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When do you use a calculator in NEM 1? Or do you ever?


Guest Lorna
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Guest Lorna

My daughter is doing the Chapter 8 currency section (exercise 8.3) and has no problems with the concepts or getting the correct answer. It is when I find her doing such calculations long-hand as 1835 divided by 2365 in each and every question, I wonder if everyone requires their children to do all the calculations the old-fashioned way. We find that nearly all of the questions require large calculations like this and it takes time. I know that with questions in this league at school we always used a calculator.

I value our daughter having the ability to do these sorts of calculations but I am surprised that one is expected to get through an exercise quickly this way. I notice that in the Sonlight Instructor Guide these calculations are never written out. If calculators are not meant to be used then why is this?

I am concerned that I may be alienating my daughter from her love of maths by requiring this work of her and perhaps distracting her from the new concepts.

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We are just behind you all, in chapter seven. I have let Mac use a calculator were it says it's ok and where I have felt that too much time is being wasted calculating large percents or decimals. There really have not been to many so far. When she took the U.S. Iowa test this year, she was surprised at how much she was able to use a calculator and how often she felt she did not need one.

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I figure by the time they're in NEM, they already have mastery of arithmetic facts/mechanics. So I let my ds use a calculator whenever he wishes.

 

Edited to add: Oh, I missed this aspect -- when they're learning a new mechanical concept, for instance if the topic were calculating interest on a loan or suchlike, I would require him to show his work/formula, but use the calculator for the rote arithmetic calculations. Hope this makes sense.

 

Karen

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I let mine use their calculator if it said, and for +,-,x,/ and that is it. Later, I let them use it more. Now in NEM3, my oldest uses his every day, but still mostly for trig, exponants, and the 4 basic functions. I'm scared to let him use things like the % key because I know he'll forget how to do it if I do.

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Guest Lorna

Thank you everyone, this helps a lot. I am very impressed at the calculations she can do on paper but sometimes I am concerned that they are a distraction from the real purpose of the exercise.

I feel more relaxed about going with my instincts on this one. Poor dd, she is putting up with my experiments very well!

:tongue_smilie::glare:

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We refer to our oldest as the "family guinea pig" sometimes. We think she turned out quite well considering how little we knew what we were doing.

 

She is the one who:

 

1) had to do grammar every day until sometime in 10th grade (NEVER again!)

2) had to learn all the presidents by heart (worthwhile, but only for history buffs)

3) had to read almost every book on courtship ever written (and gave negative reviews on a fair number -- I've thrown those out so the others won't read them accidentally!)

4) was NEVER EVER allowed to see a movie until she had read the book (even those movies that she wasn't that interested in and so she never ever would read the book anyway!)

5) had to do calculadder (never ever again!)

6) was never ever allowed to drink soft drinks.

7) had THREE different pre-algebra programs!

 

She looks at what my younger kids are allowed to do and lectures me! I smile and thank God she made it through depite all our weird rules, requirements, and goofs.

 

If we could do it over I'd sweat the little stuff less and seize the moment more..... hopefully I'm doing that with my younger ones!

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