is an invaluable resource because it shows how to break concepts down so simply that her autism isn't a barrier and at times can actually be an advantage. http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/Sarahs-Entry-Page.html

DBoyz playing with math. Example isn't a way to teach. It's THE ONLY way to teach. At Crewton Ramone's House of Math I don't show you how theory...I show you how.  You too can tailor lessons for you kids that make learning math fun easy and personalized for your child. http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/Dboyz-Entry-Page.html

Raymond's Page. More sample lessons with another student. This a bright young student. By now it should start to ecome clear the concepts are the same and so are some of the lessons...the more you see theory in practice the easier it will be to practice the theory with you own students and get stellar results. http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/Raymonds-Entry-Page.html

Emma's Page:  This child was labeled, they wanted to introduce drugs. As Far as I could tell she was a normal child who was just bored to tears in school. http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/Emma.html


Functions & Relationships This is a pdf of one of the old out of print Series A manuals. Clears up a lot of issues students have with pre-calculus concepts and shows you how to do some basic water tank and constant rate problems with a half hour video. Again, nobody is showing you how to do this kind of math with the ten and under crowd. NOBODY.  http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/Series-A-Manual-Functions-And-Relationships.html

This is NOT a complete list, explore and discover--find a couple of Easter Eggs for yourself. When in doubt use your sitewide password. If it doesn't work, email me for the new one but make sure you aren't on one of the three pages below first. Side note: there are Free videos and training which you will find valuable on all of these pages.

SCREECASTS: Here are two pages many people overlook. One has over 70 FREE screencasts and the Password Protected Screencast Page on has another 23 vids which equates to more than 4 hours more training via screencast. All are short video lessons, usually less than 10 minutes long, (none of them more than 15 minutes long) so you can do it in bite size pieces. http://screencast-o-matic.com/channels/cXV10bV2S

TEST PAGE: Here is a test page to see if you have the right password:
http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/password-test.html

This Trig page ALONE is worth the entire cost of a lifetime password...I have heard that many times now. Getting people to comment and write testimonials is like pulling teeth.  The fact that I have so many in and of itself should be a clue to some of you. Please go back and leave comments good bad or indifferent on these pages so people can see it's not just me. 
http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/trigonometry-with-base-ten-blocks-entry.html

I have another Trig page, "How to teach trig to eight year olds" that has gotten quite a few hits that you can buy by itself if you want, but it is included when you buy a Lifetime Pass. See below.

sale is over

II

Parent Teacher Training.

Parent Teacher Training: This Password alone is worth the price all by itself. You get hours of video training along with Pdfs to go with. This year I will be adding transcripts of these trainings too. As people who got in back when there was just one password for 100 bucks have found, once you get a Lifetime Pass the benefits keep coming. If you want results like the ones you see in the screenshots of comments you see peppered throughout this blog, then you may also want to come to a "live" video training or two.  The Teacher training page is made up of videos taken directly from some of those trainings along with links to more pages and video and supporting pdfs that you can download.  Also for those that have been through the training and are on facebook please go put some comments HERE.

You can also purchase ANNUAL passes for JUST the Sitewide or JUST the Parent Teacher Training, or both.  ANNUAL passes are good for one year only.  I have found that quite a few people convert from annual to lifetime...and NO, you don't get credit toward the Lifetime if you already bought an annual.

Bonus Pages: 

III

EZ PZ OVERVIEW 

&

IV

HOW TO TEACH TRIG TO AN EIGHT YEAR OLD

As an added Bonus to those who get lifetime passes I have so far made TWO BONUS pages.  The EZ PZ overview that comes with what looks like a complicated flow chart, but actually it's EZPZ lemon squeezee, hence the name and the Trig to Eight Year Olds Page which helps make trig child's play...because math is child's play.  Even trig.

 The EZ PZ Page goes along with the P/T training and gives you an Bird's Eye overview of how the method works and what to be doing with your students and children. It also gives you an idea of when to introduce what and ideas on how to make learning 45 addends and 400 math facts as painless as possible...in fact move from painless to FUN.

The Trig To Eight year old page breaks down basic trig functions like SIN, COS and TAN and make them concrete and understandable. Finding angles and sides is easy when you can get you hands on it and understand what the words mean and what the questions are asking. Actual lessons show you how to show your kids (or yourself) how easy trig can be.

