Description
Book SynopsisHow the Math Gets Done: Why Parents Don''t Need to Worry About New vs. Old Math provides a roadmap to understanding what the symbols for math operations (add, subtract, multiply, and divide) really mean, what the clues are to interpret these symbols, and a kind of short story of how they evolved over time. to decipher the enigmatic squiggles of those verbs called operations.How the Math Gets Done: Why Parents Don''t Need to Worry About New vs. Old Mathcompares the old and the new methods for math procedures from a Big Idea perspective by organizing the information in four sections: Definition, Organization, Relationships and Patterns, and Connections. Each section contains three chapters that clarify the issues related to each Big Idea section. The Conclusion offers parents even more hints and guidelines to help their child through this math country of procedures for calculating in math.
Trade ReviewHow the Math Gets Done is not a quick fix to raise the child's math grade for tomorrow’s test, but about deciphering the child's thinking and establishing real math understanding for the long haul. Once a kid is in trouble, parents will not feel there is time to immediately get to the bottom of the issues, so they may want to skip around the book to locate the particular topic that is giving their child difficulty. This is the book that will wake parents (and teachers) up to the notion that multiple strategies are helpful and that opportunities for misunderstandings are lying in the path like so many land mines! -- Ann Hammond McCamy, Parent and Assistant Director, Delmont Public Library. Former curriculum writer for Lambert Book House, Education Coordinator at The House of the Seven Gables, and public and private school teacher
Oh my goodness, this book is brilliant and so helpful. As an educator and a mother, I can't help thinking that this is a book for everyone not just parents. How the Math Gets Done spotlights and breaks down into understandable nuggets the most intimate mathematical thinking of our children. While illuminating for us their understandings and misunderstandings, it pushes us -the adults- to think our very own understandings in the most non-threatening way, so that we can support our kids. -- Regine Philippeaux-Pierre, Mother of Two Children, Director, Excellence for All, Boston Public Schools
Table of ContentsForeword Preface Introduction Part I. Definition 1. Math According to Jen, Bobby, and Others Jen’s Deductions Bobby’s Experience with Multiplication and Number Arrangements Children’s Descriptions About Making Sense Trevor and Jim Invent Their Own Multiplication Methods Keep in Mind 2. Math Grammar of Nouns, Verbs, and Stories “Putting Together” Verbs for Addition and Multiplication “Taking Apart” Verbs for Subtraction and Division A Short Interlude About the Use of that Negative Sign Word Problems Put Math Verbs in Stories Keep in Mind 3. A Choice between Two Rs – Rote Memorization or Reasoning Sound Bites That Bite Back Memorization vs. Organization Acronyms - Sense or Nonsense Keep in Mind Part II. Organization 4. In Search of Like Terms, Classification Revisited Like Terms, Common Denominators, and Same Units Place Value Columns Have Like Terms Categories What’s Wrong with this Picture? Adding Percentages A Note About Multiplication and Division Keep in Mind 5. Artful Assembly of Operations Facts, Frogs, and Formats Jackie’s Thinking About Number Operations James, Janie, and Napier’s Lattice Multiplication Division Interpretations That Made Sense Keep in Mind 6. Same Math, Same Meaning, Different Organization – New vs. Old “If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It.” Multiplication Organization Sense Digit Alignment Continues Zeke, Jake, and Long Division Keep in Mind Part III. Relationships and Patterns 7. “Seeing” Math Patterns with Viewfinders Multiplication Table Patterns Addition Table Patterns Kathy’s and Rudy’s Fraction Viewfinders Keep in Mind 8. Spelunking for Patterns with More Viewfinders Reflections on Addition and Multiplication Subtraction, Division, and Missy’s “Different Family” A Few Rules of Engagement for Working with Numbers Keep in Mind 9. Functions, Predictability, and Balance Predictability and Functions One Answer or Many Answers, Same Balance Keep in Mind Part IV. Connections 10. A Multiplication Area Image for the Ages From Theon to Dienes – A Bridge Across the Centuries Same Design for Mixed Numbers, Fractions and Decimals Visual-Spatial Multi-Digit Multiplication Keep in Mind 11. Ratios, Proportions, and Rate of Change Fractions as Gatekeepers David’s Decluttering Fractions Changing Numbers, Changing Locations, and Moving Targets in Proportions Slope as a Rate of Change Keep in Mind 12. Algebraic Thinking The Shapes for an Algebra Transition From Multiplication Tables to Coordinate Tables Jill’s Graphic Solutions F.O.I.L.’ed Again Keep in Mind Conclusion: What Parents Can Do Problem Solving Beyond Word Problems Right Tool for the Right Job - A Hard Look At Technology Keep in Mind Glossary References About the Author
