BJU Press Blog

math

What Does Math Look Like?

by

Typically we don’t think about math as something to look at. It’s a field of study, not a physical object, but being able to see math is a skill that can be invaluable to children. Let me explain.

I regularly volunteer as a math tutor at a ministry that helps adults obtain a GED. Every student I work with learns at a different pace. Some of my students move through the material quickly, doing much of the math mentally. They see the patterns and are able to apply them to new material as they progress.

Other students are able to work though the math, but much more slowly. They stick to procedures, writing out each and every step of all the problems but never really understanding how the math works or how it could be used. It’s usually not a matter of difference in ability; it’s that the one group is able to visualize how math works while the other can’t. This difference probably has a lot to do with how the students were exposed to math when they were in the elementary grades.

JH_Math_2

Visualizing Not Just Repeating

Memorizing steps and formulas and then practicing them over and over might allow someone to pass a test, but it doesn’t promote retention. It also doesn’t train children to be good problem solvers. Teaching children to visualize how math works helps them build the problem-solving skills they will need as they move into advanced math.

Let’s look at an example page from our Math 5 that does a great job of showing this idea in action. (Example is from BJU Press Math 5 Student Worktext, page 129.)

math5student_p129-cropped

A student could solve these comparisons by changing the denominators to come up with the right answer. That’s a correct way of solving these math problems, and Math 5 teaches that approach. However, as the lesson shows, it’s also important to learn how to solve simple math problems mentally. By using strategies like thinking of ½ and seeing if each fraction is more or less or comparing the denominators, students are able to easily solve simple problems, check their answers, and learn new concepts more quickly.

Learning to See Math

When teaching math, parents should—in my opinion—approach each problem from various angles, even if the child gets the correct answer immediately. Use visuals such as money, cut-out shapes, and manipulatives to show how a problem looks both physically and on paper. Reinforce knowledge by asking questions whenever possible instead of just explaining how things work. As children learn to visualize math, they’ll begin to see math as a series of meaningful challenges to overcome as opposed to a boring list of problems to work though.

For more teaching tips like these, be sure to sign up for our homeschool email.

Making Math Enjoyable with Themes

by

Memorizing math facts may come easy to many people, but some (myself included) have a harder time visualizing a numerical problem and solving it mentally. It’s not that we can’t do it but rather that numbers have little value when they’re separated from a real-life situation.

It’s the application of math that helps us understand the importance of knowing how to solve an equation. But sometimes learning best takes place when there’s an example of how someone else has used math in daily life whether that’s through household chores or an occupation. This type of example does two things. It shows how math can be used, and it also gives motivation to use it.

BJU Press elementary math introduces themes in every grade to help kids understand math and see how it applies to our everyday lives. Each grade has a unique theme that makes math more enjoyable but also relatable. Lower-elementary kids are introduced to special characters. Rhymes, songs, and stories about these characters are included in different lessons throughout the entire course.

MathK5

In Math K5, Cheddar the mouse lives on Kindergarten Lane in Mathville. He uses math to help Farmer Brown keep an eye on what’s happening on the farm. In one lesson, your child works with Mrs. Brown to count the number of cabbages in the garden row. Another day on the farm, shapes are found on Farmer Brown’s outfit (like buttons that are circles).

Math6

Once students reach the upper-elementary grades, themes provide your child motivation for using math. For example, Math 6 includes a search-and-rescue theme with read-aloud stories about search-and-rescue events for each chapter. Chapter 7 opens with the true account of Balto and other dogs that delivered a special serum to people who were sick in Nome, Alaska. The concepts learned in this chapter are multiplying fractions and decimals—an important skill for measuring out medicine just like Dr. Curtis Welch did when he treated the people of Nome.

See more examples of these themes in BJU Press math curriculum.

The Creation Blessing

by

Often when I leave for work, I say goodbye to my wife and children by offering good wishes. Have you ever thought about the common phrase “have a nice day”? Grammatically, it’s an imperative or command like “be good!”  The way it looks on paper it could be followed up with “or else” as in “have a nice day or else . . .” But no one ever says it that way. We say it more like “may you have a nice day.” We’re actually blessing one another in the form of a command.

Divine Blessing

In Genesis 1:28 we read about a blessing given in the form of a command. After creating humans male and female in His own image, God blessed them. The wording of this blessing is a command; so we often refer to it as the Creation Mandate.

Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

The-Garden-of-Eden

Divine Command

Unlike our good wishes, God’s blessing carries the weight of a command. We shouldn’t resist His blessing from Genesis 1:28 and expect things to go well for us. For example, in Genesis 11 Noah’s descendants rejected God’s command and all gathered in one place to build the tower of Babel. As a result of their sin, God confused their language and sent the people throughout the world.

Unbelievers can share in God’s blessing by following the Creation Mandate. In fact, many do. In BJU Press science and math textbooks, we highlight how scientists and mathematicians use their knowledge of God’s world to “have dominion.” They use their skill to care for the creation and use the creation for others’ benefit. Many of those professionals following the Creation Mandate are experiencing the common grace of God’s creation blessing in their lives.