Training

Training will be monthly (there may be some special sessions in between the monthly sessions). Cost is 100 bucks a session which works out around 20 to 25 bucks an hour. Training woks like this. Simple.  I usually charge 50 bucks an hour, and people think it's worth it. For an idea of what happens during training click HERE,  During the sale you can purchase tutoring or training with the button below.

Crewton Ramone In Action.

You are getting HALF OFF for the training.

And if you buy more you get one or two free passes. Usually I only offer 2 free classes if you spend 400 bucks but I threw one in free starting at 250 bucks...for those of you that want tutoring this means you don't have to cough up 400 bucks at once to get a free class...after the sale it's back to 400.

Basically if you buy 8 classes the rate is 40 bucks an hour instead of 50.
If you buy 5 classes the rate is $41.67 instead of 50 because I'm throwing in one in for free at the lower price point for this sale only.

People have found the training to be very worthwhile.  It's not the same as in person but vid training is definitely the next best thing to being there.

sale is over

If all else fails use this link:
https://www.paypal.me/CrewtonRamone

 

Tutoring

It's basically the same thing but one is for PARENT TEACHER TRAINING and this one if for tutoring you could just as easily use the button above or this one:

Tutoring Passes

One Pass $50.00 USD Two Passes $100.00 USD Three Passes $150.00 USD Four Passes $200.00 USD Five Passes 1 FREE. $250.00 USD Six Passes 1 FREE. $300.00 USD Seven Passes 1 FREE. $350.00 USD Eight Passes 2 FREE $400.00 USD

PH#.

If all else fails use this link:
https://www.paypal.me/CrewtonRamone

My tutoring is effective. My F to A stories are manifold.  Many of my students don't just get A's the get 100%'s because once you understand the concepts computation is EZ. No really. See for yourself.



If you have used my password pages leave a comment below:

Graphing polynomials with a 10 year old.

Here is more graphing of a couple polynomials...each time we get a little more "advanced" but as you should clearly see the concepts are exactly the same every time the math just gets a little more complicated as the numbers change.

I did both of these quick and dirty as it were and the second one I forgot to turn the camera on so I just breezed over it after the fact. Upon inspection I find the seriously notation lacking. Also want to drive home the point that you must remember that when you are completing the square in a problem that has more than one x² you have to remember you divided by that number, in this case 2, so we have to remember to add 2x 3.0625...we didn't just add it once...if I had divided by 3 then it would be 3x..etc.

Lets do an easier one just for example. And we'll divide by 3 even to make the point.

3x² +18x + 24 = 0

factoring it should be EASY. Get out your blocks.

Now divide by three so we can complete the square and put it into vertex form...

3x² +18x + 24 / 3 = x² + 6x + 8 = 0 Even though it's already a perfect square we still have to complete the square AND the 9 we added is added THREE TIMES because we are multiplying the part we are completing the square with 3 times...we just divided by 3 to make it easy.

Then 3(x² + 6x + 8 = 0) ⇒ 3(x² + 6x +  __ )  =  -24 (that's 3 x 8 not just one 8) ⇒ 3(x² + 6x +  9) = -24 + 27 (that THREE 9s not just one 9).

Vertex form is now easy:

3(x² + 6x +  9) = -24 + 27 ⇒ 3(x² + 6x +  9) = 3 ⇒ 3(x + 3)²  = 3 ⇒  
3(x + 3)²  - 3 = 0

Check out DESMOS for easy fast graphing of these polynomials...or wolfram alpha.  Here is a graph:

You can see that the y-intercept is WAY up there...but the other points are easy to get once you know what you are doing. So here is a chance for you to sketch a graph of your own label the points and make sure you put in the axis of symmetry too.

The rule or formula -b/2a should be obvious too, and not something we have to memorize.

Anyhow now we are well on our way to being able to graph any polynomial. It's so easy a seven year old can do it with very little help...soon he won't need ANY help at all.



So now you see putting it together yet again. We start off with very basic completing the square. We play with square numbers (you will note I have tons of videos on square numbers as well as radicals) and learn why it's so easy to square numbers that end in 5.  We do all of this via play and fooling with blocks not worksheets and and work books and wrote memorization.  My students have FUN. Yours should too.


They ASK for algebra because it's fun...

Later we can talk about "F of X" [f(x) = y] and so on...for now quick and dirty math with emphasis on the concepts...not rules and process.

