SPEED MATH PEED MATH for Kids

PREFACE

I could have called this book Fun with Speed Mathematics. It contains

some of the same material as my other books and teaching materials.

It also includes additional methods and applications based on the

strategies taught in Speed Mathematics that, I hope, give more insight

into the mathematical principles and encourage creative thought. I

have written this book for younger people, but I suspect that people

of any age will enjoy it. I have included sections throughout the

book for parents and teachers.

A common response I hear from people who have read my books

or attended a class of mine is, “Why wasn’t I taught this at school?”

People feel that with these methods, mathematics would have been

so much easier, and they could have achieved better results than

they did, or they feel they would have enjoyed mathematics a lot

more. I would like to think this book will help on both counts.

I have defi nitely not intended Speed Math for Kids to be a serious

textbook but rather a book to be played with and enjoyed.

I have written this book in the same way that I speak to young

students. Some of the language and terms I have used are defi nitely

non-mathematical. I have tried to write the book primarily so readers

will understand. A lot of my teaching in the classroom has just been

explaining out loud what goes on in my head when I am working

with numbers or solving a problem.

I have been gratifi ed to learn that many schools around the world

are using my methods. I receive e-mails every day from students

and teachers who are becoming excited about mathematics. I have

produced a handbook for teachers with instructions for teaching

these methods in the classroom and with handout sheets for

photocopying. Please e-mail me or visit my Web site for details.

INTRODUCTION

I have heard many people say they hate mathematics. I don’t believe

them. Th ey think they hate mathematics. It’s not really math they

hate; they hate failure. If you continually fail at mathematics, you

will hate it. No one likes to fail.

But if you succeed and perform like a genius, you will love

mathematics. Often, when I visit a school, students will ask their

teacher, can we do math for the rest of the day? Th e teacher can’t

believe it. Th ese are kids who have always said they hate math.

If you are good at math, people think you are smart. People will

treat you like you are a genius. Your teachers and your friends will

treat you diff erently. You will even think diff erently about yourself.

And there is good reason for it—if you are doing things that only

smart people can do, what does that make you? Smart!

I have had parents and teachers tell me something very interesting.

Some parents have told me their child just won’t try when it comes

to mathematics. Sometimes they tell me their child is lazy. Th en the

child has attended one of my classes or read my books. Th e child not

only does much better in math, but also works much harder. Why is

this? It is simply because the child sees results for his or her eff orts.

Often parents and teachers will tell the child, “Just try. You are

not trying.” Or they tell the child to try harder. Th is just causes

frustration. Th e child would like to try harder but doesn’t know

how. Usually children just don’t know where to start. Both child and

parent become frustrated and angry.