Why are my kids doing this crazy math? This is not the way I learned.
Hey, I'm right there with you. I had to re-learn everything right along with your kiddos. But here's the reason why...
When we were kids our teachers always said, "You have to know how to do the math. You're not going to have a calculator in your pocket to do it for you." Well....yeah, I do. With today's technology, I can access the world's information right from my phone. When we were growing up, to get a job you needed to be able to do the skills. With today's tech, pretty much anybody can do the skills. What employers are searching for are people with problem solving skills. I can tell you from experience, knowing how to do the math and having problem solving skills go together, but they are not the same.
The reason we do this "crazy Common Core" stuff is to help students understand the WHY in math, not just the HOW. I assure you, students will learn the way we solved problems, but we give them more time to get there. Plus, the state test requires us to do it this way in order for it to be counted correct.
To share a personal thought with you: I majored in Chemistry my first few years of college and took many high level math classes and I wish I had known some of the strategies we teach your children. The way things are set up in CommonCore takes more steps, but it allows more students to be successful in math by breaking it down into more manageable steps. Keep this in mind, because many people grew up hating math because they "were just bad at it." The way we do math in class helps more students to BE SUCCESSFUL in math, even if they don't fully reach the answer as fast as other students.
Multiplication Using Area Models (2-Digit by 2-Digit)
Let's try 48x56=?
Start by drawing an AREA MODEL with four squares. An area model is a visual way to break down our numbers into more manageable pieces.
Label the TOP and SIDE of the area model using the numbers in Expanded Form (ex. 267=200+60+7).
Multiply the numbers on the side and top of each box.
Division Using Partial Quotients (3-Digit by 1-Digit)
The goal of the Partial Quotient Method is to allow students to use math facts they know to break away at the larger dividend. Unlike the way we learned, they can take multiple steps to solve the problem and it allows more flexibility for students who struggle with math facts.
Let's try 4,872÷5=? Start by writing out the division problem in a division box.
Next, (optional but advised because it helps get students thinking) come up with 3 multiplication facts that might help you solve the problem.
Start using multiplication facts to break away at the larger number, subtracting part of the answer each time.
Add up all numbers on the outside of the division box and write it on the top. Make sure to include any remainders in your answer!
As you can see, this problem could have been solved many different ways. Students could have started with 5x900=4,500 and solved it in much fewer steps. A child who is less confident in his/her math skills could have started by using 5x200=1,000 and done that step 4 times. This method gives students more flexibility to arrive at the correct answer where as the standard method you and I learned required you to know every math fact and get the exact answer on your first try...or re-do the whole thing. In all honesty, I feel that this method is much more student-friendly and it helps to build a stronger sense of numbers by using "Friendly numbers" (numbers that end with a zero).
Multiplying a fraction by a whole number hasn't changed much since my days in school. We are still just going to multiply the whole number by the numerator (top) of the fraction and leave the denominator (bottom) the same. So...