SM question

[joysworld]

We are in 1a, and my son already knows how to add double digits. So for 12+7, he just adds the 7 and 2 and comes to 19. Well, sm is having him turn the twelve into 10, place two in the seven group, and then start counting the 7 and 2 group at 11. Ds is finding this too tedious, and doesn't get the point. Is it important for him to do it the SM way for problems later on down the road?

[boscopup]

If your son is adding double digits, it sounds like 1a isn't correct placement.

 

Making 10s is useful for mental addition, but you could use the concept with bigger numbers to make it more interesting. I don't think I'd make him count up if he already knows 2+7.

[redsquirrel]

I think it is good for him to be able to understand the process but not if he finds it tedious.

 

My son could also add easily in his head at that point, without having to 'make 10' and I didn't make him. I did ask him on occasion to show me that he could.

 

That is a method for teaching mental math for kids who aren't there yet. I actually found it helped me, lol.

 

I also made him do it as a way to 'check' his mental math when I could tell he was going too fast for his own good.

 

So, all in all, it is a useful skill to understand and be able to use, but if he can do something else faster and with accuracy just keep marching.

[TXBeth]

We are in Singapore 1A and the way your son does it is exactly the way they told us to do it. Maybe the problem is one of communication?

You split the twelve into 10s and 1s, add the 1s to the 1s of the other number, then put them all back with the 10, which is exactly what your DS is doing when he adds 7 & 2. I don't think you need to force him to spell it all out each time as long as he understands the concept of 10s and 1s and isn't just following a rule like "add the last column together." Maybe have him do a couple problems with C-rods to show he understands and then let him do it his way?

[joysworld]

We started in 1a, because he didn't know what number bonds where, and I didn't think it wise to jump into 1b. This is our third week in 1a, and I'm just letting him wiz through it.

 

He doesn't understand the concept of ones and tens, and just adds the numbers together because they are in the same place. Did I miss teaching that concept? I don't remember seeing it. I guess I will work with him in that area. Thanks for the comments!

[Dana]

He doesn't understand the concept of ones and tens, and just adds the numbers together because they are in the same place. Did I miss teaching that concept? I don't remember seeing it. I guess I will work with him in that area. Thanks for the comments!

 

That's a big concept.

 

I like base 10 blocks for showing place value.

[Embassy]

I require my sons to do it by making a ten. This has been our first year using Singapore. I think it is crucial for improving mental math skills to be able to start with the tens and then add the ones. I've been using Singapore strategies this year and I have seen an amazing difference in mental math abilities. As you continue through the book and the next books the mental math problems will require your child to understand how to add the other way in his head. It was a bit frustrating at first because I knew my son could it the other way easily, but we plugged at it and are reaping the rewards now:001_smile:

[heart'sjoy]

Warning:;) stepping up on personal soapbox from my very limited experience.

 

From our experience using Earlybird math through SM-5b, the number bonds = foundation for algebra bar diagrams.

 

I understand the angst over the mental math and the number bonds. I so much wanted to just pass over it when they could get the answer. Why should I pull my hair out and frustrate my child to get them to find the answer in a different way? "The answer is the most important part Mom!" said my dc, age 7 the other day.:tongue_smilie:(FYI: I do back off and try at a later day in smaller amounts when the frustation is too high to make progress.)

 

I now realize that understanding the value of each piece and how the pieces relate to the whole is essential in order to have the freedom to manipulate the pieces. Otherwise you are stuck with only one method. It's like the difference between buying a birdhouse kit complete with every screw, or building a unique but functional birdhouse from your grandmother's picket fence and embossed brass doorknob.

 

I'm glad this is the third dc and not my first becaucse this dc is having to go through the mental math concepts usually 3 - 6 times before he starts using them on his own. If it has been the first I might not realize how important it is to stick it out. This child wants to rush through and not get the big picture. He reminds me of me. (Just tell me what to do, and let me alone so I can get it done and on to more interesting things.) I didn't hit the wall till the 2nd half of prealgebra "What you mean there's more than one 'right way,' and I have to learn it in quadrupicate?". Slowing down for mental math is even more important for this dc.

