Regarding the sea-saw, remember that a real picture involves things. So on the left you may have 5 eggs (hedgehogs, tortoises, whatever) and something like a weight representing the number -2. On the other side you have a weight of number 38. 38 could also be 19 x 2weights. Not sure how you handle a -2 weight though! Perhaps keep positive numbers for a while until the concept is grasped. Maybe an understanding of "minus 2 on the left is the same as plus 2 on the right" is important first so you can redraw the scales with 5 hedgehogs on the left and 40 weights on the right. If you represent 40 weights as 5 x 8weights, the weight of the hedgehog may be clearer?
Sort of how I did it at school, and I went on to confuse the hell out of myself by degree maths. Relating things to reality is important for all ages - even when I tried to help my dyslexic husband do the maths for degree level engineering (now there's a challenge).
Regarding the sea-saw, remember that a real picture involves things. So on the left you may have 5 eggs (hedgehogs, tortoises, whatever) and something like a weight representing the number -2. On the other side you have a weight of number 38. 38 could also be 19 x 2weights. Not sure how you handle a -2 weight though! Perhaps keep positive numbers for a while until the concept is grasped. Maybe an understanding of "minus 2 on the left is the same as plus 2 on the right" is important first so you can redraw the scales with 5 hedgehogs on the left and 40 weights on the right. If you represent 40 weights as 5 x 8weights, the weight of the hedgehog may be clearer?
Sort of how I did it at school, and I went on to confuse the hell out of myself by degree maths. Relating things to reality is important for all ages - even when I tried to help my dyslexic husband do the maths for degree level engineering (now there's a challenge).
And whatever you do it must somehow be fun.
Good luck,
CAroline