Posted by unregistered user at 5/7/08 9:22 a.m.

I have a 3rd grader. When she was younger, going to a store and writing down prices, then adding them, made addition real. Pretending she had only $20 and had to buy certain items helped with subtraction (especially those double-borrowing problems).

Also, games. Her teacher in another grade did a game called "Race to Ten" where the kid had cards the had to hold up to add up to 10-the winner held up the correct card fastest. As the year went by, the game increased to "Race to 15" then "Race to 20", and so on.

Playing store is also useful to help with money math problems.

I realize these are ideas for younger grades, but I'm one of those odd parents with a kid who likes and does well with Everyday Math. As we move into multiplication and division, real world applications again help ("You have 6 kids who each eat 3 cookies. How many is that?").

We also drill the "math facts" at home in small doses to re-enforce them.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/7/08 9:47 a.m.

The problems with Everyday Math don't start showing up until the later grades, when you are using larger numbers, fractions and percents, and can no longer do the math in your head, group numbers or count bubbles to come up with your answers. When my child was in 7th grade and started learning Algebra, I was appalled that he was able to use a calculator, since he was not taught how to come up with the answers to the problems without it. He had no formulas or algorithms, just lots of discovery and his trusty calculator. He couldn't multiply fractions, multiply percents, or even do long division (without a calculator). All I can say is stay on top of your child's progress and supplement with old fashioned math when you can, or get tutors to do it for you. Kids do fine in the younger grades, but from grade 7, or so, onward it is a disaster.
AdHoc

Posted by unregistered user at 5/7/08 9:51 a.m.

Oh and I forgot to add that my son is very bright. He is in honors math, and was far enough ahead that his teachers had him skip 7th grade math altogether, and placed hi in 8th grade math. So when you have a child at the top of his class that can't do the basics, like long division, it's alarming.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/7/08 11:38 a.m.

I think games are great when they have a math component. It makes math fun. I remember loving to be the banker in Monopoly as a kid and always wanted to keep score when we went bowling (of course now the computer does all the work there).

My oldest is only in 1st grade, but my problem with Everyday math is they move around subjects too often (and then come back to them later). My daughter barely starts to master something and then they move on and when they come back to it I have to "reteach her" in homework. She forgets. If they kept on that topic longer it would have stuck better. That' my impression so far anyway. I know her teacher is frustrated with it because she would prefer have all her kids "get it" before moving on. She doesn't trust the system yet.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/7/08 12:56 p.m.

I'm #126067 up above-Some questions for Ad Hoc-I thought this was the first year Everyday Math was being used? Did your child's school use it prior to this year? Also, did you realize that he was not learning the basics even as he was put into honors class?

Also, I guess it must be taught differently in different schools, since my daughter is learning the multiplication facts in her class, as well as fractions. They have not begun long division yet, but basic division facts have been taught. So maybe the key is Everyday Math that includes the facts and basics?

I'm very involved in her school work so I do expect to see any problems early enough to catch them, but we'll be doing a little drilling over the summer anyhow. I think kids lose too much going 8-10 weeks without any kind of school work.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/7/08 5:06 p.m.

Hi there, I'm AdHoc and am answering the poster aboves questions.

No, before Everyday Math my childs school used Terk. So I guess I can't blame EM for everything. Now in Middle School they use Connected Math, which seems as bad as Terk and EM. In Middle School the work gets more complex, and they do not spend enough time on each subject, they do not get the formulas and they use calculators before they have mastered a concept.

My son did learn the basics. He can add, subtract, multiply, divide. He can solve word problems, and does well on the WASL. The problem is that the way he learned to do math is convoluted. He does it in his head, he groups numbers, he uses bubbles. He never learned how to carry and borrow, long division, etc. These methods work fine at the younger grades, when you are using smaller numbers and no percents or fractions. However, when you start doing Algebra you are lost. You need formulas. You need to be able to do long division, divide and multiply large numbers (that you can not group bubbles for).

We did notice that he was not learning, but thought that he was just learning math in a different way than we were. After all we went to school 25 years ago. At about 4th grade we began teaching him basic concepts like carry and borrow, and his teacher called us into a meeting and asked us to stop. She said it confuses children to learn both ways, and to trust that their way worked. So, we backed off. Until 6th grade when the holes in his elementary math skills could no longer be denied. The problem is that his middle school thought he was advanced. They skipped him a grade in math, and he is now in honors math with an A average. Go figure.

Now we supplement all of his math with Singapore and Unified math texts. We don't blindly trust the school or curriculum any more!

Posted by DorothyI at 5/7/08 11:04 p.m.

I have a friend who was one of the MIT card players. And now lives in Seattle. And whose kid was in a Seattle school. But my friend found the curriculum appalling, especially the math. Is now homeschooling. Much happier kid and much happier parents.

Posted by unregistered user at 5/27/08 10:26 a.m.

i love math. if i could i would do nothing else but learn more about the different ways to use math. i think it's great to want to know more and more about how math can be used for just about everything. in understanding that math can bring knowledge of the world around you using geometry and all other different types of math. i am still in high school and can't wait for more math to come my way. with knowledge comes power... power to MATH...