Teaching Basic Elementary Facts

For some kids, completing a sheet of basic math or reading facts can be a real struggle. For homeschool parents who have never tried to help a child learn math facts or basic reading rules, teaching these foundation facts can be frustrating and a bit scary. There are several drills and games teachers use to help children learn that can easily be adapted to the homeschool setting. Most homeschool parents can help their children learn those important basic skills with these drills and games.

Fact Drills

They may seem boring, but fact drills are the best way to help children learn those basics. There are pre-made flash cards for almost any type of fact, but helping children make their own cards is a great way to introduce the concept of fact drills and helps reinforce the facts they will be learning. A few basic concepts that can be reinforced with flash cards are:

• Colors
• Shapes
• Numbers
• Letters
• Vocabulary words
• Math facts
• Geography facts
• Foreign language vocabulary

The easiest way to hold a fact drill is to simply hold up cards one after the other and have the child give the answer. As the child learns the facts, the person giving the drill allows less and less time for the response. However, even trying to beat his or her previous time doesn't keep a standard fact drill from eventually becoming a bit dull for a child. Try a few of these flash card games to make drills more interesting:

• Play around the world (For this game, you will need several children. It is perfect for a homeschool group activity.) Have the children sit in a circle. Choose one child to start the game by standing behind another child. When the person with the flash cards holds one up, the child who is standing calls out the answer as quickly as possible. If the student who is sitting responds first, they trade places. The winner moves on to stand behind the next child. The game is over when one child makes it the whole way around the circle.
• Create a math facts matching game by making two sets of cards - one with facts and one with answers. Place the cards face down as you would with a standard memory game. The child will need to find the right answer for each fact to create a match.
• Write answers on a blackboard and have the child run to the board and put an x over that answer when you say a fact.

Practical Drills

Seeing how facts are used in real life can really help children understand the importance of learning the information and makes learning fun. Try finding a way to practice in the grocery store, around the house, or in the park. A few examples of practical basic fact drills are:

• Asking children to get 2 x 3 fresh bagels from the bin.
• Finding out what color the grass is in Spanish.
• Asking children to count the number of pennies in the change jar.

Games

There are many free online sites dedicated to online vocabulary and math drills. These games can really be fun and entertaining for children. Software games, including Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, are also readily available. However, don't forget the classics. Scrabble and Monopoly are just two of the many great educational board games that parents have been playing with their kids for generations.

Addition facts are learned through repetition

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