Educational Insights MathShark EI-8490 User manual

EI-8490

Grades 1+

Ages 6+

MathShark™

CONTENTS

Introduction to MathShark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Why is MathShark an Important Learning Tool? . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

SuggestionsforUse ....................................3

MathShark’s Special Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

HowtoUseMathShark.................................6

MathShark Content by Skill Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Add .............................................8

AssessmentChart .................................10

Subtract.........................................12

Multiply ........................................13

Divide ..........................................15

Decimals ........................................16

Fractions ........................................17

Percents.........................................19

MathShark Skills Scope and Sequence Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

CARING FOR MATHSHARK

Battery Installation

1. Open the battery compartment door by carefully loosening the screw

with a screwdriver.

2. Install two fresh AA alkaline batteries, following the illustration inside

the battery compartment.

• Batteries must be installed with the correct polarity.

• Only batteries of the same or equivalent type are to be used.

• Alkaline batteries are preferable.

• Do not mix old and new batteries.

• Do not mix different types of batteries: alkaline, standard

(carbon zinc), or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries.

• Do not use rechargeable batteries.

• The supply terminals must not be short-circuited.

• Non rechargeable batteries are not to be recharged.

• Remove exhausted batteries from the unit.

3. Close the compartment door and tighten the screw.

4. To prevent battery corrosion, it is recommended the batteries be

removed from the unit if it is not in use for two weeks.

Cleaning

Clean with a damp or dry cloth. Do not immerse MathShark in water. Do

not spray any liquid or water on MathShark.

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part

15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a

residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed

and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,

there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful

interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is

encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Connect the equipment into a different outlet from the receiver.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

NOTE: The user is cautioned that changes and modifications made to the equipment without the approval of

manufacturer could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

Why is MathShark an Important Learning Tool?

Mathematics skills are useful throughout our lives. Teaching strategies may

change, yet most educators agree that acquiring mathematics skills means

learning to:

• apply math skills outside the classroom

• develop problem-solving techniques

• inquire, analyze, and reason mathematically

• communicate mathematically

MathShark’s fast, continuous drill games and instant feedback give students

the basic tools they need to reason and problem-solve accurately and

effectively—inside and outside the classroom.

SUGGESTIONS FOR USE

MathShark can be useful in many ways. Some suggestions for incorporating

MathShark in the home or classroom are listed below:

In the Home

• Have children spend 15-30 minutes on MathShark drill games as part of their

homework schedule. The ASSESSMENT chart on pages 10-11 can help parents

and children keep track of skills review or mastery.

• Make MathShark a traveling companion—MathShark can fit in a backpack and

travel by car, train, bus, or plane.

• Encourage players to keep track of their scores (on the ASSESSMENT chart or

another piece of paper) and try to improve their times.

• Challenge family members to a friendly MathShark competition. Players choose

a SKILL and a LEVEL and see who gets the best time.

• Substitute MathShark for TV and see what happens!

In the Classroom

• Use MathShark as an individual skill builder. Five or ten minutes with

MathShark turns “free time” into a productive learning experience.

• Make MathShark a permanent feature in any Math Learning Center.

• Use MathShark for cooperative learning. Pair students and have them take

turns drilling basic math facts or specific skills and keeping a record of their

times.

• Use the MathShark ASSESSMENT chart on pages 10-11 to track students’

progress.

• Encourage students to track their own progress by comparing their times for

the first game they play at each level with games played after using the drills

practice.

MathShark™

Guide for Teachers and Parents

Congratulations! You have chosen MathShark, the calculator and

electronic game that improves math skills.

As a CALCULATOR, MathShark performs arithmetic calculations for

home or school. As a LEARNING tool, MathShark provides hundreds

of drill games, enabling students to sharpen their mental math skills—

math performed mentally rather than on paper—from memorization

to estimation to mental computation.

MathShark LEARNING is a progressive sequence of problems in seven

skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals,

fractions, and percents. There are thousands of problems! Self-

directed and self-motivating, MathShark gives players the confidence

to use mathematics in everyday activities.

MathShark users of all ages and skill levels find that these features

help them sharpen math skills at their own individual pace:

Repeated drill Each SKILL has eight sequential levels. At

each level, there are ten or more game sets—ten problems per

game. At the end of each game, the player can choose to replay

that game to improve timing, go to the next game on that level,

or change to another level or another skill.

Immediate feedback

Different tones and lights tell the

player whether the answer is correct or incorrect. Incorrect

answers are immediately corrected on the screen.

No-fail game format

Incorrect answers are recycled into

the game and repeated. Game play continues until all problems

are answered correctly.

