I’m an enormous fan of serving to college students to make use of STRATEGIES when approaching math slightly than mindlessly following steps in an algorithm. Personally, I not often observe order of operations when simplifying a math expression. Having quantity sense means you have a look at the mathematics process and THINK about it and discover methods to interrupt aside and regroup in additional environment friendly methods when it may be completed. However, I’ve by no means completed this with fractions.

Decomposing Numbers

Standard algorithm requires carrying.

Adding 19 and 23 utilizing the usual algorithm is certainly slower. after I see this drawback I wish to add one and subtract one.

I used to be capable of EASILY make this transformation in my head. The ensuing expression is considerably simpler so as to add than the primary expression.

What About Fractions?

But what about taking a look at fractions on this method. I noticed this tweet by Jennifer Bay-Williams with an instance of how a pupil added blended fractions. I had an epiphany: How have I by no means considered doing this? It is nearly like I wanted permission that I can rethink how I strategy fractions.

Thinking First

The problem with instructing college students solely the usual algorithm… and shudder marking them down if they don’t do it precisely how we confirmed them… is that college students usually are not being requested to suppose. They are being requested to REMEMBER.

[Tweet]The first strategy to a math drawback ought to be THINKING about it. Not competing with a calculator. [/tweet]

Fractions are half of an entire. How do I get an entire?

Using the commutative property I can arrange the fractions and the entire numbers seperately. THINKING concerning the fractions I can ask, “how do I make a whole?” This helps me to consider the idea of fractions and never simply the steps.

Sometimes the usual algorithm is quicker and typically it’s not. Students ought to cease and THINK about math issues earlier than simply diving into the algorithm. Helping them to be extra versatile with numbers and to use methods when acceptable will assist them to be extra assured and proficient at arithmetic.

Q5:What do you discover about this pupil’s work? What concepts about instructing come to thoughts? #ElemMathChat pic.twitter.com/x3fyTJi5w3

— Jennifer BayWilliams (@JBayWilliams) November 4, 2022

Graspable Math Whiteboard

To create the pattern math issues I used the Graspable Math Whiteboard.

Decompose Fractions

Instead of diving into the steps of including fractions have college students have a look at how they’ll break aside the fractions to make it simpler to strategy the mathematics drawback. Have college students decompose fractions as one other mind-set concerning the numbers.