Back in April, I sent out a newsletter about the Kickstarter campaign for Multiplication by Heart. This set of flash cards was developed by Dan Finkel, whom you’ll remember as the creator of Tiny Polka Dot and Prime Climb. You might wonder - flash cards sound like the opposite of a game. Why would Kent be promoting these things? Two reasons: First of all, I trust Dan, and I know that he is already hard at work figuring out ways to make games from these beautiful cards. And secondly, I know that lots of parents out there are going to buy multiplication flash cards for their kids at some point, and I’d rather those flash cards be awesome. Well, now you get to see exactly what I mean! Because Dan has partnered with the folks at Mathigon to create a free, online version of his Multiplication by Heart cards! Back in April, I sent out a newsletter about the Kickstarter campaign for Multiplication by Heart. This set of flash cards was developed by Dan Finkel, whom you’ll remember as the creator of Tiny Polka Dot and Prime Climb. You might wonder - flash cards sound like the opposite of a game. Why would Kent be promoting these things?Two reasons: First of all, I trust Dan, and I know that he is already hard at work figuring out ways to make games from these beautiful cards. And secondly, I know that lots of parents out there are going to buy multiplication flash cards for their kids at some point, and I’d rather those flash cards be awesome. Well, now you get to see exactly what I mean! Because Dan has partnered with the folks at Mathigon to create a free, online version of his Multiplication by Heart cards!

How to Use the Cards

The Multiplication by Heart cards aren’t a single deck of math facts - they are actually three separate decks, each of which focuses your child’s attention on a different aspect of multiplication.When you go to the site, you’ll start with Deck 1. This is the “equal groups” deck, and it’s great for kids who are just beginning to learn about multiplication.Each card shows a multiplication problem, as well as a set of equal groups that matches the problem. So the 3x4 card shows three groups of four dots, while the 4X3 card shows four groups of three dots. If your child feels very confident with all these facts, I’d recommend jumping to deck two (which you can do in the settings). These cards use an array model to represent each problem. So now the 3x4 card actually shows a 3 by 4 rectangle, and you can see the problem in two ways: as three rows of four squares, or as four columns of three squares. The final deck is the “prime factors” deck, and here you’ll see Dan Finkel’s Prime Climb designs put to new use as a tool for learning multiplication! Now 3x4 is paired with 2x6, so your child can see that they provide the same answer. Not only that, but the color scheme indicates why: each problem involves two factors of 2 and a single factor of 3.Mathigon has also implemented a system that is based on the science of learning, where your flash cards are placed in different boxes based on your comfort level. The more comfortable you are with a math fact, the less often you’ll see it!Check out the cards and let me know how your kids enjoy them! And if you’re interested in getting the physical decks, go ahead and pre-order from Dan’s Kickstarter site. It sounds like they’ll be shipping sometime in early 2021. Digital Games, Free Games, Other ActivitiesKent HainesOctober 15, 2020CommentFacebook0TwitterLinkedIn0RedditTumblrPinterest00 Likes

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