Cotter AL Abacus vs Multi Base Blocks Applications

Cotter AL Abacus, used with the RightStart™ Mathematics program, now available on your iPhone and iPad! This abacus will teach, not calculate like the Japanese and Chinese abacus, while using subitizing (quantity recognition) and visual strategies to support learning and understanding. Perfect for visual learners! This unique double-sided abacus is grouped in fives and tens for quick recognition of quantities. The second side of the abacus focuses on trading to the thousands. Learn the facts easily by: * visualizing quantities, * minimizing counting, and * developing mental strategies. Those learning arithmetic with the Cotter AL Abacus have a better understanding of basic concepts and need less time to master arithmetic. Although children do enjoy using the abacus, it does not become a crutch. Stan, age 5, was asked how much is 11 plus 6. He replied, “17!” When he was asked how he knew, he replied with a grin, “I’ve got the abacus in my mind.” App has links to sample addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division lessons as well as detailed use information.

Multi Base Blocks Applications contains four apps to help young children proceed from the concepts of trading and place value through to the written algorithms for addition and subtraction. Preschool children can practice trades and learn about place value and grouping using the applications Win A Block and Trade A Block. School aged children can use the applications Addition and Subtraction to bridge from performing the operations with blocks to carrying out the operations with symbols. On the same screen, students model the problem with multi-base blocks and are guided to perform trades and moves to arrive at the answer. While the students move the blocks, symbols are adjusted to match the student moves through to the final answer. Parents or teachers can help children by making choices concerning grouping size, how many digits or columns in a problem, repeating a problem, creating a specific problem or generating a random problem. The applications are not intended to teach operations in another base, but to help children become familiar with the algorithmic processes so that they can more easily learn addition and subtraction in base 10.