Teaching Your Kids New Math, K-5 For Dummies

Kris Jamsa

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781119867098
• eBook ISBN: 9781119867111
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Theory & Practice

Help your child unlock their math potential with this intuitive guide to teaching new math

Teaching Your Kids New Math, K-5 For Dummies makes it easy to understand the new math being taught to students in kindergarten to Grade 5, showing parents and guardians how to help their kids with the new methods and concepts that have been introduced since they finished school.

You'll discover the math-teaching basics you need to help your kids with their math homework while becoming familiar with the grids, arrays, diagrams, and arrows that math students use today. You'll also get:

• A step-by-step walkthrough for teaching young students essential math concepts, even if you think you're not a "math person"
• Best practices, example problems, and tips and tricks about specific math topics that will help your youngster move forward
• Ways to avoid common and typical math pitfalls and frustrations that trap math students and teachers

Full of real-world examples and applications, Teaching Kids New Math, K-5, For Dummies is your essential companion to helping your child master their math assignments and have fun while you're doing it!

Part 1

Laying Down the Basics with Kindergarten Math

IN THIS PART …

• Putting on your “math teacher” hat
• Recognizing, counting, and writing the digits 1 through 9
• Counting through 20 and using a number line
• Counting and comparing numbers through 30
• Sorting and categorizing objects
• Measuring and weighing objects and learning common shapes
• Adding and subtracting numbers through 10

Chapter 1

Unleashing Your Inner Math Teacher

IN THIS CHAPTER…

• Building your teaching confidence
• Taking a deep breath and getting started
• Justifying your investment of time
• Establishing a teaching plan
• Planning your teaching road map

People buy books to help their kids with homework for many reasons. Some want to give their child an advantage, some are tired of the daily homework struggles, and many, who didn’t even want to remember “old math,” find “new math” unrecognizable. Whatever your reason for buying this book, relax! If you fall into this last category, then this book is your guide. In it, I sometimes tell you what to say, not just to teach your child “new math,” but also to build their confidence along the way!

People often say they don’t like math because they have never really understood it, but you don’t need to be a math scholar to teach your child kindergarten through fifth-grade math. Perhaps Albert Einstein said it best:

Do not worry too much about your difficulties in mathematics. I can assure you that mine are still greater.

I’m Not Sure I Remember “Old Math,” and Now There Is “New Math”

If you are like most people, you use the calculator app on your phone to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, and it’s been a while since you had to perform long division or reduce fractions. Don’t worry. In this book, I walk you through each process so you can present and teach it to your child with confidence. You’ll probably amaze your friends and family with your newfound expertise, and you may even surprise yourself!

If you were born before 2010, you learned to add numbers by carrying, subtract numbers by borrowing, and multiply numbers without the use of boxes. Here’s an example of old-school multiplication:

You’ve likely used these techniques successfully throughout your adult life — that is, until your child asked you for help with their homework! Carrying and borrowing aren’t how your child adds and subtracts. Instead, they use approaches that may seem more confusing than a foreign language. Here’s the same multiplication problem solved with “new math” boxes:

	30	7
20	600	140
3	90	21

Take a deep breath! I like old-school math, and it has worked well for me. But, unlike an old dog, I am willing to learn new tricks, and I must admit that the “new math” techniques are easy, accurate, and fast! In this book, I present you with how to teach your child not only the old-school techniques, but also how to master the new math as well.

Traditions die slowly. That said, you need to be open to the new ways of learning — especially if you want to help your child master math. My goal with the techniques in this book is to make it enjoyable for your child to learn new math with you. The bond you will create with your child is possibly more important than establishing their math foundation for future success.

Old Math, New Math, Common Core Math

Years ago, smart peop...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Part 1: Laying Down the Basics with Kindergarten Math
• Part 2: Figuring Out First Grade Math
• Part 3: Advancing with Second Grade Math
• Part 4: Tackling Third Grade Math
• Part 5: Focusing on Fourth Grade Math
• Part 6: Advancing to Fifth Grade Math
• Part 7: The Part of Tens
• Index
• About the Author
• Advertisement Page
• Connect with Dummies
• End User License Agreement