Math manipulatives
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:53 am
What you need are Cuisenaire rods:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisenaire_rods
You can use them to demonstrate counting by 1's, 2's, 3's, etc., addition, subtraction, multiplication, even division if you're a little creative. They explain -why- math works the way it does, then you move to flash cards or drill software / printouts for memorizing the basic math facts. Then you can play math-based games such as Muggins to make it fun:
http://www.mugginsmath.com