Kids learning math the TouchMath® way

Kids learning math at an early age will help them develop the problem-solving skills they will need later. The TouchMath® program has built up credibility with educators in schools, classrooms and homeschools around the world. For 40 years kids learning math using this program develop critical math skills. TouchMath makes learning math concepts interesting for kids. The program is accessible for all students, including those who struggle to understand grade-level content. 

Palmetto trees.Kids learning math visually, such as counting how many palmetto trees are in this picture.

The program is available as a mobile phone app. Carol Marcotte, a 28-year veteran educator, principal and adjunct professor in elementary curriculum, loves the TouchMath mobile app. “The TouchMath Mobile app is educationally sound, easy-to-use, and engaging. It provides solid computation and problem solving. The students I tutor love it!” 

According to Janet Bullock, Founder and CEO, Innovative Learning Concepts, “Our goal is to help banish math anxiety in young learners, whether from fear, lack of comprehension, or a learning disability.” The teacher mobile app dashboard allows teachers to manage TouchMath Mobile app settings for an entire classroom of tablets from any web browser. Teachers can easily monitor each student’s progress from the teacher’s desk.

The TouchMath application is based upon the work of Dr. Jean Piaget and Dr. Lev Vygotsky. Janet Bullock developed the program in 1975. She found that many students were struggling with math concepts and needed help in increasing both their math skills and confidence in solving mathematical problems. TouchMath is a researched based program.

How can kids grasp mathematical concepts through technology?

Research conducted by Kot, Terzioglu and Yikmis, A. and published in 2018 supports the effectiveness of the TouchMath application. “The effectiveness of TouchMath Technique: Meta-Analysis Study” reports the positive impact the application has upon student performance in mathematics. Benefits include improvements in conceptual understanding, cardinality, application, operational algorithms, fluency, modeling and automaticity. According to Boaler in 2018, “Good mathematics teachers typically use visuals, manipulatives, and motion to enhance students’ understanding of math concepts.”

The program focuses on kids learning math by moving through a framework of conceptual stages.  These stages are concrete, pictorial and symbolic. The program addresses the academic and cognitive proficiencies and deficiencies. 

TouchMath enriches both the concept and the computation by bridging the gap between concrete and representational mathematics. Kids learning math can benefit with help in cardinality, order irrelevance, stable order, conceptual development, abstraction, procedural fluency and one-to-one correspondence.

Historically, educators have used concrete manipulatives to support and build conceptual understanding. TouchMath Counting is the most basic math skill and is connected to every mathematical domain area for elementary and middle schools.

TouchMath is the only curriculum program that uses a numeral as a manipulative. It turns an abstract concept into real and concrete action for kids learning math. It is also a multi-sensory curriculum that uses seeing, hearing and touching numerals. This multi-sensory method helps kids learning math using movement to solve problems, hands-on experiential learning and looking at solving math problems visually.

Street scene with trees.Math concepts help kids solve everyday problems.

Kids learning math in a new way

 Development of mathematical ability and skill is based upon neuroscience research and research-based best practices.

  • The first category of mathematical proficiency is conceptual understanding. Kids learning math should develop an understanding of mathematical operations, concepts and relations through the reinforcement of visual manipulatives. Conceptual understanding in mathematics can take the form of concrete and pictorial models; real-world contexts; conceptual questioning; speaking and writing about understanding.
  • Procedural fluency is defined as the ability to carry out procedures accurately, appropriately and flexibly.
  • Strategic competence is reflected in a student’s ability to solve mathematical problems. For example, a student may try to solve a word problem. However, they become frustrated with the exercise when they don’t understand the operation and representation component of solving word problems. The TouchMath program helps kids learning math by helping them to formulate, represent and solve mathematical word problems.
  • Adaptive reasoning is a student’s ability to manage logical thought, explanation, justification and reflection. Successful math students must think logically about relationships between concepts and situations.
  • Productive disposition is the desire to view the study of mathematics as worthwhile, useful and sensible. Students in the TouchMath program are trained to explain the meaning of a problem and actively look for ways that it can be solved.

More information about TouchMath® . How to use mobile tools.

teacher powerpoints

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