I make trig easy too, as well as subtraction, division...all of it. You can get hours more video, more explanation and a pile of PDFs (with more explanation and exercises and methodology) for $8.50, which gives access for a year.  People are shocked and amazed at what they get for free...more so at how much they get for a paltry 8 and a half bucks a month. 

***If you want yet more on this topic here is another blog post on graphing polynomials by now the problems should be EASY...and you can watch it from the perspective of what problems I use to teach which concepts.


Find Crewton Ramone on Facebook.


This might seem advanced for your less than ten year old now, so tell you what,  let's just start with subtraction and go from there.

Graphing Polynomials With A 7 Year Old.

Start understanding what the symbols mean, and how they relate to a graph.

If you've played with blocks and done the lessons for YEARS this stuff is easy by the time you reach the ripe old age of 7. Ot you can wait ten years until your kids are 17 and watch the pain and frustration mount until the domestic tranquility leave your house hold they hate math, they hate school, and they hate they teachers and of course they hate you and let you know it sometimes at the top of their lungs. Make math fun and easy and now they don't hate going to school anymore in fact they might like going because people will think they are smart because people think people who can do math are smart whether they are or not...but anyway remove the pain and domestic tranquility returns. Maybe it isn't that bad for you, maybe you're just tired of your kid being sad at school because of math. Maybe you shouldn't wait till high school...

Or you could avoid the problems in the first place and let me teach you to teach your kids math. I could do it for you but it'd be better if you did it yourself...and yes I can teach YOU even if you think you are a failure at mathematics. Ever have a kid that has all "A's" EXCEPT for math? Might not be the kid's fault...maybe the method being used to teach the kid is an utter failure, not the kid.

Had to do a quick review of one of the building blocks. Squaring number that end in 5.

Graphing parabolas poses a problem for most kids because all they do is memorize rules and process (and then promptly forget them) or learn a formula and then learn to apply it long enough to take a test and then forget it. How about we understand what we are doing and what the numbers mean instead? Then suddenly this stuff is so easy it's ridiculous and you wonder why there were tears in the first place.

I have also had untold numbers of fathers and mother who DID understand the math but weren't able to get their kids to understand it come come me...after they figured out turning the volume up didn't help. If you have a good grasp of mathematics or love math...you will love my site. If you hate math you will end up loving my site. Check out the comment boxes on facebook and over on this SSS page...(I couldn't buy testimonials like that...well sorta: I bribed them with my book, but if the book sucked you wouldn't see testimonials and "thank you"'s like that now, would you?) you can also go to my website and watch video testimonials.  F to A is common. 100's are not rare at the house of math.

Algebra is Fun If You Do It Right.
You will need to spend some time with the blocks which you can HEAR in the video but you can't see them.  You can see them on my website though...lol...quite a bit. I have quite literally hundreds of videos where you can see the blocks in action for factoring these polynomials (and a whole lot more. You will see little five year olds factoring polynomials and having FUN doing it.  They ask for algebra...algebra is a reward near the end of class sometimes.

"Can we do algebra?!"
"Well...ok...but only if you are good and play nicely..."

Watch my videos you will hear this exchange and ones similar to it...
 


Follow The Links.
If you have some familiarity with the algebra or have struggled with it this should clear quite a few things up quickly. If this is all Greek to you, understand that if a 7 year old can do it, you probably can too it's just nobody ever taught you how in a way you can understand. If you had played with blocks for factoring and you had played with blocks for squaring numbers that in in 5 and you had used blocks to SEE polynomials in their various forms you how you can put a polynomial into these various forms and then use symbols to describe what you did, this stuff would be easy peasy but since all you've ever seen are the symbols confusion hath ensued and you think algebra is harder than water at the south pole in the winter time...or the prom queen's date on prom night.  Turns out completing the square is EASY here are some little kids doing completing the square...I start them out with this at 5 years old any kid can get the concept. Here we just put it all together as it were.

Get yourself some blocks and a password and start having fun or at leaste start taking the pain out of math for your children and maybe even yourself.  Follow the links on this page or just go to the house of math for more. There are hours and hours for FREE and many more hours behind paywalls where you need a ridiculously affordable password to get through to see little kids putting this method into practice and having FUN doing it.  Take the "advanced" algebra page for example....hours of Hours of video. Trig page hours more...of video you'll actually understand. More so if you have a set of blocks in front of you and you can follow along but even if not you can draw and play along that way....don't just watch.


