anyone else have a 4th grader in MCPS who can't quickly rattle off multiplication facts?

[Anonymous]

OP,

Rather than drill with flashcards, divide up the facts into subsets that he/she knows and ones he/she doesn't. Tackle the ones she doesn't and make sure she understands the commutative property. Some of the higher numbers have rules/patterns that make them easier to remember i.e 7 x 8 = 56 can also be thought of as 56= 7X8, which is easy to remember. There is a rhyme for the 6 x 4, 6 x 6 and 6 x 8 both of which follow an easy to memorize pattern (the number sense is embedded). Nine has a trick even easier than subtracting 6 from 60.

Beware of anything that involves multiple steps to arrive at a one step answer. Yes, they should know that 9 x 6 is one less 6 than 6 x 10, but the PP made that into a two step process which uses quite a bit more brainpower than just knowing it. In this case using up brain power isn't good, because you want the child to be able to focus on the larger task ie word problems. Long division and multi-digit multiplication just get more difficult if they don't know them.

[Anonymous]

What you want is this:

flashmaster.com

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My second grader knows her multiplication table up to 11 right now. I do feel that math is no longer a priority in MCPS. I have been really disappointed. So I've been the one to teach her.

Math is still a priority at the schools. Memorization at the expense of understanding the relationship between the numbers, however, is not a priority. Would you rather the schools no longer focus on the relationship between numbers and letting the kids develop good number sense but be able to rattle off the times tables super quickly without understanding the concept.



This is false dichotomy. The difficulty of early school math is not with conceptual understanding but in remembering the math facts. Achieving automaticity in basic calculation will only facilitate this all important number sense when the numbers got bigger or involve decimals or fractions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of whether or not they can do these basic fact either quickly or slowly, kids are continually being asked esoteric questions like WHY is 8 more than 7 and why is 1/4 plus 1/4 equal to half. The focus on why rather than the basics of math is going to be proven to be a fools errand in the end. It won't actually lead to better "number sense" (to use the latest MCPS buzz word). In fact, I have yet to have my DD's teacher be able to articulate a good, elementary school aged appropriate answer to any of these WHY questions.

I agree

I agree as well. The best way of achieving conceptual understanding is not explaining in words why 2+2=4. Word problems along the line of Singapore Math is the way to go. Solid grasps of math facts will give a child number sense not the other way around.

[Anonymous]

The 9's have a trick all kids should know.

[Anonymous]

This topic interests me a lot. I have a fourth grader in MCPS and was on the verge of losing it earlier this year because my child had not learned her times tables. This fall her teacher decided the kids needed to know them and sent home flash cards for multiplication, as well as addition and subtraction. I was thrilled about this at first but it turned out to be the ONLY math homework she had all Fall. Not to mention the fact that my Kindergartner could do some of the addition and subtraction cards (1+1, etc, no joke.). When we first started going over the multiplication I realized that my dd never learned the tricks and I was floored. I taught her those so now she is ok but I am so so disappointed by math teaching in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

I don't think my son could rattle off the multiplication tables in fourth grade. But this year, he really seems to have them down. I was actually quite surprised when I realized this because it seemed to have happened very quickly. He's slower than, say me. But I've had years more practice (and I do math puzzles for a pasttime). The reason I think he's slower is that he will state the problem and then give the answer instead of just blurting out the answer. Seems he is using that for thinking time.

[Anonymous]

I have 2 in HS FCPS. They both went through AAP. It took a surprisingly long time to memorize the multiplication tables. They did the required extra summer work (pages of multiplication problems) We did flash cards. It was a pain, but worth it. They also took an online typing course -- so worth it!! FCPS teach a lot of sophisticated things, but some of those basics you have to do at home, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

^^ started in 3rd, finished in 5th for a quick recite up to 12s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are multiplication facts? I don't think I can either.

They used to be called "times tables."

lol!

yes, they did!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This topic interests me a lot. I have a fourth grader in MCPS and was on the verge of losing it earlier this year because my child had not learned her times tables. This fall her teacher decided the kids needed to know them and sent home flash cards for multiplication, as well as addition and subtraction. I was thrilled about this at first but it turned out to be the ONLY math homework she had all Fall. Not to mention the fact that my Kindergartner could do some of the addition and subtraction cards (1+1, etc, no joke.). When we first started going over the multiplication I realized that my dd never learned the tricks and I was floored. I taught her those so now she is ok but I am so so disappointed by math teaching in MCPS.

My daughter is in 4th and knows hers. And she's still expected to practice either multiplication or division two times a week. We have flash cards, and her school has links to online practice sites, which they also use at school.

Schools with good instructional leaders understand the new curriculum and don't go to the extreme. While abstract thinking is important, it's still essential to know the basics in order to REACH that level of abstract thinking - and critical thinking.

[Anonymous]

My ADHD kid with an IEP kid is in 3rd grade and is still adding and subtracting with his fingers. Most of the comments are on multiplication, but I am starting to get worried. Do you teachers think this is an issue that I should raise with the school. We have a tutor and are doing everything we can at home.

By the way, does anyone know any good, fun kindle apps for learning math facts.

[Anonymous]

pp try dadsworksheets dot com. The worksheets are kumon style drill but are free. kumon is expensive. Have your child do a worksheet every day or two until 90% mastery and then move on to the next level. they have addition, multiplication, etc. They also have basic story problems. I have been using these for years.

[Anonymous]

It is well and good that people think parents should be teaching this at home. What about parents who are not able to do this--maybe they have two jobs, or have health or other problems, or don't have a lot of schooling themselves. Are their kids just not supposed to learn these things? This is a school's job to teach and if they can't teach basic math facts to mastery they are not teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 39 and drilled math facts at home to solidly learn them. Under the old MCPS curriculum fact memorization was not stressed. You had to do it at home. Now they do timed tests and there is much more emphasis on basic facts. My 4th grade daughter now has all her facts memorized through the 12s with a small amount of drilling at home, mainly in the 3rd grade.

This is also my experience -- there is much more time in class working with basic facts and memorizing basic facts under 2.0 than there was under the old curriculum.