Math Homework

 

Over the years, I have found there are 3 types of math teachers.

 

1.  Teachers who focus on the learning of "rote skills" (memorizing facts and doing worksheets)

 

2.  Teachers who focus on math vocabulary and do not care if the students use their fingers to add

 

3.  The combo teacher!

 

Let me be very clear, NONE of these are a bad method.  They are ALL good!  Each type of teacher will also have a justification for why their method is the best.

 

I am a combo teacher.  I think that it is important to be able to do simple math mentally, but the rest the students can do on a calculator or using touch math or another preferred method.  I think the rote skills are important because then you are not wasting valuable brain space solving simple problems.

 

However, once the students have a BASIC understanding of addition and subtraction, I personally believe that there should be a heavy focus on problem solving.  Here is why:

 

In class I asked the following question, "We are selling movie tickets.  There are 9 students.  Each student has 2 family members coming.  How many tickets will we sell?"

 

Not a single student could solve this independently, nor did they have a strategy to help them.  This made me very sad, because I knew they ALL had the rote skill of 9x2 to solve it.  

 

I helped them solve it, then I asked, "We are selling 18 tickets because 9x2=18.  If each ticket is $3, how much money will we make?"

 

Again, and this time with the previous example, no one could solve it.  This is my reason why problem solving is going to be the focus of homework for the entire year.  

 

I am going to attach some sheets, but below you will also find links to the webpages where I got these sheets.  If you need more or harder ones, please ask me!  If you need guidance on where to go next with your child, I would love to help!