If all you want to do is get by and pass a test this really isn't the place for you, but if you want to actually understand what you are doing and therefore be able to make others like your friends or kids understand it, you have come to the right place. I make math easy because math is easy, not because it's magic, it's not magic it's just math.

Graphing Polynomials? No Problem.
Just Watch Me.

We did this problem too but I didn't get it on video...you might try it at home it's easier than the last one you see in the video because of the even amount of x. In case you need the review here is another video with a lesson on squaring numbers that end in 5.



Don't tell me my passwords aren't worth the money...and this is just factoring polynomials. A lot of kids start having trouble with subtraction...so maybe we back up and you get my FREE subtraction manual, Supremely Simple Subtraction.

Find Crewton Ramone on Facebook.


Your mind is blown put your comments here and share this...intimidate your friends and impress your enemies.

Ready for more? Check out graphing polynomials with a 10 year old.

Base Ten Blocks Make Algebra Child's Play

Base Ten Blocks Make Advanced Algebra Child's Play. For those of you wondering if the work I do with younger kids makes a difference when they are older...that picture was taken with some very young students (8 and 9 years) who at the time were learning much more about 8 + 8 and 8 x 8, and that 64 is square, than they were about algebra.

This post will eventually be on one of the password protected pages (Advanced Algebra) but you are getting these videos here for FREE. Eventually, this post will get buried on this blog and people will have a hard time finding it. As I have often said these posts get old but they don't get out dated...use the methods you find here on your students. They work.

And again if they work on little kids they will work on high school kids and college students too. The idea is to introduce CONCEPTS in stages and get comfortable with them THEN add more and a little more. It is good to start with something easy and familiar so they get the grasp of it..."it" being the concept or idea rather than deluge them with a huge amount of unfamiliar math all at once. This is what textbooks do. They put too much together at once and it becomes overwhelming and confusing.

Start with completing the square. I have lots of vids and pages devoted to that, making it easy and using it to teach children more than just algebra but also counting and dividing by two and addends and multiplication. But when the time comes they are quite familiar with completing the square and factoring. Being thus grounded, it's easy to add new concepts and more understanding. So lets begin with this:


This video is not listed so please don't share it unless you are sharing this whole post.

Being able to count by square numbers all the way to 25 is also a good skill to have...

Note that I start off with lessons on making squares and square numbers. Imagine that.
Being able to square numbers quickly and easily makes this vastly simpler for understanding because that part is out of the way as it were. So when we want to take half of the x and square it it's no problem (get it?) even if the amount of x is odd...as Forrest would say: "That's good, that's one less thing." [To worry about.]

Being able to square numbers that end in 5 is a good skill to have but rather than memorize some rule I show them where the rule comes from and math is less mysterious.

You may also note that using base ten blocks to make algebra easy has benefits where kids can see the relationship between squaring 35 and getting 1225, and taking half of 7 and squaring that and getting 12.25...a lot of older students just go, "OH! Well then that's easy..." Usually they hate any of the ones that have fractions in them...but that's easy too. I find fractions are almost universally a stumbling block.

After you've watched the first one up there lets go back and really get the concepts down.

So lets back up, keep it easy and start with something REALLY familiar and focus:



And then a little practice.



And a little more:



And now they look like the little geniuses they are and are ready to play with the quadratic:

This video is not listed so please don't share it unless you are sharing this whole post.

I spent another class where instead of dividing by "a" we multiply by "4a" to make it easier but that video is lost. You can see a stale presentation of it here though:



With the DBoyz I some questions and really got into why we complete the square with b²...

And now we are ready to start playing with ones that have more negatives...and instead of real roots imaginary ones and so on...what do you think? By the time they are in high school will this stuff be easy or hard for them?

And it all started with taking x² + 2x + 1, taking the x and putting them on the sides and putting the one in the corner...then moving on to 4x and 6x and 10x...with base 10 blocks they can see what they are doing get their hands on it and then when we move to mostly symbols it makes sense. 

This is one of they key differences we find with kids who learn math using base ten blocks they can see the relations ships and math isn't a confused segmented set of mysterious rules. And then completing the square and vertex form are much more easily understood and relate-able, the students see how it all goes together. I have found that using base ten blocks makes things like distance formula, Pythagorean theorem, and the first trig identity go together in the students heads too...instead of being completely separate things.

Using base ten blocks in a step by step approach can make math child's play for your students too. Manipulatives make math easy and fun, it's just counting. I've tried to give a detailed explanation via the videos here but if I left something out or you have further questions please comment below...

