Author of the book "Multiply With Me: Learning to Multiply Can Be Fun" Suzy Koontz speaks to us about how to get kids into math and learn the methods that helps them remember.

I am on a mission to promote math confidence and stomp out math anxiety! Physical activity and movement facilitates learning. When you add fun to the equation, the result is a child-centered approach that optimizes math learning and retention. My books show you how to harness a child's love of movement and turn it into enthusiasm for acquiring number concept skills.

My school visits and workshops teach movement activities that strengthen math skills and improve math confidence while having fun. Encouraging children to combine movement and math practice is a powerful method for strengthening math basics. Thank you for visiting my site and giving me the chance to share my passion for math with you!

In just 15 minutes a day, you can improve your child's math skills. Play a board game that includes money or keeping score, jump rope while skip counting by threes or walk the dog while counting backward by fours. Have your children count steps in the grocery store between aisles, and count out loud as they place items on the checkout stand. Remember hopscotch?! It's a great way to move to the numbers!

Suzy Koontz is an educational consultant, an actuary, a math teacher and author. She is the founder of the Math & Movement® Program and is a popular speaker at schools, PTA/O and homeschool events. Suzy lives in Ithaca, New York with her husband and four daughters.

Although I love math, I am not the typical mathematician. I used to be a terrible math student! I even thought I would fail 5th grade because I had so much trouble with arithmetic. Middle school wasn't much better — my teacher announced that I would never amount to anything in mathematics. But he didn't know me or my determination. During my junior year in high school, I finally figured out enough math to enjoy it. Then I enrolled in three math classes my senior year to prepare me for a college major in math. I had learned an important lesson: hard work, determination, and persistence are equal in importance to natural talent.

I earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Wheaton College in 1985 and a master's degree in statistics from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry in 1987. After many additional years of intense study, I passed the required examinations to become an Associate of the Society of Actuaries. Since then I have taught and tutored math at all levels. My publications in advanced mathematics include two study guides to prepare students for the actuarial exams.

The welcoming of children into my life has meant shifting my mathematical focus to making learning math an interesting and enjoyable experience for children. I envision a world where math facts are easy to learn because everyone absorbs them like they do the ABCs. My early struggles with math have given me a passion to make math accessible to everyone. I believe pleasurable educational experiences enhance learning. I hope you enjoy my books as much as I enjoyed creating them.