 

The bar diagrams are priceless because they allow you to move the values around and see relationships between the pieces, but you can't move the pieces around if you don't realize there are multiple ways of arranging the same information without changing its value.

 

This is where mental math comes in. I can choose one dime and 2 pennies, or I can choose 12 pennies. Or I owe you $5.01; I can give you $6.00 and you give me 99 pennies, or I can give you a $10 dollar bill and a penny and you give me a $5 dollar bill in change.

 

Now, off my personal soapbox. I'm sure there are many ways, besides just number bonds and bar diagrams, to develop some flexibility in our dc's math thinking to prepare them for algebraic thinking. It just happens that SM uses this track to prepare thinking alongside basic computation skills.

 

It's a marathon. :auto:

[NancyNellen]

Warning:;) stepping up on personal soapbox from my very limited experience.

 

From our experience using Earlybird math through SM-5b' date=' [u']the number bonds = foundation for algebra bar diagrams.[/u]

 

I understand the angst over the mental math and the number bonds. I so much wanted to just pass over it when they could get the answer. Why should I pull my hair out and frustrate my child to get them to find the answer in a different way? "The answer is the most important part Mom!" said my dc, age 7 the other day.:tongue_smilie:(FYI: I do back off and try at a later day in smaller amounts when the frustation is too high to make progress.)

 

I now realize that understanding the value of each piece and how the pieces relate to the whole is essential in order to have the freedom to manipulate the pieces. Otherwise you are stuck with only one method. It's like the difference between buying a birdhouse kit complete with every screw, or building a unique but functional birdhouse from your grandmother's picket fence and embossed brass doorknob.

 

I'm glad this is the third dc and not my first becaucse this dc is having to go through the mental math concepts usually 3 - 6 times before he starts using them on his own. If it has been the first I might not realize how important it is to stick it out. This child wants to rush through and not get the big picture. He reminds me of me. (Just tell me what to do, and let me alone so I can get it done and on to more interesting things.) I didn't hit the wall till the 2nd half of prealgebra "What you mean there's more than one 'right way,' and I have to learn it in quadrupicate?". Slowing down for mental math is even more important for this dc.

 

The bar diagrams are priceless because they allow you to move the values around and see relationships between the pieces, but you can't move the pieces around if you don't realize there are multiple ways of arranging the same information without changing its value.

 

This is where mental math comes in. I can choose one dime and 2 pennies, or I can choose 12 pennies. Or I owe you $5.01; I can give you $6.00 and you give me 99 pennies, or I can give you a $10 dollar bill and a penny and you give me a $5 dollar bill in change.

 

Now, off my personal soapbox. I'm sure there are many ways, besides just number bonds and bar diagrams, to develop some flexibility in our dc's math thinking to prepare them for algebraic thinking. It just happens that SM uses this track to prepare thinking alongside basic computation skills.

 

It's a marathon. :auto:

:iagree:

[joysworld]

So, I wrote out double digits, and asked him how many were in the ones and how many were in the tens, and he got it. I also would ask him what the number was for 'four tens and seven ones' and he got that as well. So, he does get ones and tens, I've just never taught him them.

 

So, we did the worksheets today, and he seemed to get it better, but he has to be walked through it. Sooo, I think I'm going to make some worksheets for him that utilize this method to give him more practice.

 

Thanks so much for all of the responses!

[Paddygirl]

Warning:;) stepping up on personal soapbox from my very limited experience.

 

From our experience using Earlybird math through SM-5b' date=' [u']the number bonds = foundation for algebra bar diagrams.[/u]

 

I understand the angst over the mental math and the number bonds. I so much wanted to just pass over it when they could get the answer. Why should I pull my hair out and frustrate my child to get them to find the answer in a different way? "The answer is the most important part Mom!" said my dc, age 7 the other day.:tongue_smilie:(FYI: I do back off and try at a later day in smaller amounts when the frustation is too high to make progress.)

