Academic subjects like math have multiple areas to learn. While some of them are easy, others may need a large amount of information to be remembered. With the advent of strategies and technologies, Mnemonics evolved to assist in grasping information easily.
Being crafted with a few words of simple steps, they are fascinatingly useful in many cases. After knowing the types of mnemonics, and the list of math mnemonics given in this article we will focus on getting good in math. Here we listed out 10 mnemonics that reduce the effort of retaining facts that may be otherwise strenuous.
What are math mnemonics?
Mnemonics is one of the befitting strategies to assist students to store information with more ease. Bringing out the new information with the new ones makes concepts understandable. With these edges, they are accommodative for special children as well.
This often can be associated with math in three different ways:
- Keyword– A keyword is used to connect the old knowledge with the new one. This is done in two steps: first, a keyword is chosen that sounds somewhat similar. Later, the mental image of that word is connected to a new piece of information. Here is an example: Pasto is a type of Grass, one can remember it as pasta grass with o, making it easy to recall later.
- Pegword- They are used to rhyme with numbers for special students like the word ‘bun’, which rhymes with the number one. It makes it easier for the students to understand mathematical terms.
- Letter- The third strategy is the usage of acronyms and acrostics where the first letter of a word corresponds to the first letter of the new word. For instance, the order of divide, multiply, subtract and then bring down can be remembered as DMSB.
These can be employed by teachers anytime where the concepts are to be taught with ease. These are assistive in higher-order math concepts like geometry, and measurements. Instructors can make customized mnemonics that may assist the little ones when needed to exercise effortlessly.
Donna K wood[1] made a research report on what strategies may be used to enhance multiplication skills. This study focused on selective concepts like multiplication tables of numbers marking out the importance of peg words and visual associations to make remembering them easy.
Math mnemonics to make arithmetic easier!
1. Learning long divisions:
To teach long division to the students, the letter is used where Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Bring Down and Remainder use terms like Dad, Mom Sister, Brother, and Rover.
2. Order of operations:
Next comes the order of operations, where Please Excuse my Dear Aunt Sally which translates into Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Addition and Subtraction.
3. Metric systems:
Then comes the Metric System Prefixes in Value Order with King Henry Died Drinking Chocolate Milk where every first letter of the word starts with Kilo, Hecto, Deca, Deci, Centi, and Mili.
4. Trigonometry made easy:
Trigonometry formula where the strategy of pegword is used Two Old Angels Skipped Over Heaven Carrying Ancient Harps (Tangent = O/A, Sine = O/H, Cosine = A/H).
5. Song mnemonic for algebra:
In Algebra a song like this can be made to explain the basics of algebra.
we have an unknown number, we have an x and a number and now we don’t know what to do. Now is the time we hunt for the number for x.
Come on the other side of x to find the number
And complete the hunt for the x.
In this Mnemonics song, rhyming words are used to solve what x stands for and can be used for defining what x is and how it can be replaced by a number by hunting for the number for x. Songs like this can be made to understand the basics of algebra and introduce the concept of X.
6. Alligator mnemonic for a greater number:
The Alligators want to eat the most they can. They always eat a bigger number. These Math Mnemonics is used for differentiating between the greater numbers. < sign in arithmetic which denotes less than is the alligator’s mouth to the left while > is the sign which stands for greater than and is the alligator’s mouth toward the right and whichever number is in front of the alligator’s mouth is the bigger/greater number. As the signs of greater or lesser than can be confusing to start with, this mnemonic can prove assisting.
7. Dry mix-
8 times 8 is 64, I ate and I ate, and I was sick(which is 6) on the floor(four). We need to keep in mind here the pegword strategy is being used. This phrase is being used as a Mnemonic tool to remember what 8 times 8 where the pegword strategy of rhyming words is used against 6 and 4. Pegword strategy works as a Mnemonic to figure out a phrase around the desired answer and make a Mnemonic that sounds silly but would work in remembering what eight times eight is.
8. Soh-cah-toa:
This Math Mnemonic is used to explain Sine, Cosine, and Tangent in Trigonometry where sine equals the hypotenuse, cosine is adjacent over the hypotenuse and tangent equation equals opposite over the adjacent equation.
9. Multiples of 9
There are the rules of nine in multiplication which is 9 x 3=27(2+7=9). This mnemonic help in learning the table of 9 where whether it’s one times 9 or nine times nine the result in the addition of the digits of the number always comes up to a 9.For eg- 9 times 9=81(8+1=9).In another instance when 9 times 4 is to be solved one can use the combination of two digits of a number can be added and if their total sum comes to be 9 then that is the result of the equation. To distinguish the answer between 9*4 and 9*5 you can add 9 four times to see the answer, and the same can be done with 9*5.
10. Cubes for word problems
The main word problem mnemonic that can be used is the mnemonics of CUBES. Each letter in the word represents the steps to follow when solving a word problem. When starting a word problem we want to start with
- C- i.e. to circle the numbers in the word problem.
- U- underline the important words.
- With B- to make a box around the question.
- E- is for eliminating the information that is not needed, and
- S- at the end is to solve the problem and check for any mistakes.
For those who have started learning to solve word problems, this mnemonic can be helpful to ensure each step is followed. Also, it can be used for higher grades.
Effective instruction of mnemonics
Understanding various math mnemonics is important. What is equally crucial is the idea of implementing these in classroom teaching. Instructors should plan and allocate the necessary time to explain how these work while studying. In most cases, after successful demonstrations, they also may need to show how to use them. This creates a scope for students to learn and use it better.
Susan Peterson Miller[2] in his research report notes that these mnemonics can be possibly crafted into activities facilitating the teachers to randomly check how pupils turn these to their advantage. He also pointed out that students will initially get benefited from the guided steps, later they can get familiar with math solving independently with a better success rate.
Concluding thoughts
With the insights given above, it is evident how Mnemonics assist in bridging new concepts with old ones. There are many pre-existing Math Mnemonics devices that help students in various topics. Further, personalized tips may also be fabricated at a personal level to make things easy. A new Math Mnemonics always works in favor of the child as it’s a new concept as well as a new way of learning about Math that changes the way the students approach the subject. Check out the above insights and see if any of these can be assistive for you or your learner.
References:
- Wood, D. K., & Frank, A. R. (2000). Using memory-enhancing strategies to learn multiplication facts. Teaching Exceptional Children, 32(5), 78-82.
- Miller, S. P., & Mercer, C. D. (1993). Mnemonics: Enhancing the math performance of students with learning difficulties. Intervention in School and Clinic, 29(2), 78-82.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,