It's Elementary

Whats happened to the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division you learned in school? And why are your children talking in math class and sharing answers? In friendly, jargon-free language, Its Elementary: A Parents Guide to K5 Mathematics not only decodes current teaching practices but also demystifies the fundamental concepts that your children need to understand to be successful math learnersand you need to grasp to help them. Illustrated with numerous examples of real students classroom work, Its Elementary shows you how children progress in their mathematical thinking from simple counting techniques to sophisticated strategies for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whole numbers, integers, fractions, and decimals. You will discover why todays teaching emphasizes understanding why a solution works as well as how to solve the problem; problem solving produces more confident, creative, and accurate math students than memorizing formulas does; practice and drills can be great toolsbut only at the right stage of learning; and collaborative learningtalking and sharingnot only helps children clarify their own thoughts about math but also introduces them to new ideas and strategies. Most important, Its Elementary makes you an effective participant in your childrens math education. Things to Do at the end of each chapter offers practical actions and activities, and a special chapter, Mathematics at Home, provides advice and guidance from helping with homework and dealing with math anxiety to choosing math games and talking to your children about math beyond homework and school. Its Elementary: A Parents Guide to K5 Mathematics is your all-in-one source for helping you to help your children be successfuland happymath students.