Speed Matspeed Math for Kids

The Fast, Fun Way to Do Basic Calculations



Wrightbooks | ISBN: 978-0-7879-8863-0 | Author: Bill Handley | English | PDF | 258 Pages | 2.9 MB

Introduction
I have heard many people say they hate mathematics. I don’t believe them. Th ey think they hate mathematics. It’s not really math they hate; they hate failure. If you continually fail at mathematics, you will hate it. No one likes to fail. But if you succeed and perform like a genius, you will love mathematics. Often, when I visit a school, students will ask their teacher, can we do math for the rest of the day? Th e teacher can’t believe it. Th ese are kids who have always said they hate math. If you are good at math, people think you are smart. People will treat you like you are a genius. Your teachers and your friends will treat you diff erently. You will even think diff erently about yourself. And there is good reason for it—if you are doing things that only smart people can do, what does that make you? Smart! I have had parents and teachers tell me something very interesting. Some parents have told me their child just won’t try when it comes to mathematics. Sometimes they tell me their child is lazy.
Then the child has attended one of my classes or read my books. Th e child not only does much better in math, but also works much harder. Why is this? It is simply because the child sees results for his or her eff orts. Often parents and teachers will tell the child, “Just try. You are not trying.” Or they tell the child to try harder. Th is just causes frustration. Th e child would like to try harder but doesn’t know how. Usually children just don’t know where to start. Both child and parent become frustrated and angry. I am going to teach you, with this book, not only what to do but how to do it. You can be a mathematical genius. You have the ability to perform lightning calculations in your head that will astonish your friends, your family and your teachers. Th is book is going to teach you how to perform like a genius—to do things your teacher, or even your principal, can’t do. How would you like to be able to multiply big numbers or do long division in your head? While the other kids are writing the
problems down in their books, you are already calling out the answer. Th e kids (and adults) who are geniuses at mathematics don’t have better brains than you—they have better methods. Th is book is going to teach you those methods. I haven’t written this book like a schoolbook or textbook. Th is is a book to play with. You are going to learn easy ways of doing calculations, and then we are going to play and experiment with them. We will even show off to friends and family. When I was in ninth grade I had a mathematics teacher who inspired me. He would tell us stories of Sherlock Holmes or of thriller movies to illustrate his points. He would often say, “I am not supposed to be teaching you this,” or, “You are not supposed to learn this for another year or two.” Often I couldn’t wait to get home from school to try more examples for myself. He didn’t teach mathematics like the other teachers. He told stories and taught us short cuts that would help us beat the other classes. He made math exciting. He inspired my love of mathematics. When I visit a school I sometimes ask students, “Who do you think is the smartest kid in this school?” I tell them I don’t want to know the person’s name. I just want them to think about who the person is. Th en I ask, “Who thinks that the person you are thinking of has been told they are stupid?” No one seems to think so. Everyone has been told at one time that they are stupid—but that doesn’t make it true. We all do stupid things. Even Einstein did stupid things, but he wasn’t a stupid person. But people make the mistake of thinking that this means they are not smart. Th is is not true; highly intelligent people do stupid things and make stupid mistakes. I am going to prove to you as you read this book that you are very intelligent. I am going to show you how to become a mathematical genius.

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