GB2335529A

GB2335529A - Teaching aid

Info

Publication number: GB2335529A
Application number: GB9805900A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Emma Louise Kidger
Original assignee: HOWARD WENDY VIVIENNE
Current assignee: HOWARD WENDY VIVIENNE
Priority date: 1998-03-20
Filing date: 1998-03-20
Publication date: 1999-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 2018-03-20
Also published as: GB2335529B; GB9805900D0

Abstract

According to the present invention a mathematical teaching aid comprises a first set of pictorial representations of a first type of object, a second set of pictorial representations of mathematical operators, at least one pictorial representation of the mathematical symbol '=', and a third set of pictorial representations of a plurality of different numbers. The representations are suitably in the form of printed cards.

Description

2335529 TEACHING.AIDS The present invention relates to teaching aids and

niore particularly to mathematical teaching aids which are suitable for teaclinúz youne children.

Accordine, to the present invention a mathematical teaching aid comprises a 1 - first set of pictofial representations of a first type of object. a second set of pictorial representations of mathematical operators. at least one pictorial representation of the mathematical svmbol -='. and a third set of pictorial representations of a plurality of different numbers According to the present invention a method of teaching includes the steps of ing one or more pictorial represent ation s into an equ valent translat' -- 1 1 descriptive word or words respectively..

b) counting the number of letters in each descriptive word and c) utilisin that number or numbers to effect a mathematical operation to produce a mathematical answer.

1 - 1 According to the present invention a method of constructing. a mathematical equation comprises a) representing at least one mathematical operand by a first pictorial W 1 - 1 representation the implicit descriptive word for which has a same first number of letters as said at least one mathematical operand-.

b) applying a second operand to the first operand through a mathematical operator, and i 1 c) representing the resultant numerical answer to steps a) and b).

2 According to one aspect of the invention the second operand is a second pictorial representation the implicit descriptive word for which has a same second number of letters as the said second mathematical operand.

Typically for a simple teaching aid there would be two operands and the mathematical operator would be either 'plus' or 'minus, Le. or Typically both operands would be in the form of different pictorial representations.

-I?- For a more complicated/advanced teaching aid there could be more than two operands and more than one operator. The operators would be selected from 4plus', 'minus' 4 multiplication' or 'division' If there were 'n' operands then there would typically be 'n-1' operators.

The representations refer-red to could take any suitable material form but preferably they would be in the form of printin-g on cards. However, they could be in the form of imaues on a cathode ray monitor or other opto-electronic display such as a liquid crystal display.

The ways in which the representations are made available or presented to a subject or subjects being taught can take various forms.

c -- For example all the representations could be visually accessible simultaneously, es. in the case of sets of cards they could all be 'face up'. Alternatively, the representations could be progressively made visually available by means of a c 1 oarne loulc such as that employed in the card game known as 'Rummy'. However, the exact way in which the representations are presented to the subject is not critical as far as the basic inventive concept is concerned.

1 How the invention may be carried out will no,, be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which.

Figure 1 shows a support having zones for cards representing the operands, the 1 1 - operator and the answer to a mathematical equation,' F1Rure 1 shows two samples of a first embodiment of pictorial operands; Figure 3 shows two examples of two mathematical operators-, Fi-ure 4 shows a first set of numbers to be used as answers in the mathematical equation of the first embodiment; Fia - -.. 1 1 ,ure 5 is similar to R-ure 1 but with the mathematical formula completed.

W and Figures 6 to 9 are views similar to Figures 2 to 5 but of a second more complicated embodiment of the invention.

FIGURES 1 to 4 Figure 1 represents a mathematical formula display support 1 made of lamina form and constructed from a suitable material such as card or plastics. It is divided into a plurality of zones A, 13-, C, D and E. Zones A and C are for accommodating visual displays representative of two operands of a mathematical formula. Zone B is for accommodating a mathematical operator, in this embodiment either 'plus' or 'minus'. Zone D is for accommodating the mathematical symbol '='. Zone E is for accommodating the answer to the mathematical operation set at the left hand side of the mathematical operation.

In this simple embodiment designed for teaching young children, typically of about 4 - 5 years old the mathematical equations that are possible are limited to two operands.' two operators ('plus' and 'minus') and a maximum numerical value of five for each of the operands. Thus the answer in zone E can have a value between zero and ten.

