02 Jul 2005 - 22:33

UK Framework for algebra preparation

Liping Ma says that math teachers should know where their pupils are headed.

What skills will a child most need in the next stage of his education?

Since I had no clue, one year ago, what skills a 5th grader needs for algebra in 8th, I found this UK 'Framework for Teaching Mathematics' document, Laying the foundations for algebra, terrifically helpful.

After I read it, I spent a LOT of time pushing the distributive property.... which, as my friend Debbie says, 'is one useful property.'

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Catherine, I hadn't seen this document. I like it because it's SO short that I can really work with it!

-- CarolynJohnston - 03 Jul 2005

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I know--it's amazing.

You can more-or-less keep it in working memory at once....it is SO focusing.

I based the whole mental math portion of the Singpore Math class on this, just about.

I made the kids spend a lot of time doing mental multilpication (which is what Parker and Baldridge recommend, too.)

Christopher refused to take the course, so he STILL doesn't really have mental-multiplication-via-distributive-property down cold.

It's also good (I think) to have kids do multiplication problems horizontally. Since a horizontal problem is aligned the same way as the formal expression of the property I think you see it better.

At least, I do.

I'm also planning to print out a big, huge 72 point distributive property and post it in the dining room.

Remember CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN?

The dad painted academic material all over the dining room walls.

-- CatherineJohnson - 03 Jul 2005

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Actually, I'm glad I reminded myself of this document.

I think I'll print it out and keep a copy with Christoher's math books.

I was just looking at it and trying to think which things he's got down pretty well and which not .... I'm wondering whether I should teach him the Russian chaptor on prime factorization.

It's incredible.

-- CatherineJohnson - 03 Jul 2005