Q. How do I register MATH DITTOS 2?

A. Registration is no longer necessary to use the full MD2 series. It became available as freeware January 1, 2010!

Q. How is the MATH DITTOS 2 series different than other materials?

A. The main difference is the fact support and fact control. Each page presents facts for practice. Only those facts are used in completing the practice problems on each page. Fact presentation follows a logical progression throughout the series.

A second difference is in the appearance of MD2 pages. The design is clean, almost barren, to help ADD and ADHD students tolerate the material. The number of problems is quite limited on each page. For example, Fact Controlled MULTIPLICATION pages have no more than 12 problems per page!

The packaging of the MD2 series is an obvious difference between it and traditional textbook/workbooks. It's basically a math skills workbook on your hard drive. While I keep a master copy of the blacklines to photocopy, I usually just print from the computer what I need. I do keep printed answer keys on hand in binders.

Q. Can the MATH DITTOS 2 series replace the traditional textbook for math instruction?

A. Absolutely not! I use a variety of materials to meet my students' needs in math. MD2 figures in a big way in that, but it does not teach applications, nor other strands of math. It is a great "catch-up" tool for kids who've fallen behind and may be returned to the regular curriculum at some point.

Q. I get a blank page!

A. Check to see if you're using the latest version of the Acrobat Reader.

Q. Do I need to upgrade to Acrobat Reader 9?

A. Not really. The pages should be compatible back to version 6 at least. But then, if you're using a machine that runs Acrobat Reader 6, oh my, you're using stuff as old as I do!

Q. Why do characters in the PDF onscreen pages look fuzzy and unsharp.

A. Try fiddling with the "Smooth Text and Monochrome Images" in the preferences. The fuzzy screen appearance does not affect the clarity of printed copies.

Q. I downloaded the file (Windows version) but it won't unzip.

A. A file that won't unzip often has been corrupted during the download. But, most of the time, folks just don't see where the file has unzipped. Depending on your machine, the files may decompress in several different locations. The first place to look is the Windows directory on your "C" drive. Failing that, try a search for "Start," which is the index document of each workbook.

Q. I can't get my computer at school to download the files.

A. The MATH DITTOS 2 series is packaged for download as a compressed file. Many school servers don't allow downloads of such files, as they could potentially carry a virus. The answer is to download the files at home and bring them to school on a CD or thumbnail drive.

Q. I downloaded the file (Mac version) but it won't decompress.

A. All Mac files now require StuffIt Expander 5.1 or better to decompress. Check the link at the bottom of the page for the latest version of Expander.

Q. Is there a "fact controlled division" file?

A. Yes, there is such a file on my hard drive, and in its present state, it is unsuitable for release. Frankly, I had such good results using the old, old, old Spectrum math series as our primary math series, especially for division and fractions, that I didn't have to spend much time making division and fraction materials this year. The Spectrum series is now available from SRA McGraw-Hill.

The projected release for Fact Controlled Division is way behind schedule. It appears that I won't get it out until, well, I've actually given up trying to put a date on it. While I haven't needed it in my classroom, possibly due to the use of Fact Controlled MULTIPLICATION with many of the students, I've had an incredible number of requests for information on FCD! That alone has caused me to continue with the project, even after the first concept used in writing crashed and burned well into the writing. I'm now working on it from another angle and making slow, but steady progress with it.

Q. Are there editable versions of MATH DITTOS 2 available?

A. No.

Q. When are revision updates posted and do you maintain a mailing list?

A. Full revisions usually appear towards the end of summer, as I have time to finish them up over summer break. Minor revisions can appear anytime.

I do not currently maintain an email list for updates, but registered users are always free to check the Update/Upgrade page.

Q. Are these real customer questions, or just something you made up?

A. A little of both :-)! Actually, each question, although heavily paraphrased, has been asked by customers and others making inquiries.

The MATH DITTOS 2 series requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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