Comments on: A Parent Seeks Advice http://pqme.org/uncategorized/a-parent-seeks-advice/ Parents seeking math curriculum changes in the State College (PA) Area School District Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:47:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Wen http://pqme.org/uncategorized/a-parent-seeks-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-338 Wen Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:11:59 +0000 http://pqme.org/?p=468#comment-338 Funny that we were just discussing this a couple of nights ago at home. I was not able to give a satisfactory 'real life' situation . (Probably some math ideas are not really related to everyday money situation?) However, my 6th grade daughter came up with one argument. She said, if -2 times 3 is -6, then -2 time -3 can not be -6 again, so it must be 6. :-)) Funny that we were just discussing this a couple of nights ago at home. I was not able to give a satisfactory ‘real life’ situation . (Probably some math ideas are not really related to everyday money situation?) However, my 6th grade daughter came up with one argument. She said, if -2 times 3 is -6, then -2 time -3 can not be -6 again, so it must be 6. :-) )

]]> By: Steve http://pqme.org/uncategorized/a-parent-seeks-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-334 Steve Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:11:11 +0000 http://pqme.org/?p=468#comment-334 This _is_ a hard thing to explain. Here's a good explanation from a math website for parents who homeschool: http://www.homeschoolmath.net/teaching/integers.php This _is_ a hard thing to explain. Here’s a good explanation from a math website for parents who homeschool:

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/teaching/integers.php

]]> By: Barb http://pqme.org/uncategorized/a-parent-seeks-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-333 Barb Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:25:06 +0000 http://pqme.org/?p=468#comment-333 I can relate to the challenges of communicating across the Investigations gap, as well as the dust and cobwebs in 'math-related details' brain cells ;-). Alas, I can't think of a good graphical way to explain this (there may NOT be one?), and I'm not sure how I'd use a number line, other than to show the relationship between numbers (+, -, and 0). Perhaps focusing on the basics: each integer has both a sign (+ or -) and a value. These signed numbers or integers have certain rules that go with them that kids can readily learn and apply in order to find the sign of the answer to multiplication or division problems: 1) if the signs of the two numbers that are multiplied or divided are the same, the answer is positive; 2) If the signs of the two numbers are different, the answer is negative. Another approach would be to use the signs of the factors and multiply the absolute values. The pattern becomes clear if you write out several examples. ++ or -- signs of the factors give a positive product; -+ or +- signs give a negative product. It's a little analogous to having double negatives in language. If you're not tall, you're short. If you're not not tall, you ARE tall. Kids might get that logic? Finally, you might also find Math on Call (Houghton-Mifflin, ISBN-13: 978-0-669-50819-2) a helpful resource to have in your family's math toolkit. It distills the essential aspects of math down, provides clear definitions and examples, and glossaries of math terms and formulas. Hope that helps a little, and keep up the good work at home with your kid(s)! I can relate to the challenges of communicating across the Investigations gap, as well as the dust and cobwebs in ‘math-related details’ brain cells ;-) .

Alas, I can’t think of a good graphical way to explain this (there may NOT be one?), and I’m not sure how I’d use a number line, other than to show the relationship between numbers (+, -, and 0). Perhaps focusing on the basics: each integer has both a sign (+ or -) and a value. These signed numbers or integers have certain rules that go with them that kids can readily learn and apply in order to find the sign of the answer to multiplication or division problems: 1) if the signs of the two numbers that are multiplied or divided are the same, the answer is positive; 2) If the signs of the two numbers are different, the answer is negative.

Another approach would be to use the signs of the factors and multiply the absolute values. The pattern becomes clear if you write out several examples. ++ or — signs of the factors give a positive product; -+ or +- signs give a negative product.

It’s a little analogous to having double negatives in language. If you’re not tall, you’re short. If you’re not not tall, you ARE tall. Kids might get that logic?

Finally, you might also find Math on Call (Houghton-Mifflin, ISBN-13: 978-0-669-50819-2) a helpful resource to have in your family’s math toolkit. It distills the essential aspects of math down, provides clear definitions and examples, and glossaries of math terms and formulas.

Hope that helps a little, and keep up the good work at home with your kid(s)!

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