Embarrassing 4th grade math problem...

[taramarie]

As a teacher, I would say anything that you can do at home with hands on materials (jellybeans, M&M's, beans, etc...) is a great way to solve it!

I try to get my kids to guess and check all the time and they want to be right the first time and get frustrated. It is the same way with estimation...they won't guess and not change it!

So good luck and use manipulatives!

Tara

 

[MouseWorshipin]

I dunno. When we were kids and when my kids were younger, we used a number line to grasp the 3 + __ = 5 concept. Then we memorized the tables. In third grade we did basically the same thing with multiplication. We kept getting new stuff - but stuff we could do! - all the way through.

I do know the trend is to use "stuff", like M&Ms for counting, and one of my kids even had a teacher who was teaching fractions by making applesauce - cut the apple in half, etc.

I can't help but keep thinking it is easier to just go step-by-step, but you guys are the experts, so I will defer to your wisdom.

 

[SandiH]

Here's the basic formula I used.

X + X + 7 = 29

2X + 7 = 29

2X = 29 – 7 (moving the 7 to the other side cause’s it to be subtraction in this case)

2X = 22

2X / 2 = 22 / 2 (divide to get the X alone)

X = 11 (Tyesha)

X + 7 – 18 (Eric)

 

[darrose]

Hmmm, I wonder if this is how the 4th grade teacher can tell if the student did the home work (guess and check method) or the parent did the home work (formula)? LOL