 

I now realize that understanding the value of each piece and how the pieces relate to the whole is essential in order to have the freedom to manipulate the pieces. Otherwise you are stuck with only one method. It's like the difference between buying a birdhouse kit complete with every screw, or building a unique but functional birdhouse from your grandmother's picket fence and embossed brass doorknob.

 

I'm glad this is the third dc and not my first becaucse this dc is having to go through the mental math concepts usually 3 - 6 times before he starts using them on his own. If it has been the first I might not realize how important it is to stick it out. This child wants to rush through and not get the big picture. He reminds me of me. (Just tell me what to do, and let me alone so I can get it done and on to more interesting things.) I didn't hit the wall till the 2nd half of prealgebra "What you mean there's more than one 'right way,' and I have to learn it in quadrupicate?". Slowing down for mental math is even more important for this dc.

 

The bar diagrams are priceless because they allow you to move the values around and see relationships between the pieces, but you can't move the pieces around if you don't realize there are multiple ways of arranging the same information without changing its value.

 

This is where mental math comes in. I can choose one dime and 2 pennies, or I can choose 12 pennies. Or I owe you $5.01; I can give you $6.00 and you give me 99 pennies, or I can give you a $10 dollar bill and a penny and you give me a $5 dollar bill in change.

 

Now, off my personal soapbox. I'm sure there are many ways, besides just number bonds and bar diagrams, to develop some flexibility in our dc's math thinking to prepare them for algebraic thinking. It just happens that SM uses this track to prepare thinking alongside basic computation skills.

 

It's a marathon. :auto:

 

:iagree:

 

While we haven't made it to 5B yet (only in 3A), it's important to understand Singapore's methodology. My son, who is 6yo, has great number concept because of the way place value is taught. In fact, he was able to figure out on his own, when he was only 5yo, how to multiply a multi-digit number by a 1 digit number. It was a natural progression for him. He can do 2 step word problems without using bar diagrams; however, I still make him write them out on occasion. Why? If I don't stay the course now, it will come back to bite us down the road...and I just don't wanna go there. It may seem tedious and unnecessary right now, but it won't in a few years. Understanding "why" is so much more important than getting the right answer, IMHO.

[joysworld]

:iagree:

 

While we haven't made it to 5B yet (only in 3A), it's important to understand Singapore's methodology. My son, who is 6yo, has great number concept because of the way place value is taught. In fact, he was able to figure out on his own, when he was only 5yo, how to multiply a multi-digit number by a 1 digit number. It was a natural progression for him. He can do 2 step word problems without using bar diagrams; however, I still make him write them out on occasion. Why? If I don't stay the course now, it will come back to bite us down the road...and I just don't wanna go there. It may seem tedious and unnecessary right now, but it won't in a few years. Understanding "why" is so much more important than getting the right answer, IMHO.

 

I'm sure I have read this before, but is there a book or something that I can read that will teach me the methodology behind Singapore?

[Paddygirl]

I'm sure I have read this before, but is there a book or something that I can read that will teach me the methodology behind Singapore?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Knowing-Teaching-Elementary-Mathematics-Understanding/dp/0415873843/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305069369&sr=1-1

 

While I haven't read it, this might be the book you are referring to. But I'm just guessing. I hope others who have read the Liping Ma book will chime in.

 

:lurk5:

 

IMO, Singapore does a great job at presenting number concept/place value and mental math. My son can quickly add/subtract/multiply large numbers mentally because he understands what these numbers truly mean, not just that there is a "3" in the such in such place. Its use of bar diagrams allows children to tackle tougher word problems at an earlier age. In fact, since I knew they were such a big deal, I started drawing them for him when he was doing 2A and had him fill in all the appropriate information. That is why I'm certain he can now do 2 step word problems without batting an eyelash.