Self-assessment

At the end of each game, a player’s

elapsed time is shown on the screen. The player can try to

improve that time by repeating the game.

CLR

To change an answer, use

the CLR button to erase the

most recent number input.

SKILL

Press one of these buttons

to select a skill in

LEARNING—FRACTIONS,

DECIMALS, or PERCENTS.

SCREEN

Greetings, selection menus, examples, math

problems, skill level, and elapsed time appear on

the screen. Problems in LEARNING will show in

either vertical or horizontal format.

HELP

Help offers tips, steps, or alternate

ways to look at a problem. Visualization

is an important part of mental math.

When applicable, MathShark gives

learners two ways to look at a problem.

The HELP button can also be used to

adjust the display CONTRAST on your

screen. Turn MathShark on, and press

HELP during the opening screen. Use

the + and – buttons to adjust contrast

for maximum visibility. Press ENTER

to return to the main menu.

ENTER

Press this button to enter answers

in LEARNING mode or to find the

answer in CALCULATOR mode.

FUNCTION

Press a key to add,

subtract, multiply,

or divide.

MathShark‘s Special Features

LIGHTS

A flash of the green light means

the answer is correct; a flash of

the red light means it is incorrect.

ON/OFF

Use this button to turn

MathShark ON and OFF.

LEARNING/CALCULATOR

Use this button to choose

a mode.

SKILL

Press one of these

buttons to select a skill

in LEARNING—ADD,

SUBTRACT, MULTIPLY,

or DIVIDE.

NUMERAL BUTTONS

Use these to input answers.

DECIMAL BUTTON

Use this to input

a decimal.

FRACTION BUTTON

Use this to input

a fraction.

5. After choosing SKILL and LEVEL, screen displays EXAMPLES.

6. Press ENTER to start a game, or CLR to choose a different SKILL or

LEVEL.

7. First problem appears. Input an answer, then press ENTER. To enter a

fraction, use the A/B button. To enter a decimal, use the button.

The HELP button offers a visual clue. The HELP screen might display

the problem in another way or provide a hint to getting the correct

answer. After using the HELP screen, press HELP again (or CLR or

ENTER) to return to the problem screen and ENTER an answer.

8. If the answer is correct, the green light flashes and the correct answer

tone plays.

9. If the answer is incorrect, the red light flashes and the incorrect answer

beep plays. The correct answer flashes and the problem recycles into

the game. Play continues until all 10 problems are answered correctly

(even if it takes 50 tries!).

10. At the end of each game, the screen displays a congratulatory message

and the elapsed time.

11. Make one of these selections:

• advance to the NEXT game, press +.*

• repeat the SAME game, press ENTER.

• CHANGE skills by returning to the main menu, press CLR. To

change levels, press CLR, choose a SKILL, then choose a LEVEL.

(To change SKILL during a game, press LEARNING to return to

the main menu.)

* In ADD, SUBTRACT, MULTIPLY, and DIVIDE on Levels 1 and 2, MathShark

will advance to the next LEVEL after the highest drill number is

completed. All other levels and skills will repeat continuously until CLR is

chosen from the end-of-game menu.

To conserve batteries, MathShark is set to “go to sleep” after 300

seconds, or five minutes. Pressing any button will “wake up” MathShark.

When player completes a game after waking up MathShark, the elapsed

time at the end will say 300 SECS, the maximum time.

For CALCULATOR

1. Press CALCULATOR.

2. Input the first number.

3. Press a function key (+ - x÷).

4. Input the next number.

5. Press ENTER and the answer will show.

6. Continue the process for a multiple step problem.

7. Press CALCULATOR or CLR to begin a new problem.

HOW TO USE MATHSHARK

MathShark is two fully functional learning tools in one! Press ON to start

MathShark. It will come on in LEARNING mode unless you press

CALCULATOR.

For LEARNING

1. Press LEARNING if you are in CALCULATOR mode.

2. Select SOUNDS ON or OFF. To silence MathShark’s tones, press CLR at

this menu. To hear them, press ENTER and proceed.

3. Choose one of seven skills: ADD, SUBTRACT, MULTIPLY, DIVIDE,

FRACTIONS, DECIMALS, PERCENTS.

4. Choose a LEVEL from 1 to 8.

At Level 1 or Level 2, player chooses NUMBER TO DRILL.

For example: To drill basic multiplication facts for 6, choose

MULTIPLY, LEVEL 1, DRILL NUMBER 6.

