ADD - SUBTRACT MULTIPLY - FRACTIONS - DECIMALS - LONG DIVIDE - EXPONENTS & WORD PROBLEMS
I started to notice with my oldest son, that once he started taking Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus he'd forgotten the 'instant recall' of Middle School Math facts.
He was in Traditional School and therefore, just because he got passing grades on advanced math facts, I didn't think he needed any recall on core math facts - UNTIL he took his SAT PREP class and I realized it took him 3 times longer to do fractions and Decimals division than when he was in middle school.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO KEEP PRACTICING MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH FACTS?
Because they show up constantly in advanced math (BUT STUDENTS USE CALCULATORS) and start to forget the math facts.
They need to know how to complete these problems for (1) SATs (2) COLLEGE ENTRY EXAMS (3) Some JOBs (4) Military Exam (5) JUST BECAUSE
MAKE SURE - you reinforce this by having them 'write' their answers when they are re-learning it. Then use interactive math programs like IXL, CTCMath, CK12 or others that are free online to further practice and master facts.
Also (1) Have Student Write the 'RULES' for solving certain types of problems. - FRACTIONS, DECIMALS, WORD PROBLEMS and EXPONENTS were where we needed to do this the most.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT?
When your kid takes advanced math, (1) Give them a Daily Drill on each of the Math Facts above. (2) Do a periodic testing to see which math skill they've forgotten (3) Make BASIC MATH a core curriculum that follows your student until they start College
MY CURRENT EXPERIENCE.
My kids had the most difficult time remembering the RULES for FRACTIONS, DECIMALS and EXPONENTS - all which are needed for Algebra. But when they don't use it - they lose it.
However, I still needed to keep their fast recall of ADDITION, SUBTRACTION, MULTIPLICATION and DIVISION so that they didn't waste as much time pondering over facts they new backwards and forth in Elementary and Middle School.
MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER FORGOT her CALCULATOR when she took the SAT. And you know what? She scored a higher score in MATH than her brother because she still had instant recall of the basic math facts and it made those types of problems easier for her.
MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER FORGOT her CALCULATOR when she took the SAT. And you know what? She scored a higher score in MATH than her brother because she still had instant recall of the basic math facts and it made those types of problems easier for her.
This is SO true! My son took a fun math course at a STEM co-op and the emphasis was on foundational math. Think math chess. He loved it and it drilled those facts that could easily be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you see this need also. My oldest son told me this tip when I started homeschooling my oldest daughter and she was preparing to take the Math Accuplacer exam as a homeschooler. He told me to have her practice her primary math skills. It made a big difference.
ReplyDeleteI find maths an interesting subject to teach at our homeschool. We all do it for an hour a day and will always continue to do it over the holidays so the children use it and don't lose it :) BUT I often wonder if it is neccessary. In terms of the exams they need for the future in the UK maths is 1/8 of all eight GCSEs they take (IE only one is on maths) yet our maths learning takes up significantly more time than any other individual subject. I doubt I'll be changing things but sometimes I wonder if we had done less, would they still be at the same level, or not?
ReplyDeleteSo back when I was in school, we had to learn "new math." I was totally lost! When I got to college, my algebra teacher was old school. She had been teaching since the 50s! She was awesome and taught me why math makes sense. I'm so grateful for her. Now this common core bs?? I don't even know what to think!
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