Am I the only person that has trouble with LoF?

[funschooler5]

I admit it, I've always been terrible at math. We use Teaching Textbooks as our main program, and it has been a lifesaver for me. This year, we added Life of Fred, because I read on the boards that it is a good supplement to TT.

 

I love the idea of LoF, and the stories that go with it (my kids love the stories too). But when it comes to some of the problems, we get stuck. I'm talking about the ones that come out of left field, that have nothing to do with what has been mentioned in the text. (Yes, I know that everything probably works together somehow, but on a mathphobic person like me, it gets lost.)

 

I'm not sure how to go about preparing myself for these lessons. I've read through the book, and yes, I can do most of the problems, but there is always some problem in there that I have no idea how to solve. For instance DD (13) is doing LoF Decimals, and there was a problem to day that asked her to find five concecutive numbers that add up to 135 (or some number like that). I have no idea how to go about doing that problem, other than just trying random numbers. How does one figure out how to do that type of problem?

 

I shudder when I think about going through high school math, if I'm having trouble with middle school!

 

P.S. LOVE this new Logic Stage board!!!

[elegantlion]

If ds gets stuck and I get stuck we will sometimes look at the answer and then reverse engineer the problem. I figure he is supposed to learn how to work the problem and if it takes a couple times of going through the steps while having the answer it will be okay.

[MamaT]

If ds gets stuck and I get stuck we will sometimes look at the answer and then reverse engineer the problem. I figure he is supposed to learn how to work the problem and if it takes a couple times of going through the steps while having the answer it will be okay.

 

We do this too.

[funschooler5]

That's good to hear, because I've been doing that too, but I was feeling like we were "cheating" or something. I guess if you actually work out the problem, it still counts.

 

Thanks! :001_smile:

[Mallory]

The author encourages the student to e-mail whenever they are stuck!

[Spy Car]

For instance DD (13) is doing LoF Decimals, and there was a problem to day that asked her to find five concecutive numbers that add up to 135 (or some number like that). I have no idea how to go about doing that problem, other than just trying random numbers. How does one figure out how to do that type of problem?

 

 

You could figure that 135/5 = 27. If you have two numbers that are one less and two less than 27 together with two numbers that are one more and two more than 27 it all averages out.

 

25,26,27,28,29.

 

Bill

[EKS]

I think it's good for kids to see the problem solving process and that even adults can get stuck.

 

As for the five consecutive numbers adding up to 135, think of the first number as x, so the next number will be x+1, and then next one x+2 and so on up to x+4. So:

 

x + (x+1) + (x+2) + (x+3) + (x+4) = 135

5x + 10 = 135

5x=125

x=25

x+1=26

x+2=27

x+3=28

x+4=29

 

You can also do it with a bar diagram.

[JadeOrchidSong]

You could figure that 135/5 = 27. If you have two numbers that are one less and two less than 27 together with two numbers that are one more and two more than 27 it all averages out.

 

25,26,27,28,29.

 

Bill

How clever!

[Heather in WI]

I think it's good for kids to see the problem solving process and that even adults can get stuck.

 

As for the five consecutive numbers adding up to 135, think of the first number as x, so the next number will be x+1, and then next one x+2 and so on up to x+4. So:

 

x + (x+1) + (x+2) + (x+3) + (x+4) = 135

5x + 10 = 135

5x=125

x=25

x+1=26

x+2=27

x+3=28

x+4=29

 

You can also do it with a bar diagram.

 

Thanks for this!

[nmoira]

You could figure that 135/5 = 27. If you have two numbers that are one less and two less than 27 together with two numbers that are one more and two more than 27 it all averages out.

 

25,26,27,28,29.

This is similar to the first step towards solving magic squares: add up all the number and divide by the number of rows/columns. This gives you the number to which each row/column must sum.

[funschooler5]

You could figure that 135/5 = 27. If you have two numbers that are one less and two less than 27 together with two numbers that are one more and two more than 27 it all averages out.

 

25,26,27,28,29.

 

Bill

 

I think it's good for kids to see the problem solving process and that even adults can get stuck.

 

As for the five consecutive numbers adding up to 135, think of the first number as x, so the next number will be x+1, and then next one x+2 and so on up to x+4. So:

 

x + (x+1) + (x+2) + (x+3) + (x+4) = 135

5x + 10 = 135

5x=125

x=25

x+1=26

x+2=27

x+3=28

x+4=29

 

You can also do it with a bar diagram.

 

This is similar to the first step towards solving magic squares: add up all the number and divide by the number of rows/columns. This gives you the number to which each row/column must sum.

 

Thanks everyone!! This really helps me. There are just some math problems that make me freeze up for some reason. I think writing it out like this will help me better understand how to work these out.