4th grade math HELP---

[seashoreCM]

On second thought I suppose I could put most of the individual math problems into the categories if I had all of them in front of me already solved.

Here I look at the kinds of computations used and in what order they are used in each of the individual problems to see if there are common patterns or themes to some of the problems.

 

[Jajone]

Seriously, all parents received a math book from the teacher today so we can understand the math throughout the year. If parents need an instruction book for simple math problems, the method is ridiculous! This is 5th grade math, simple word problems. DD had the same thing the other day and I had to ask what an array was. Still don't get it. Guess I have to go get out my math book

 

[CruisinEars]

Here is a great, free website that we use to help our kids with math concepts. Our school uses the Saxon math program which repeats concepts on a regular basis to keep things fresh. More than once I have had to consult this website for my middle schooler when he was doing geometry, but it covers all grades.

mathisfun.com

 

[eduk8r26]

An array is a way for kids to understand multiplication, as in 6 rows of 5 in each row. xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx

This is an array to show 6x5.

 

[seashoreCM]

By th eway, I ran this subject past someone who has a Ph.D. in math and he did not understand what was going on.

Is this subject matter quite common these days or is it unique to a particular school or perhaps unique to a particular teacher?

 

[eduk8r26]

I know in the Everyday Math program, there are completely diffferent ways of teaching things. It uses vocabulary the kids never used before. Arrays and lattice math are just 2 ways they use for teaching multiplication, as well as partial quotients for division.

 

[EKW]

I would guess they are what our math series calls partial product multiplication/division.

The multiplication goes like this: 712 x 25= 14,000 (700 x 20) + 3500 (700 x 5) + 200 (10 x 20) + 50 (10 x 5) + 40 (2 x 20) + 10 (2 x 5)= 17,800

I should add: yep, with the newer math books they introduce algebra concepts in the primary grades! The fifth grade book has 5 different ways to do multiplication.

Oddly, thing we used to do with brain power...like figure out square roots, they now say to give kids calculators to work.

Wanna know why we don't teach your kids to add, subtract, multiply, and divide anymore? In the 80's a huge commission made up of politicians and businessmen decided our graduates didn't know how to apply what they'd learned to business applications. Don't blame educators for this one.