Crewton Ramone's Password Protected Pages

Or what do I get for a Password?

Slightly "older" student begins the process of mastering multiplication. 

People sometimes email me and ask if they should get a password...of course I say yes.

Here is the short version with links to all the pages where you can use your password: PP Links Page.

But what do you actually get with a password? Is it worth the money? I was thinking people would click around and find pages that required a password and then buy one to get into the advanced Algebra Page for example.  This works to a certain extent but apparently people need to be sold on the idea and told what they get. Fine. Here is a short video:

)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTtEl1X-tC0

There is no short cut I can give you as been said there is no royal road to mathematics, but I can sure remove a lot of the excuses we used to get when people would buy a kit and wonder what to do next. There is no one path to take because each kid and situation is different. And this method does not believe in the standard way they have done things in public schools where basically everybody learns the same thing on the same day at the same time. So quit asking. Not gonna happen here although I am trying to show you how to use these blocks for your situation...ie I want to teach my kid addition, or long division or fractions or what have you.

Also if that standard way of doing things was working so well

 you wouldn't be reading this now,

would you?

There was a time when you got a password with your order but that time has passed. (I haven't updated every page I've built over the years to reflect this so you may see a page that say you do....but you don't.) Be aware that Mortensen Company fills all my orders on blocks and pays me a commission. I fill orders for passwords...which basically means I send you an email in case you miss the pop up page when you check out with paypal.


The GETTING STARTED PAGE is a 5 dollar value all by itself. Many people have found it useful to go to that page and use it as a starting point. Make sure to check out the pdf's on that page too, scroll down, there are four of them there. They contain old articles and scope and sequence for the books, and a nice dissertation from an experienced teacher on why she likes this method.

How to get started?

 A combo kit and a password and you should be good to go. Seriously. And even then you can probably get by without a password for quite a while as you digest all the stuff out there I've put up for FREE. But if you want to see sample lessons right off the bat or you get to the point where you're factoring and are wondering how this shows how to factor negative expressions like

x²  - 5x +  6  or  x²  -  x  -  6
etc you need a password. You will also find that we use algebra to teach the basic operations and I'll show you how. I often use algebra to teach addition and multiplication and use it to sneak math facts in on older students who need remedial work in mathematics. Sound intriguing? It should.

I am told constantly that my password should cost more, not just for the content on those pages but also as a thank you for all the free stuff you were "fronted"...as it were...lol. Yes: I am trying to get you addicted to math.

Check out the advanced algebra page. The only place that shows you how to use the blocks for that on the entire web!

The Password Protected screencast channel it has Percentages on it. My percentages page needs work...and it's on the list of things to update.

There are new pages added and pages updated pretty regularly, I'm always adding youtube vids so you might want to subscribe to my youtube channel.

People sometimes tell me they don't see anything new, that's because your browser is loading the old page out of your cache from last time you were at my site. Hit refresh for the new stuff...the Sample Lessons page has a ton of stuff on it and so does Sarah's Page. Those of you who have funtionally autistic children or students might find that page QUITE interesting. It shows how I took a student who was basically being ignored in a public school system mathematically and got her to pass her GED and Compass Test. Ironically the reason she had to take the GED is because she didn't have enough math credits...but that was because they were teaching her math and I didn't meet her until 10th grade.

Eventually there will be MANY more password protected pages. Some may need their own password but for now all you need is one. Here is a page that gives you more links:

http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/password-test.html
You put your password in there and you'll get a list of pages where you can use your password. Or you can hit Test on the navigation bar.

A large page of sample lessons to get you started:
http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/Sample-Lessons.html
 
Algebra videos showing negative expressions:
http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/advanced-algebra.html
 
A TON OF PDFs:
http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/crewtonramonespasswordprotectedpdfspage.html
Download as many PDF's as you want all for a few bucks. There are hundreds of pages available for you. Also watch the vids as many times as you want. You want more and better quality? Share the link for BUYING a password not the links to the pdfs or videos. Its a measley buck a month if you get a year pass. But if 100's of people bought a password every week there would be more stuff and better quality videos and software here. Word of mouth is the best advertising. Hope you find the stuff worthwhile...and worthwhile enough to share with friends who are willing to pay a few bucks just like you did...

