Does your math whiz think like this?

[Gil]

Your kid understand both place value and is using that understanding for his advantage. Make sure that he learns regrouping. When your kids understand place value and regrouping they will never get addition or subtraction problems wrong (except for the occasional careless error)

[5LittleMonkeys]

I asked both of my older kids (DS11 and DD10), and they both did it left to right. DS8, my stealthy little guy, added $5.20 and $1.40 and then subtracted three cents. Despite his youth and relative inexperience, he actually solved it faster than they did.  :lol:

 

 

My ds8 does this too!  He verbalizes his thought process when he's working through math problems so when he first started doing this I would hear him saying the wrong number (I didn't catch on that it was just the next 10 or the previous 10) and I would jump in and try to correct him.  He'd say, "Mom, trust me...I've got this."  LOL!  It took me a couple days to realize he'd worked out this strategy.  

[Soror]

My ds8 does this too!  He verbalizes his thought process when he's working through math problems so when he first started doing this I would hear him saying the wrong number (I didn't catch on that it was just the next 10 or the previous 10) and I would jump in and try to correct him.  He'd say, "Mom, trust me...I've got this."  LOL!  It took me a couple days to realize he'd worked out this strategy.  

LOL, same thing here! So now I try to keep my mouth shut.

[*Alyssa*]

Thanks so much, Farrar, for explaining all that for me!  I really appreciate the insight and will have to look into that more.  I think I'll have a better idea what you're saying once I have the materials in front of me to compare everything!  I laughed when you said there wasn't any need to be a curriculum hoarder, because that's a weakness for me.  ;)   At this point, though, I think it may very well be worth investing in the various materials everyone has suggested.  I have a local homeschooling bookstore that I'll be near tomorrow, so I'll stop by there to see if they have any of these materials you and others have suggested.  If they do, I'll have my son look at them and see what he thinks.  I'll be going to the library, too, and I'll see if they have any good math books for his age.  If math is my son's thing, then I'm willing to invest in him going full speed ahead with it.  :)

A few of you mentioned how your children like to talk their math problems out and this is exactly what my son does, too!  It is relieving to know I'm not the only one with a child like this.  Letting him be the teacher really lets him exhaust this outlet he seems to have a need for and he loves it!  He also needs to walk around a little and use his hands a lot to completely express his thoughts.  I think it's adorable to watch.

As I read everyone else's experiences here, I'm starting to look back and realize my son has probably been bored with MUS and Saxon all along.  He is always trying to discover new math tricks and I guess I've never taken the hint that he needs something more mentally challenging than the same thing day-in and day-out.  I'm looking forward to helping him fill that need.

I'll be keeping MUS and Saxon around, because I have an older child with whom this combination seems to be her thing.  Guess that's why my son perplexed me so much.  She doesn't like how he does math problems and tells him so.  :laugh:
 

Wow - my son started to do this and I made him change :(

 

Gevs4him, don't be sad!  I hope this post encouraged you to let your son think how it works best for him and find some new ideas to foster that.  I know these ladies have helped me do that and I'm so grateful for all their input!  Maybe now is a good time to talk with him about how he processes math problems and let him do it the way it works best for him.  :grouphug:
 

[Trilliums]

My son resisted learning any kind of algorithm for solving lower lvl math problems.  It was actually quite worrisome because he has some LDs and lower lvl math was all around a huge struggle.   He had strong conceptual understanding but horrible execution at lower levels.  I also worried that he would never learn how to "do math right".  But, he went on to excel in upper level math.  So just chiming in that kids can do all kinds of seemingly wonky things with elementary math but still be successful in upper math. I am about to take this same son to his calculus 3 and linear alg class at the university (has solid As in both classes) so it has definitely worked out ok for him.  Good luck and enjoy your time. :)

[kiana]

Alyssa,

 

If you're actively looking for supplements, I would recommend Beast Academy as well. 

 

I also think that Hands on Equations was wonderful and really fed my later understanding of algebra. It is designed for grades 3-8 but the beginning part would be entirely suitable for a mathematically inclined 2nd grader as well. 

[*Alyssa*]

I'm adding those to my list of things to look into.  Thank you!  :thumbup:

[Tanikit]

My DD7 knows all the methods and even watching her I am not sure exactly which method she is using. I watched her doing the Living Maths olympiad grade 3 today and sometimes she did scribble on a scrap paper and start at the ones column and other times she just seemed to know the answer even when it was multiple steps. I have seen that the olympiad questions require thought about how to solve and since there are numerous methods I do not worry as long as she can say logically what she is doing and why - sometimes she choose very long methods to work out some of the more complex problems and other times she choose a shorter method than I would have chosen to show her had I needed to.

 

I would provide the child with numerous problems that show depth. Explain the methods so he knows them and then give him a bunch of challenging problems and let them solve them his own way - then show him the faster method if need be - the more challenging the problems the more he will have to evaluate his own methods. If you think he cannot add bigger numbers the way he is doing - then give him a sum with bigger numbers and see what he does and if he does succeed. If he doesn't then you can show him the other method in a way that will mean something to him. If he succeeds then great - try something more challenging and give him credit where it is due.