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Interesting video--The unintended consequences of the Investigations Math Curric


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Actually, I see what the Investigations method is trying to do. It reminded me of the Base Ten cards used with RS B. The little girl did not organize the drawings well. I don't know if that's how she was taught to draw it out at school or if she just did it that way herself. In RS the child uses the Base Ten cards and stacks columns and then makes any trades.

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I like the visual for showing the effects of carrying, but it isn't how I would teach a child to solve a math problem. I have to say I was impressed with her cube. Either she has a very good eye or lots and lots of practice making cubes.

 

Haha! So funny....I, too, was envious of her cube drawing abilities:).

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Does anyone have any experience with this? I was blown away when the little girl said they weren't allowed to 'stack' numbers at school. Wow.

 

 

This is the reason that we homeschool. Seriously. My DD was in 5th grade when our school district started a very similar math program. It had a different name, but it was the same concept.

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I love representing 1000's, hundreds, tens, ones with cubes to teach the children the concept but not for SOLVING equations.

 

The cubes did remind me of RS but the children don't have to draw the cubes they just put the cards or the manipulatives in the right column. There is more room for error with drawing, plus it's more tedious (took the girl 8 minutes!)... in RS, it would have been done quickly and what RS is looking for is the process, not the answer.

 

If Investigations math taught the kids the concept this way, made sure they understood, then moved to stacking, I would be impressed!

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That was crazy! So sad that she got the wrong answer after all that work too! I can see using that to help illustrate the overall concept but there is no way I would have my child do the problems like that. It's a good thing I homeschool because I would not be a happy math parent if that was the curriculum in our school.

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The thing to remember is that this is group instruction aimed at disadvantaged children.

 

TERC is aimed at disadvantaged children? Do you have a link?

Thanks.

 

(Seattle used TERC until about 5 years ago, and then switched to Everyday Math. Examples from both can be seen at the YouTube vid:

 

 

 

She doesn't mention the disadvantaged part. )

 

Thanks!

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Actually, I see what the Investigations method is trying to do. It reminded me of the Base Ten cards used with RS B. The little girl did not organize the drawings well. I don't know if that's how she was taught to draw it out at school or if she just did it that way herself. In RS the child uses the Base Ten cards and stacks columns and then makes any trades.

 

I could also see what it was trying to do, but that didn't make it any less absurd. Doing these types of exercises are useful for some kids and being able to connect the idea of something concrete (be it manipulatives or drawings or whatever) to the math is really important. However, the idea that she not be taught or allowed to "stack" the numbers is just bonkers.

 

Things like this set up for me a false dichotomy though. The implication at the end in the commentary is that conceptual and procedural math are at odds with each other. Also, that conceptual math makes understanding larger numbers more difficult. But conceptual math can make it easier. Ideally, students should understand both concepts and procedures - multiple procedures, if possible. The problem the girl did might have been made easier if it was simpler and she could have visualized the cubes and "sheets" - she might have been able to do it in less time. But other problems will be easier with the traditional procedure.

 

As for all that drawing, I also thought drawing all that out was a waste, but one of my sons LOVES to do it and it has helped him with his basic addition and subtraction. My other son doesn't like it, so I don't make him do it. But he does thrive on the C rods.

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