ADD,SUBTRACT,MULTIPLY, and DIVIDE begin by drilling basic facts:

Level 1—drills facts for a specific number in sequential order,

for example: 1 + 1, 2 + 1, 3 + 1

Level 2—drills facts for a specific number in random order,

for example: 4 + 2, 8 + 2, 3 + 2

Level 3—mixes the number facts drilled in random order,

for example: 5 + 1, 6 + 4, 2 + 9

Levels 4–8—provide programmed math problems in a skill area in

progressive sequence. (See examples in Content by Skill Levels.)

ADD, SUBTRACT, MULTIPLY on Level 8, and DIVIDE on Levels 7

and 8—introduce pre-algebra skills by having players find the

missing number in a math problem.

DECIMALS,FRACTIONS, and PERCENTS on Levels 1–8—provide

skills practice in increasing difficulty.

Level 5

Add 2-digit addends to 2-digit

addends without regrouping.

Level 6

Add three 1-digit addends.

+ 12

+ 34

51 + 34 =

11 + 11 =

You may want to offer one of these suggestions for

mental reminders in adding three numbers:

• always add the first two numbers, then add the

sum to the third.

• always add the easier two numbers, then add the

sum to the third.

Level 7

Add 2-digit addends to either

a 1-digit addend or another

2-digit addend with regrouping.

3 + 5 + 4 = 7+1+3=

45 + 36 =

2 + ? = 9

? + 70 = 80

28 + 9 =

+ 39

+ 8

Level 8

Introduces the pre-algebra

concept of finding the missing

addend (shown as ?).

To find the missing addend, subtract the known

addend from the sum.

MathShark Content

by Skill Levels

The MathShark Skills Scope and Sequence Chart on pages 20 –21 gives an

overall look at content in each skill and on each level.

The following pages provide a definition of the content for each skill and

level, plus some example problems. You may want to use the examples to

introduce a new or difficult concept. You might also want to make a

reproducible sheet of problems for practice or for assessment.

For teacher assessment, use the reproducible ASSESSMENT chart on pages

10–11 to keep track of each player’s mastery. Students or parents can use the

chart to keep track of individual achievements.

ADD

Level 1

Basic addition facts 0–9

in sequential order.

Player selects number to drill.

Level 2

Basic addition facts 0–9

in non-sequential order.

Player selects number to drill.

Level 3

Basic addition facts 0–9

in non-sequential order.

Drill numbers are randomly mixed.

Level 4

Add 2-digit addends to 1-digit

addends without regrouping.

+ 4

+ 2

+ 1

+ 7

+ 9

7 + 2 =

4+2=

3 + 5 =

5 + 1 =

23 + 4 =

90 + 5 =

Remind players to determine the answer “mentally”

and enter the complete answer from left to right.

Name: ___________________________________

ADD SUBTRACT MULTIPLY DIVIDE DECIMALS FRACTIONS PERCENTS

ASSESSMENT

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Level 6

Level 7

Level 8

1312

Level 1

Basic multiplication facts

1–12 in sequential order. Player

selects number to drill.

Level 2

Basic multiplication facts

1–12 in non-sequential order.

Player selects number to drill.

Level 3

Basic multiplication facts 1–12

in non-sequential order. Drill

numbers are randomly mixed

and include multiplication by

numbers through 12.

Level 4

Multiply 2-digit numbers by

1-digit numbers without

regrouping.

Level 5

Multiply 1-digit or 2-digit

numbers by a number ending in

one or two zeros.

Level 6

Multiply three 1-digit factors.

x 5

300

900

x 10

x 5

2 x 5 =

5 x 3 =

23 x 3 =

32 x 2 =

5x6x2= 3 x 5 x 4 =

9 x 2 =

6 x 5 =

You may want to offer one of these suggestions for mental

reminders in multiplying three factors:

• multiply the first two factors, then multiply the product by

the third.

• multiply the easier two factors, then multiply the product

by the third.

MULTIPLY

Subtract to find the missing subtrahend.

Add to find the missing minuend.

–2

– 8

– 7

– 8

364

– 123

– 26

– 1

–8

–5

–4

–2

16 – 8 =

13 – 8 =

5 – 3 =

25 – 4 =

654 – 13 =

837 – 26 =

67 – 6 =

43 – 9 =

92 – 58 =

78 – 39 =

? – 71 = 28

79 – ? = 23

75 – 7 =

9 – 2 =

Remind players to determine the answer “mentally”

and enter the complete answer from left to right.

170

– 27

141

– 16

SUBTRACT

Level 1

Basic subtraction facts 0–9 in

sequential order. Player selects

number to drill.

Level 2

Basic subtraction facts 0–9 in

non-sequential order. Player

selects number to drill.

