5th grade Math homework help needed

[kaylajr]

Okay anyone who remebers Math better than I do
what is Clustering???

here is the problem3.79 +4.16+4.21

than estimate by clustering

I can estimate and i can get the answer but her teacher doesnt care if the answer is right if she doesn't follow the EXACT directions
so

anybody know what clustering is????

 

[chrissyk]

I believe that "clustering" would be (3.79+4.21)=8 (8+4.16)=12.16

Does that look like the clustering format that she is looking for?

 

[kaylajr]

Thanks for the back up
When i thought that might be what they meant she wasn't sure

but since we agree she is gona go with it

thanks again

 

[Nite0wl71]

I love math, but I have forgoten alot from 5th grade and 6ht grade. My Dd is in 7th now and whenever she has a problem I run straight to the computer and do a search. I can't believe how much I am remembering

 

[JESW]

Argh - 5th grade math!!!!! We are in the middle of it with our DS. The school has a new math system so even tho we know the answer, like you, it is wrong unless he shows the correct way of answering. What seems to be tripping him up the most is "writing" math....

Bring back the old way of doing math!!!!

Jill

 

[kaylajr]

Bring back the old way of doing math!!!!

Jill

AMEN TO THAT

this new math is driving me crazy
who cares how you get the answer so long as it is right

 

[golfgal]

AMEN TO THAT

this new math is driving me crazy
who cares how you get the answer so long as it is right

Except a lot of math teachers will give partial credit for doing the proper steps even if you get the answer wrong. It is also a way to make sure the kids are doing the work and not copying the answers out of the back of the book or just using a calculator and not working the problem.

 

[chrissyk]

UGH, count me in as someone who can't stand "new math". I'm a "2nd career professional" becoming a high-school math teacher now, and I can tell you that I am already wary of how my future students learned their foundation in math. New math is the pits IMHO. Adults do this stuff in their heads AFTER they learn the basics of computation as children. Sorry for the vent...I could go on and on about this because it REALLY frustrates me.

 

[we3disneygo]

count me in as another parent who just doesn't get it............... my dd11 is in the 6th grade, first year at a private Christian school, we ran to Barnes and Nobles for a math help book and got a tutor !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! she said she doen't want my help..................... let's hope the school year goes by fast.

 

[kaylajr]

Nice to know I am not the only one frustrated

I Mean I consider myself pretty smart and did well in high school and college but
give e 5th grade math now and i just get lost

 

[WishingOnAStar]

Just wanted to add that the fifth grade teachers this year (at back to school night) encouraged us to buy "Math at Hand: A Mathematics Handbook". It has been VERY helpful already. It's like a guide that explains how to do everything. I taught 4th grade until I had my daughter - now if fifth - and sometimes, I can't remember the way it's "supposed" to be done, so I use that book.

FWIW, though, it did not have clustering.

 

[kaylajr]

I just don't undersyand why they have to change what things are called

we used to call it borrowing now they say regrouping

what was wrong with borrowing????

 

[chris1gill]

Why EXACTLY do they have new math?? If you want to have fuzzy math, it is just great, but math is TECHNICAL.... it is supposed to be straight forward based on old mathematical foundation.... I feel sorry for the next wave of engineer's and scientist's, they are in for a big wake up call!! DS is extraordinarily literal minded and he HATES this new math.... he automatically does math in his head (it's a gift), but when he has to draw this stuff out, it is beyond frustrating for him.... drawing math, what is that anyways???

I agree with ChrissyK!!!

 

[Twinkles6892]

I'm so glad that I have gotten good math teachers/like math enough to be in honors classes! They really have stopped caring how you get the answer on old stuff like that, as long as you get it right. Which is good, because you don't have to waste time showing your work and stuff.

Good luck to all of you with children in middle school math these days!

 

[mickeyfan2]

here is the problem3.79 +4.16+4.21 than estimate by clustering

estimating should result in 4 + 4 + 4.

then clustering would be (4 + 4) + 4 = 8 + 4 = 12

 

[chrissyk]

I'm so glad that I have gotten good math teachers/like math enough to be in honors classes! They really have stopped caring how you get the answer on old stuff like that, as long as you get it right. Which is good, because you don't have to waste time showing your work and stuff.

Good luck to all of you with children in middle school math these days!

Showing your work isn't a waste of time, though, because it can get you at least partial credit. I don't mean that you have to show every calculation, but you should at least show the path by which you arrived at the answer. Otherwise, the teacher has no way to know whether or not you were on the right track even if you calculated the wrong answer.

 

[suzannen]

Just wanted to add that the fifth grade teachers this year (at back to school night) encouraged us to buy "Math at Hand: A Mathematics Handbook". It has been VERY helpful already. It's like a guide that explains how to do everything. I taught 4th grade until I had my daughter - now if fifth - and sometimes, I can't remember the way it's "supposed" to be done, so I use that book.

WishingOnAStar, is this book only for 5th grade math? My DD is in honors 6th grade math and her textbook is terrible. My DH's field is finance and he's a math whiz - at the old math, and even he is constantly having to search the internet for better explanations. I would love to find a book to help us. I'm another parent who hates this new math!