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US 6,884,077 B2Granted
Apparatus for math calculation and instruction
OwnerLydia Marie Faulknerinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerLydia Marie Faulknerinventor
Estimating the term…
An apparatus and method for teaching mathematics to children is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a flat, ruler-like rod having expressed on one face a vertically arranged base-ten number line; lips at the ends of the rod; spaced-apart grooves on the back face of the rod; and an attached sleeve sized to snugly accommodate the rod and to slide thereon while indicating respective numerals on the number line. The sleeve is prevented from being separated from the rod by the lips on the rod. The sleeve has a transparent portion to frame individual numerals on the number line as the sleeve slides along the rod. On the inner portion of the reverse side of the sleeve a projection made of flexible material strikes the interior portion of individual grooves as the sleeve slides along the rod. In operation, the apparatus provides an audible and felt “click” as the sleeve passes over each numeral. A method is described for using the apparatus to teach elementary school children math concepts using a vertically oriented number line.
A math instruction tool comprising a hand-held structure bearing a vertically oriented base ten number line, a slidable member to engage said structure and to slide along maid number line, and means on said slidable member to indicate individual numerals on said number line as said slidable member slides along said number line, and sound-making means to aurally indicate the movement of said slidable member as it slides along said structure.
A math instruction tool comprising handheld structure bearing a line, which may be formed by a physical element of said structure, said line being substantially two-dimensional and linear, an evenly spaced and sequentially ordered series of real numbers, including the number zero, distributed in a vertical orientation along said line, a slidable member to engage said structure and to slide along said line and said series, and means on said slidable member to indicate individual numbers as said slidable number slides along said line and said series, and sound-making means to aurally indicate the movement of said slidable member as it slides along said structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.