Instead of "The 3 Rs," we believe there are really 5 "Rs" that are essential to education. These are Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Reasoning (critical thinking skills), and Research (the ability to find information when needed). Arithmetic or Mathematics is one of these essential "Rs".
In the elementary Grades, math curriculum is designed around the following seven core foundational math concepts and skills:
Numeration (numbers and counting)
Computation (addition, subtraction,multiplication, and division)
Money and Time (units, calculations, clocks, and calendars)
Geometry and Measurement (shapes, area, volume, and units)
Fractions and Decimals
Graphing (bar graphs, pie charts, plotting a function)
Problem Solving (word problems, estimation, spatial reasoning, analytical)
In middle school, the same seven core areas are studied, but with more difficult problems. Pre-algebra is also introduced (representing a number by a variable, plotting functions on a graph, geometric sequences). Algebra may also be introduced, usually in the eighth grade for math-bright children and in the ninth for average children.
High school math for the college bound usually follows a progression of Alebra I, Algebra II, Geometry (or Geometry and then Algebra II), Advanced Algebra and Trigonometry, and sometimes Calculus.
High school math for the non-college bound usually covers General Math, Consumer Math, Algebra I, and sometimes, depending on the child, Algebra II and Geometry. When you are choosing a math program, keep in mind that there are various schools of thought about how math should be taught. Programs can be primarily problem solving with manipulatives, primarily problem solving on paper, or primarily practical math (learning while using math in genuine situations such as carpentry, cooking, fencing a pasture, handling money, keeping a checkbook, etc.) These are programs that are linear (addition, then subtraction, then multiplication, then division) with each skill building on the last. There are non-linear programs where the skills are taught simultaneously and proficiency is developed through an upward spiral of difficulty. Some mathematicians consider drills unnecessary, others insist upon them. It seems each has produced capable mathematicians so in math, as in reading programs, the choice is yours.
We've found that very little actual math instruction is necessary in the early years (under age 10) if children are given ample opportunities to do "real math." All it requires is creating a "math conscious" environment where you are always looking for ways to apply math in everyday situations like the following:
Counting: Give every opportunity to count and to match sets. (How many people will be at dinner? How many forks, knives, spoons, plates, etc. will we need?) Associate written numbers with numbers of objects.
Cooking: Measure ingredients. Alter recipes. Cut pieces of pie. Good for learning fractions, units of measurement.
Construction: Measure in feet, centimeters, inches, yards. Build simple things (bookcases, bird houses). Recognize geometric shapes and be able to figure circumference and area.
Traveling: Keep track of mileage, how many miles to and from a destination, miles vs. kilometers. Read a map and determine mileage when going on trips.
Handling Money: It's amazing how quickly children learn to recognize, add, subtract and convert units of money. Using money is also an easy way to teach percentages.
Calendars: Teach days, weeks, months, years, how to count forward and backward in time, holidays, birthdays, etc.
Games: Good math learning and reinforcing games are Muggins, Equate, Double 9 Dominoes, Monopoly, Rummykub, and Mille Bornes.
Watches and Clocks: Teach time of day, time by hour and half hour and eventually by minute.
Article written by The Elijah Company. This work is Copyright Protected.