Channel of Screencasts you can't get anywhere else: (currently mostly same as "advanced algebra") but also HAS PERCENTAGES AND FACTORING NEGATIVE EXPRESSIONS.
http://screencast-o-matic.com/channels/cXV10bV2S
 
Sarah's Page has lots of vids and more are again being added. See "The Blocks" work with an Autistic student:
http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/Sample-Lessons-Sarah.html

And guess what? There's more.  Buy a password and find out how much more. Just go to the TEST Page they are listed there.

One password does it all at the moment if you run into a page that asks for a password you'll have it.

Here is a much longer vid covering the website (my house of math), blog, youtube vids and FB page:
I did it in one take and didn't do any editing...you may want to skip it and go to the second one....it's "only" 18 minutes long instead of 38.



That thing is way too long. Here is a shorter version that mostly just covers my website.



People are now overwhelmed at the amount of content I've created and many have found that "it doesn't go in order" as far as they are concerned. On the bright side at leaste there is plenty of stuff for you dig thru now, there was a time when there was NOTHING. ZERO. ZIP. ZILCH. You got a set of blocks or a kit, took it home and it went on a shelf or under a bed never to be seen again because people didn't know how to use the material and there were no places to get training...

Problem is getting close to solved. Now you want an example of how to present whatever it is chances are there's a video for that. If not email me and I'll make one...eventually. Use your search engine!

Vid courses should also come out this year...(2014). If you have a topic you'd like to see leave a comment. I have done a few parent/teacher trainings...which cover what to do in what order depending on the situation, I am told I should make some vids like that...so much to do so little time.

When you do order, turn off your pop up blocker. I have it set up so when you finish paying a page pops up with the password on it and info on where you can use it. If you miss that page just send me an email ad I'll send it right out.  Also check whatever email you use for paypal, I don't know how many times people have sent me pissy emails when I already sent them the password but then they tell me they only use that email address for paypal and never check it.

Some Math Enrichment I did with a 9 year old.

MORE FREE STUFF:

Also don't forget there is FREE software for your little kids, you can download it as an app on iTunes, just search Crewton Ramone (I'm the only Crewton Ramone on iTunes oddly enough) or go here to put it on your computer:

http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/free-addition-game.html

Schools you are free to put this software on your computers for your kindergarteners and first and second graders. No license fee, no software fee JUST USE IT.

Go here for an hour long overview of the method and more vids.

Too funny, this post is getting too long...lol...so I'll stop here.

" The way to have a good idea , is to have lots of ideas. "
- Linus Pauling

3rd Power In His Head

Here is a gem. Don't tell me they have to have base 10 blocks or they will become block dependent using this method. Watch the older boy picture this problem

x³ + 9x² + 23x + 16 =

in his head...counting out the parts as he goes and then give it to me to solve.

This is a lesson on factoring and counting and multiplication...and how to be cool and have fun when you do math. The reason they don't need base 10 blocks is because they have been using base ten blocks...and we are learning by drawing and visualizing. Here is a post on 3rd power algebra where you can get an idea of what it is he is "looking at" in his head. We baby stepped our way here but now you begin to see the POWERFUL results of using this method.




More algebra at CRHOM. If you want to see more "advanced" algebra click on the "advanced algebra" tab.

We watched this together. The youngest boy pointed out that he drew 6x² + 10x + 4 and didn't get very much attention for it. He also told me the factors (you can see the drawing in black in front of him) (3x + 2)(2x + 2). "Come on, that was pretty cool dad." So we are going to make a new vid where he gets as much attention as his brother...

Find us on FACEBOOK.

And yes, I'm on Twitter.

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Simple 3rd Power Algebra With Dboyz

Happy New Year!

Here we play around with algebra concepts. This "simple" problem can be drawn three ways.

x³ + 6x² + 11x + 6 =

(x+1)(x+2)(x+3) =

(x+1)(x+2)*(x+3) =

(x+1)(x+3)*(x+2) =

(x+2)(x+3)*(x+1)

We stay in two dimensions and simply change the sides because in this case the long side can be factored.

In the video we play with it a little and talk about x to the fourth too.

This video had several takes in this take we miss them counting each rectangle carefully before they realize all three have the same amount, they are just shaped differently, that is they have different factors...too bad too because you could really see them using their skills with multiplication and addends. I have written entire articles about the importance of addends and how they need to be mastered. Here they add to their mastery of addends subconsciously.