Divine Reach

Because I’m human, the blessings I speak are little more than well-wishing. I may say, “I hope you have a nice day.” But while I’m at work, I have little immediate control over what happens at home, and some days my wife feels overwhelmed. In contrast, God’s blessing on the first man and woman had power behind it to confer that blessing on all of humanity.

God’s power is infinite, so His action in Genesis 1:28 reaches through time and space to all people. Not even the Fall overthrew His blessing to fill the earth and exercise dominion. The long line of impressive civilizations throughout history with all their remarkable achievements, technological advancements, and beautiful artwork evidences God’s power and kindness to humanity expressed in His first words to mankind.

As parents, we have a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate God’s blessing. We get to teach our children how to follow God’s blessing to care for the world. Since our teaching is influenced by the textbooks we use, it’s important to choose a homeschool curriculum that reinforces the truth of God’s creation blessing.

How to Make Sense of Math

by

Growing up, I didn’t like math. The subject became slightly more enjoyable for me when I got to “play” with the math manipulatives. Shapes were for making art mosaics. Paper money facilitated a pretend shopping spree to the bookstore. And Unifix cubes were (and still are!) just plain awesome for making patterns or sculptures.

You see, I was the homeschooled child who was unwilling to memorize number facts or equations unless I knew the reason why. Using manipulatives gave me a better understanding of the concepts being introduced in BJU Press Math. Instead of trying to calculate abstract numbers in my head, I was able to associate the equation with a concrete object.

A good math curriculum links concepts with tangible elements that visually demonstrate the problem.

BJU Press Math manipulative place value mat

Place Value Mat

Take, for instance, the concept of renaming in subtraction. How can a child understand that adding ten to the next place value (such as the tens or ones place) allows her to accurately find the answer? Using a place value kit with ones, tens, and hundreds reinforces the mental calculation of an equation using the senses of sight, touch, and sound (if she counts aloud).

Watch the first five minutes of this Math 2 Distance Learning sample lesson video with Mrs. Walker to see how a place value mat aids learning.

Build Understanding over Memory

Building number sense through this hands-on learning experience allows your child to understand how a problem is solved and not just memorize a formula to get an answer. Teaching what math feels and looks like by using manipulatives builds a true understanding of the subject. This fun math “playing” helped to develop my number sense without my even knowing it, and other children can benefit from this same experience.

The BJU Press Elementary Math curriculum introduces new concepts using manipulatives. Beginning with a tangible demonstration of math concepts builds your child’s understanding so that she can solve problems when those concepts are presented on paper. The goal is to develop her thinking skills so that she can be a lifelong problem solver because knowing how math applies to everyday life prepares your child for success in the role God has planned for her.

Today, math isn’t my favorite subject, but I do credit my ability to understand and solve real-life math equations in the kitchen, at the office, or at the store to my hands-on learning experiences as a child. Yes, math manipulatives are that foundational.

Which math manipulatives do your kids enjoy the most?

Save

Save

Save

Math Doesn’t Have to Be Scary

by

In middle school, I had a math teacher who always began class the same way. He would assign each of us a problem from our homework assignment the night before and have us put it on the chalkboard. We would have to give our answer and show how we got it. My teacher would then label each problem as correct or incorrect. I was fairly good at math and generally got the problem right, but I remember always being terrified that I would do something wrong and that my work would be picked apart in front of the class. I can only imagine how my classmates who struggled with math must have felt. The beginning of math class was my least favorite part of the day. It was probably a nightmare for many others, leading to the “I hate math” mentality that’s so common.

Math is a subject that often creates frustration for both parent and child, but a lot of that frustration can be avoided by using the right approach. When children answer the question correctly on their first try, we celebrate; when they get a question wrong, we tend not to applaud their efforts. These responses can lead your child to believe that there’s no room for mistakes and that getting the correct solution the first time is what they should be trying for.

Working toward understanding

Assessing your child’s level of understanding based on whether or not he gets a question correct on the first try can be misleading. The truth is that a wrong answer can be just as valuable as a correct answer because it helps build a strong understanding of the process used to get to the correct answer. Also, a correct response does not always mean your child has a strong understanding of the concept. It’s important that children know how to learn from their incorrect answers. When mistakes happen, help your child identify all the correct parts of the problem before looking at where things went wrong.

Curriculum matters

Your math curriculum plays an important role in teaching for understanding. Choosing a curriculum that promotes critical thinking over rote memorization is critical. Math problems should ask your children to explain a concept rather than quickly find a solution. Approaching math this way allows children to explore problem-solving strategies. It also teaches them to recognize that there’s often more than one way to understand a concept.

Here’s an example of a typical first-grade geometry question.

WP-sample-math-12-2015

Here’s another question based on the same concept in a way that better promotes understanding.

WP-Math-1-TE-12-2015

The second question allows you to more accurately gauge your child’s understanding of the concept. Including triangles that differ from the typical equilateral type leaves the question open ended. This type of question helps children learn to identify triangles based on the number of sides and corners instead of memorizing what a triangle typically looks like.

When working through this question, your child may not immediately understand that all three-sided, three-cornered shapes are triangles.  But this question provides an opportunity to illustrate the math concept using the three different triangles provided.

Math is a lot less overwhelming to children when they’re working to understand and not just memorize. BJU Press Math provides questions and teaching strategies that can help you put an end to your child’s math frustration.