Level 3

Basic subtraction facts 0–9 in

non-sequential order. Drill

numbers are randomly mixed.

Level 4

Subtract 1-digit numbers from

2-digit numbers without

regrouping.

Level 5

Subtract 2-digit numbers from

2- and 3-digit numbers without

regrouping.

Level 6

Subtract 1-digit numbers from

2-digit numbers with regrouping.

Level 7

Subtract 2-digit numbers from

2-digit and 3-digit numbers with

regrouping.

Level 8

Introduces the pre-algebra concept

of finding the missing number in

subtraction problems.

100 x 4 =

12 x 30 =

1514

Level 1

Basic division facts 1–12 in

sequential order. Player selects

number to drill.

Level 2

Basic division facts 1–12 in non-

sequential order. Player selects

number to drill.

Level 3

Basic division facts 1–12 in non-

sequential order. Drill numbers

are randomly mixed and include

divisors through 12.

Level 4

Divide numbers ending in zero

by 10 or numbers ending in two

zeros by 100.

Level 5

3-digit numbers divided by 1-digit

numbers without regrouping.

Level 6

2-digit numbers divided by

1-digit numbers with regrouping.

Level 7

Introduces the pre-algebra

concept of finding the missing

divisor (shown as ?).

Level 8

Introduces the pre-algebra

concept of finding the missing

dividend (shown as ?).

To find the missing dividend, multiply the two factors.

2 ÷ 2 = 4 ÷ 2 =

9 ÷ 3 = 15 ÷ 3 =

108 ÷ 12 = 18 ÷ 2 =

560 ÷ 10 = 200 ÷ 100 =

364 ÷ 4 = 339 ÷ 3 =

78 ÷ 3 = 80 ÷ 5 =

60 ÷ ? = 3

?÷4=6 ? ÷ 2 = 32

48 ÷ ? = 6

DIVIDE

Level 7

Multiply 2-digit numbers

by 1-digit numbers with

regrouping.

47 x 3 =

58 x 2 =

33 x ? = 132

? x 47 = 94

You might want to encourage players to use their

estimating skills at this level. Estimation is a valuable

tool in mental math.

Remind players to enter the complete answer from

left to right.

Level 8

Introduces the pre-algebra

concept of finding the

missing factor (shown as ?)

in multiplication.

To find the missing factor, divide the product by the known factor.

1716

Level 1

Simplify fractions. Once players

have learned to simplify fractions

in LEVEL 1, all answers for LEVELS

2-8 must be simplified.

Level 2

Add fractions with like

denominators, answers not over 1.

Before beginning work in the FRACTIONS skills, make sure player knows how

to use the A/B button to enter a fraction: enter the numerator, press the A/B

button, then enter the denominator.

Before beginning work in the DECIMALS skills, make sure player knows how

to use the button to enter a decimal: enter the whole number, press the

button, then enter the decimal numbers.

4⁄16 =

1⁄8+2⁄8=

3⁄4–2⁄4=

3⁄7–1⁄7=

1⁄3

+1⁄3

1⁄6+4⁄6=

90⁄100 =

As FRACTIONS levels advance, remind players to use this

3-step process:

1. Input their answer as a fraction, but do not press ENTER.

2. Look at the fraction and ask: “Can it be simplified?”

3. If the answer is "yes," players can use CLR to erase their

answer and input it again in simplified form.

Level 3

Subtract fractions with like

denominators.

Level 4

Add fractions with unlike

denominators.

5⁄9

–4⁄9

1⁄2

+1⁄4

1⁄6

+2⁄3

5⁄6

–3⁄6

1⁄9

+1⁄9

1⁄3+3⁄6=

3⁄5+1⁄10 =

To add and subtract unlike fractions, rename the fractions

as equivalent fractions with common denominators.

FRACTIONS

Level 1

Add tenths.

Level 2

Subtract tenths.

Level 3

Add hundredths.

0.2 + 0.3 = 0.4 + 0.6 =

0.3 – 0.1 =

0.10 + 0.01 = 0.20 + 0.12 =

0.8 – 0.6 =

Level 4

Subtract hundredths.

Level 5

Add decimals greater than 1.

Level 6

Subtract decimals greater than 1.

Level 7

Multiply with decimals.

Level 8

Divide with decimals.

0.28 – 0.14 =

4.24 – 0.12 =

2 x 0.2 =

0.25 ÷ 5 = 0.28 ÷ 0.07 =

0.10 x 0.10 =

8.83 – 7.70 =

1.13 + 0.42 = 3.34 + 0.13 =

0.34 – 0.22 =

DECIMALS

Remind players to determine the answer

“mentally” and enter the complete answer.

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