Things to Know about Your Child's Math Homework

Your child will bring home a variety of mathematics homework assignments throughout the grades.
Below you will find a description of a few of the types of assignments your child may bring home. All of
these examples come from the mathematics program Investigations in Number, Data and Space used
throughout Columbia Public Schools.

Games
From kindergarten through grade five your child will bring home games that will be assigned as
homework. The games they bring home have been played at school so your child should know how to
play the game. Most often the rules and directions for the game may come home as well. Games
should not only be motivating and challenging for your child, but they also contain important
mathematical ideas and help your child develop math skills. Games also provide an opportunity for
students to practice and hone their skills. As you play the games with your child, ask them occasionally
about what they notice and about their strategies for playing. Try to relax and have fun when you play
the game with your child. You may want to keep a journal of your child's strategy(ies) as they play the
game(s). You should find that their skills and knowledge about number should grow throughout the
year.

Problems to Solve
The problems that your child might have as homework generally will be similar to the problems that
they have been working on in class. Your child should have an idea about how to solve the problem(s).
However, if they seem to have forgotten, the best help you can provide is to ask some of the following
questions: "What does the problem ask you to do? What have you been working on in math class
today or this week or last week? Can you draw me a picture (illustration) of the problem you are trying
to solve?" You also need to listen carefully. You will probably need to listen to the method your child is
using several times. The teacher will be expecting your child to record and describe the strategy(s)
used to solve the problem. You should find yourself thinking, "wow" I never thought about solving the
problem that way, or even changing the numbers around to solve the problem mentally.

Tasks to Perform
Sometimes your child will be asked to do something such as collect data or take measurements at
home. Since we know that children learn best when they are involved in the learning process, we try to
use real data, data that they have gathered. Often the next day's class will depend on the data
collected. It may, for example, involve making a graph representing everyone's data.

Facts to Practice
Even though the mathematics your child brings home and the mathematics they are studying may
seem different from what you experienced in school, one thing has definitely not changed. That is the
need to know their number combinations (facts). So that your child can become competent in
estimation and computing both with paper and pencil and mentally, our goal is to help your child learn
their addition/subtraction number combinations through 10+10 by the end of second grade and their
multiplication/division combinations through 12 X 12 by the end of fourth grade. We will be working on
this at school, but most children will also need extra help at home. Your child will be assigned games
and given suggestions for learning these facts, your encouragement and assistance are important.
Remember, though, that this is a task that takes quite a while for many children; therefore, it will need
to be worked on over time.

Linda Coutts 555 Vandiver

K-5 Mathematics Coordinator Columbia, MO 65202
Columbia Public Schools (573) 214-3920 ext. "0"
lcoutts@columbia.k12.mo.us (573) 214-3911

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 Helpful Things To Say When Your Child Asks For Help With Mathematics Homework

When you child asks for help try some of the following questions or prompts:

· Does this remind you of other problems?

o Have you done something similar in class?
o What do you know about the problem?

· What have you come up with so far?

o Can you tell me what the problem is asking you to do?
o What information is useful in solving the problem?

· Where do you think you should start? (Then wait for an answer.)

· What is the problem asking you to do?

o What part of the problem is confusing you?
o How can you organize the information in the problem to help you?

· Would drawing a picture or diagram help?

· How can I help you (without giving you the solution)?

o Do you see any patterns or relationships in the data that can h elp you?

· Can you (will you) explain your strategy to me? Convince me that your solution makes
sense. I really want to learn from you. (Your child strengthens his or her understanding by
verbalizing ideas while at the same time strengthens your understan ding of what they are
doing and how they are making sense of the mathematics. “How else could we solve this
problem? Is your answer reasonable?”

· Try having your own pencil when you are asked to help - don't let yourself get caught in
taking their pencil. . . that let's them know that you will go ahead and do the problem.

· Really listen to what they are saying. Repeat back to them what you hear. Ask them
questions about their strategies. Let them know you really are interested. If you listen
carefully, you may find some pretty interesting mathematical ideas being expressed by your
child. It's okay to try to use their strategy(ies). Don't be surprised however, that they may
not take to your strategy too easily. We are trying to have them do what make s sense.

· Most importantly if you and your child cannot complete the homework, please just send a
note to the teacher indicating that you've tried, but you and your child were not successful in
the homework assignment. Please include the things you tried, that helps the teacher know
where your child is operating within the mathematics.

The most difficult task you will have is to listen. You may find that you actually understand more of
the math than you think at first. You also may find that you'll lear n more math by working with your
child on the games and homework by reviewing your child's work on previous assignments.
Linda Coutts 555 Vandiver
K-5 Mathematics Coordinator Columbia, MO 65202
Columbia Public Schools (573) 214-3920 ext. "0"
lcoutts@columbia.k12.mo.us (573) 214-3911

