First in MATH Student Tips and Hints

Tips and Hints

Math—you CAN do it!
Picture this: You are in a parking lot and see someone pushing their car. The engine is not working. You know what kind of effort it takes to move that car, and you know it can’t be moved very far. Now picture that same person finding the ignition key, and the car is easily driven away. This is what happens to students who are involved in the First In Math® Online Program—the key is found and the engine is turned on!

First In Math will improve your basic skills—the "key" to math success—and math will become easier when your "math engine" is turned on! Track your own progress, and experience the satisfaction of knowing you are mastering facts, gaining speed and accuracy and becoming “good in math.”

HELP! I'm stuck at...
We all get stuck at one point or another when learning new skills. You are not having brain-lock! You may just need more practice with new concepts. For example, if you are having trouble with Fractions Primer in Skill Set 5, you could certainly benefit from a visit to the FRACTIONS GYM.

The GYMs are there to help you practice, which helps your brain "internalize" basic facts. (Internalize is just a fancy way of saying that your brain will remember facts you practice, without you even having to think about it—similar to the way you can talk without thinking of every word!) And remember, you will be earning stickers as you work your way through the GYMs!

Help with Skill Set® Games.

In the Skill Sets, there are 24 different editions of the 24® game. If you need instructions for any of these games, click DIRECTIONS in your navigation bar, and then click on the game you want to see.

Finding Patterns.
Finding patterns is a very important skill in mathematics, and being a good "pattern detector" helps you solve problems quickly. Playing the 24® game not only gives you speedier mental math skills, it also help you learn to recognize patterns quickly. As you play, look for patterns—such as 6 x 4, 3 x 8 or 16 + 8—that keep turning up. Here are some of the most common patterns you will see in 24 game play.

Pattern Table

Grouping Strategies.
Patterns are important, but so is grouping. When you look at the numbers on a 24® game card, they may at first seem like random numbers. The secret is to "decode" these numbers to make 24.

1234 card

GROUP two numbers together and see what you can do with them. Look at this sample card with numbers 1,2,3,4 on it. Group 2 and 3. If you multiply them, the product is 6 (2 x 3 = 6). Now you need a 4 (6 x 4) or an 18 (6 + 18) to make 24. Can you make one of those numbers with the 1 and the 4 that are left on the card? YES! Multiply 1 x 4 (1 x 4 = 4).
Try again, but this time group the numbers 3 and 4, Can you make the number 24?

Game Directions

Math Terms Pop-up

Student Comment Forum

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