Keeping it in two dimensions makes the arithmetic easy. You will note I did not write out all the different symbols for all three but we did talk about them and the side that can be factored is drawn again to the right. At this age we are more interested in counting, addition and multiplication and addends than we are in the actual algebra. We make no attempt to set it equal to zero, don't talk about roots, or graphing we are just playing and counting more will be added later after we have done lots of problems with sides that can be factored and ones that can't.

Then when we return to this simple one and when we add new concepts they will be easy, unclouded by concepts that we have already mastered. Math the regular way introduces everything at once and it can be daunting. We use degree of difficulty to baby step our way to the "higher" mathematics. If you have to try and learn all of it at once it can be overwhelming. Better to build a firm foundation. Then when I talk about it having 3 real roots and hero zero that's the only part they have to focus on, the rest is already understood.

Here is an older student working on factoring by grouping. She never got to see these as a kid so it gave her a little trouble at first.

And here we play with a 10, 000 square, just talking about it and understanding the dimensions it represents.

Here we begin to see why Mortensen Math is head and shoulders above other manipulative teaching systems, and how Jerry took the Montessori method and ran with it. These boys are 6 and 7...and as I explain in the video we get to see a synthesis of counting all in one lesson. The algebra is just along for the ride.

More algebra at CRHOM.

Find us on FACEBOOK.

And yes, I'm on Twitter.

Classic Algebra Problems

Here are some videos I've made covering those Perennial Algebra Problems...the ones you'll find in every Algebra Text Book or course.

These "exercises" are supposed to teach you about fog, substitution/evaluation and how to express one thing in terms of another. Instead of f(x) for the function they want f(h)...in order to do that you have to put x in terms of h.

In this case you have to figure out that x = h/2 and you have to know how to find the area of a triangle...

It helps to understand rectangles and that all it is is A = (1/2)LW but instead of Length and Width we are talking about Base and Height so we get A = (1/2)bh and all we have is a special triangle that is 30-60-90 so the base is h/2 and the (√3)(h/2) or vise versa depending on how you look at your triangle. So then all you do is substitute terms and you're done. Somehow they usually don't make it that easy.

Express The Area Of A 30-60-90 Triangle In terms Of Hypotenuse:


Crewton Ramone Express Hypotenuse In Terms Of Perimeter of a Triangle.



Explaining via Mortensen Math...this is basically the same as this vid except I explain it with the emphasis for teachers and trainers who are using the Mortensen method...here is regular explanation: http://youtu.be/7NvnLPwkZVw



In this vid I talk about the concepts of Hero Zero and No Fun Get Back To One as well as the rectangle and SAME.

I left out the concept of the rectangle and squares...and that

(a+b)² = a² + 2ab + b² which should be familiar. (x+1)² = x² + 2x + 1 or x² + 2x + 1²...

Here are little boys playing with the concept of (a+b)² or (x+1)² or (x+y)²:



Important concepts to understand here. They stumble in exactly the same places high school and college kids do...but by the time they are teens these concepts will be second nature.

It got cut off at the end, but basically I was explaining that I give him a hard time because he's my son...but that I was very pleased with his work today. And then they did their usual Crewton Ramone's house of math sign off...but the camera died. Happily the lesson was over so we didn't really lose anything...less than 30 seconds got cut off.

Also we talked about it afterwards and the reason he said 14 when adding 6 + 5 is that he was looking at it upside down and the 6 does indeed look like a 9 when you are looking at it upside down so he automatically decoded the symbols as 9 + 5 and got 14 even though he heard 6 + 5..."I know what 6 + 5 is dad...I've been doing it my whole life!"

A note to those with dyslexic kids...what they "see" and the decoding going on there is usually more "powerful" than what they hear.

More videos and sample lessons you won't find anywhere else with these two are here:
http://www.crewtonramoneshouseofmath.com/Dboyz.html There are several hours worth of video there now. You need a password.

Here is some more typical high school algebra:

These are screencasts.



Yet more:



And last but not leaste a problem where we put Pythagoras to the test:



Here a blogpost on using Pythagorean theorem.

All of these problems can be fun if presented properly and if the students have a firm foundation in mathematical concepts. If not they tend to strike fear and cause confusion and delay to quote Thomas and Friends. Just remember rectangles are easy to count and triangles can be a bitch to count so we turn them into rectangles. We also do this with circles and areas under curves.

Be sure to find us on Facebook. And be sure to share this post with kids and teachers you know that are stuck in algebra class.