Standard algorithms
So far, Emmett and I have been exploring math concepts without writing them down. We haven't been memorizing anything, and it's interesting to see which facts stick in his head and which don't. For example, he doesn't know the answer to 4x4, but he knows it's the same as 2x8 and he knows that's 16. He doesn't have much trouble with small-number division problems that don't have whole number answers (like 5/2).
Recently we've been doing some word problems that involve slightly bigger numbers division, so I've busted out the standard algorithms to show him there's a way to find the answer when you don't just know it in your head. At first I'd planned to explain what was going on as I did it, but I realized it was more important to finish the problem we started than to stop and learn multidigit multiplication or long division (and there's a bunch of setup I want to do before showing him those compact ways of calculating), so I explained minimally and told him we'd go over that later.
All of this chatter about math is just to set this up - he watched me do the calculations with wonder on his face, like I was doing magic. It was fun.
Recently we've been doing some word problems that involve slightly bigger numbers division, so I've busted out the standard algorithms to show him there's a way to find the answer when you don't just know it in your head. At first I'd planned to explain what was going on as I did it, but I realized it was more important to finish the problem we started than to stop and learn multidigit multiplication or long division (and there's a bunch of setup I want to do before showing him those compact ways of calculating), so I explained minimally and told him we'd go over that later.
All of this chatter about math is just to set this up - he watched me do the calculations with wonder on his face, like I was doing magic. It was fun.
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