Problems Can Be Solved in Different Ways - While some problems in math may have only one solution, there may be many ways to get the right answer. Learning math is not only finding the correct answer, it's also a process of solving problems and applying what you have learned to new problems.
Wrong Answers Can Help! While accuracy is always important, a wrong answer could help you and your child discover what your child may not understand. The wrong answer tells you to look further, to ask questions, and to see what the wrong answer is saying about the child's understanding. It is highly likely that when you studied math, you were expected to complete lots of problems using one, memorized method and to do them quickly. Today, the focus is less on the quantity of memorized problems and memorized methods and more on understanding the concepts and applying thinking skills to arrive at an answer.
- Sometimes, a child may arrive at the wrong answer to a problem, because the child misunderstands the question being asked. For example, when children see the problem 4+____ = 9, they often respond with an answer of 13. That is because they think the problem is asking, "What is 4+9?" instead of "4 plus what missing number equals 9?"
- Ask your child to explain how a math problem was solved. The explanation might help you discover if your child needs help with the procedures; the number skills, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; or the concepts involved. In working with your child, you may learn something the teacher might find helpful. A short note or call will alert the teacher to possible ways of helping your child learn math more easily.
- Help your children be risk takers. Help them see the value of trying to do a problem even if it is difficult for them. Give your child time to explore the different approaches to solving a problem. Your child's way might differ from yours, but if the answer is correct and the strategy or way of solving it has worked, it may be a great alternative. By encouraging children to talk about what they are thinking, we help them to have stronger math skills and become independent thinkers.
Doing Math in Your Head Is Important
- Have you ever noticed that today very few people take their pencil and paper out to solve problems in the grocery store, restaurant, department store, or in the office? Instead, most people estimate in their heads, or use calculators or computers.
- Using calculators and computers demands that people put in the correct information and that they know if the answers are reasonable. Usually people look at the answer to determine if it makes sense, applying the math in their heads (mental math) to the problem. This, then, is the reason mental math is so important to our children as they enter the 21st century. Using mental math can make children become stronger in everyday math skills.
It's Okay to Use a Calculator
- It's okay to use calculators and computers to solve math problems. In fact, students are taught to use calculators at young ages and are often required to use them to do homework and take tests. The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), for example, permits the use of calculators for its timed tests. Many schools teach computer courses that include how to do spread sheets, statistical display, and computer-assisted designs for mechanical drawing and graphics. Schools often sell calculators to families at a low cost or supply them for all students to use. Knowing how to use a calculator and computer is a benefit for all students.
Courtesy of Education Publications Center