Two examples of operands are shown in Figure 2 in the form of cards 2a, 2b which carry pictorial representations of a car and a do. respectively tot.,,ether with the descriptive word of the picture. Thus the child can see that 'CAR' Is 1; three letters and that 'DOG' is also three letters. With these two cards basically two mathematical equations are possible, the first could be 'CAR" +'DOG^ i.e. 3 + -Yto give an answer '6or'CAR-DOG' to (),ive an answer 1 1 1 V. One such equation's shownin Figure 5.

i e.

Ariv number of pictorial operand cards. such as 2a, 2b could be provided, each with a different picture and having the corresponding desc iptive word of the n 1 picture. As indicated earlier in this simple embodiment the words would be limited to a maximum of five letters. Also, as indicated earlier there would be two operator cards '--- and '' and eleven answer cards for the numbers '0' to 10' inclusive respectively as shown in Fluure 4.

Fioures 6-9 c These fiRures illustrate a second embodiment which is designed for more Z7 advanced teaching to older children than the simple or elementary embodiment of Fh-wre 1 ,dthough It consists of basically the same elements as the previous embodiment it is further complicated by 6a) includin-(-.,,, the further operators of multiplication 'x' and 'division b) increasina the maximum numbers of letters in any s-ylven word to nine 1 - and thus increasinR the number of answer cards to cover the numeric ran.e 40' to '8F. and c) omitting from the pictorial cards the actual name of the item being illustrated.

The same reference numerals have been used in F'Ii),ures 6 to 9 for items which correspond to those in F]_gures 2 to 5.

One way in which the first embodiment described above may be used will now be described with reference to Fitzures 1 to 5.

The teacher first places two operand cards in the zones A and C and a mathematical operator in the zone B, The child bein- tauAt then sees the words on the two operand cards and has to translate these words into numbers equivalent to the number of letters in each word.

The child then has to apply the displayed operator, either '+' or 4-' to the two numbers to arrive at an answer.

The eleven cards representing the numbers 'O'to '10' are displayed face up for W the child to select the number which be/she thinks should (1o in the zone E As indicated earlier the method of utilising the teaching aid of the present invention can be more complicated than the simple method described earlier.

In particular, also as indicated earlier a method akin to the well known Came 'Rummy' could be employed. For example each player is given a board strip 1 1 W and five cards dealt at random from the set of cards which have been previously shuffled. The remainder of the deck is placed face down in the centre of the table. The object of the game is to complete the board strip.

cl If the first player is unable to complete the strip correctly, from the cards originally dealt he takes a card from the pile in the centre of the table and compares it with those in his hand. He then discards one card from his hand which is placed face up alongside the pile in the centre of the table. If the next player is unable to complete the strip from the cards he has been dealt he can either take the top card from the discard pile or the top card from the centre -8- pile. He again assesses his hand and discards a card that is not of use to him. The players continue to do this in rotation until one is able to complete the strip.

Although only two embodiments have been described and illustrated, and although only two methods of teaching/playing have been described the principle of the invention could be applied to a wide variety of constructional forms (including electronic displays) of apparatus which could also be used to c teach matters other than spelling and arithmetic.

-g-

Claims

A mathematical teachim, aid comprises a first set of pictorial representations of a first tylpe of object. a second set of pictorial representations of a mathematical operators, at least one pictorial representation of the mathematical symbol '=' and a third set of pictorial representations of a plurality of difFerent numbers.
2. A method of teachinu includes the steps of a) translating one or more pictorial representations 'into an equivalent descriptive word or xvords respectively b) counting the number of letters In each descriptive word. and c) uilisincy that number or numbers to effect a mathematical ti 1 1 = operation to produce a mathematical answer
3. A method of constructin- a mathematical equation comprises:

a) representln,,,, at least one mathematical operand by a first pictorial representation the implicit descriptive word for which has a same first number of letters as sav at least one mathematical operand..

b) applying a second operand to the first operand through a 1 W mathematical operator., and c) representing the resultant numerical answer to steps a) and b).

Z-1 A method as claimed in claim 1 'In which the second operand is a second pictorial representation the implicit descriptive word for which has a same second number of letters as the second mathematical operand.

A teachinc aid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in either Ficures 1 to 5 or Floures 1 and 6 to 9 of the accompanying drawines.

1 W C3 6. A method of teachino, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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