Demystifying Elementary Math (from a Secondary Perspective)

I'm guessing that if you grew up around the same time I did, you experienced a similar progression. Master the 2 dimensional shapes and their measurements (perimeter and area) and then move on to the 3 dimensional shapes and their measurements. Throughout this process, at least in my elementary years, I'm fairly certain not a single elementary teacher I had in front of me had a degree (major or minor) in mathematics. So they did what they'd always done, show some pictures in books and talk about formulas and calculations. Once we made the leap to 3D though, my brain really struggled to "see" what was on the paper as taking up space - even with the paper nets we cut and taped into 3D objects. Do you suffer from the same affliction I do?  I can't say that my parents didn't ask me to do this often enough or not, but I certainly needed some more practice!  Don't shy away from letting your child do this kind of spatial thinking. Have them order containers s...

Metacognition: a buzz word that educators like to throw around Metacognition: thinking about thinking Yes, that's a real thing teachers are asked to do on a regular basis. We are expected to anticipate errors our students might make before they make them. We are constantly on the look out for students who have a different approach than their peers to a problem. And now we're seeing these "metacognition" problems showing up on standardized tests for all ages. The practice of explaining your thinking can be a tough one to wrap our heads around as adults. It feels easier to say "It just IS the answer." But we want to dig deeper into HOW or WHY you arrived at your answer because It's Not New, It's Meta

  Estimation is the one task from elementary school math that drove me CRAZY! Why would I estimate if I could just FIND the answer OR measure OR count and find the "REAL" answer.  It's taken awhile, but I've come around to appreciate this skill a bit more - check out why I think estimation is a reasonable (and important) skill for students of all ages to practice and hone to be better consumers of data.   Estimation is Reasonable What do you think? Do you estimate regularly? Do you ask your children to estimate? 

  I ran another social media survey about math (I know, I'm a blast at parties...I swear).  This time I learned that adults - just like my students - avoid fractions! So, that got me thinking... This week's video is all about fractions (the why and how) and a little challenge to all you parents out there!  Watch and let me know what you think!! :) 

  Yet another example of adults saying "But there's a better way..."  No one would argue that you, adult, can add probably faster than an elementary school student.  We are in the process of building UP TO that speed and accuracy. By encouraging your child to imagine the groupings, you are building their imagination (draw whatever you'd like!), their math skills (count up, make 10s), and their mental flexibility ALL IN 1 PROBLEM!  Check out my NEW addition video for a little more about how this problem is VERY similar to what many adults already do! Making sense of a problem IRL isn't about having an algorithm to write out your work. Instead it's about applying what you know to a REAL situation.  This is what most adults think of when they see  an addition problem: But this is what many                                                ...

How do you do mental multiplication?  Do you encourage that same thinking in your own children?