The Verbal Math Lesson, Book 1: Step by Step Math Without Pencil or Paper

Everyone thinks kids hate math. But the truth is, kids don’t hate math—they hate worksheets! Writing down equations takes fine motor skills that young children haven't yet developed, making the process of learning math difficult and tedious. Math done mentally, or verbal math, makes math fun. Children see math problems as a game and a challenge. In the second edition of this pioneering educational bestseller, handwriting is removed from math problems to help children cement fundamental mathematical skills so that they may solve problems without having to do any writing at all. Developed as a supplement to traditional math education, the lesson is completely comprehensive, step-by-step, and leaves no area undone.

The first book of the series introduces children to the basic concept of adding and subtracting, and works its way up to math problems involving numbers with double digits. The book is meant for children between the ages of 5 and 7.

Michael Levin, MD, is a physician specializing in behavioral, attentional, and learning problems in young children. He maintains a private practice in which he sees young children for various developmental and learning problems. Charan Langton, MS, is an engineer. She writes an engineering and math-focused blog at www.complextoreal.com. They are the authors of Big Words for Little Kids and The Reading Lesson. They both live in San Ramon, California.