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 How Can I Help My Child Become Mathematically Powerful?
Taken from Schools and Families: Creating a Partnership by Murray, Megan ISBN#0-328-01881-3
Early Years (PreK-2) Middle Years (2nd-3rd Older Years (4th -6th)
Use money to help your Help your child: Help your child:
child: - make change - participate in making
- recognize coins - find coins that make 25 family budgets
- know the value of cents - participate in grocery
Money coins - save her/his own shopping
- count coins allowance - begin to manage her/his
allowance
- decide how much
allowance can purchase
Involve counting and Encourage your child to Encourage your child to
numbers in everyday count by 2s, 5s, and 10s practice skip counting by 3s
activities: and 4s
- count parts of the body - count past 100
- count things around - look for patterns - Count past 1000(say,
the house count from 650 by 100,
- identify numbers on "650, 750, 850, 950,
Counting/
elevators 1050 . . for example)
Numbers
- identify numbers on
street signs
Setting the table helps
build spatial sense and
reinforces 1 to 1
correspondence (I need 4
plates for 4 people)
Help your child start to By the end of 2nd grade By the end of 4th grade your
learn their addition and your child should know child should know their
subtraction number their addition and multiplication and division
combinations (+1, -1, subtraction combinations to combinations to 12 X 12
Math Facts doubles 3 + 3, 5 + 5) 20
playing the games
provides excellent
opportunities to master
their facts)
These are some of the time concepts you can help your child learn at home:
- Days of the week, months of the year, seasons, minutes in an hour, hours in a day
Time
- How to read a standard clock (with an hour hand and minute hand)
- How to schedule time (if you need to do four things, how much time will you need?)
Involve your child in activities that encourage measurement like:
- Cooking (fractions, volume, cups, teaspoons, etc. following step-by-step
Measurement instructions
- Reading a thermometer (measuring body temperature and measuring temperature
outside

Linda Coutts 555 Vandiver

K-5 Mathematics Coordinator Columbia, MO 65202
Columbia Public Schools (573) 214-3920 ext. "0"
lcoutts@columbia.k12.mo.us (573) 214-3911

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 Beginning Math Skills

Counting :

· saying the numbers in order

· counting objects using the counting sequence (using a number for each item counted)
· knowing that the last number you count when counting a set of objects tells the amount of
objects in the set

Beginning Addition:

· double counts
o 5 + 3 à counts out 5 and then counts out 3, counts all 8 to find the total
o sounds like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 1, 2, 3; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

· counts on
o 5 + 3 à counts out (or puts out) 5 and then counts on while adding the next 3
o sounds like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

· recognizes a group 5 and 3 as 8 without counting

*** as numbers get larger or out of a student's comfort level, most children will tend to revert back
to counting, often by ones.

Typical Progression of Number (facts) Relationships by the end of 2nd grade children should
know most of the number relationships à addition and subtraction facts

· doubles ( 1+1, 2+ 2, 3 + 3, 4+ 4, 5 + 5, 6 + 6) ( 7 + 7, 8 + 8, 9 + 9 usually 2nd grade)

· doubles + 1 ( 2 + 3 à 2 + 2 +1; 3 + 4 à 3 + 3 +1)
· doubles -1 (3 + 2 à 3 + 3 -1; 4 + 3 à 4 + 4 -1)
· number +1 or +2 ( 5 + 1, 4 + 2)
· number + or - 0 (5 + 0, 6 + 0)
· commutative property (flip flop rule) (3 + 2 = 2 + 3)
· ten combinations ( 5 + 5, 6 + 4, 7 + 3, 8 + 2, 9 + 1)
· ten plus a number (10 + 4, 10 + 7)

Strategies you may see your child use

· splitting numbers to make a ten or a double 5+7=

5 2 à 5 + 5 + 2 = 12

8+3=
2 1 à 8 + 2 + 1 = 11

Linda Coutts 555 Vandiver

K-5 Mathematics Coordinator Columbia, MO 65202
Columbia Public Schools (573) 214-3920 ext. "0"
lcoutts@columbia.k12.mo.us (573) 214-3911

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 · adding tens and then ones 17 + 17 =
10 7 10 7 à 10 + 10 + (7 + 7)

· holding one number whole and splitting the second number 27 + 17 = 44

+10 +7

27 37 44

· changing one number to make the problem easier 27 + 17

3 14 à 27 + 3 + 14 = 44

Splitting numbers Adding from left to right Adding from right to left

317 317
317 + 317 = +317 317
600 14
20 20
600 20 14 +14 + 600
634 634

Keeping one number "whole" 57 + 10 = 67

67 + 7 = 74
57 + 17 =

"Adding up" to solve subtraction 139 +1 =140 + 40= 180 + 7

=187 so, 187-139 = 48

187 -139 =
+1 +40 +7

139 140 180 187

Linda Coutts 555 Vandiver

K-5 Mathematics Coordinator Columbia, MO 65202
Columbia Public Schools (573) 214-3920 ext. "0"
lcoutts@columbia.k12.mo.us (573) 214-3911

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactory.com

 Changing the problem to an easier one
187-140 = 47, so the
answer is 48
187 - 139 =
189 - 139 = 50, so
187+2=189 the answer is 48
187 - 139 =

Subtracting from left to right

391
- 286
100 1 - 6 = -5
10
- 5
105

Multiplication

Things that come in groups (K-3)

Generally students will begin using
· number of legs on a cat, dog repeated addition or skip counting
when thinking about multiplication as
· number of legs on a chair a grouping model.
· number of wheels on a car
· number of cans of soda in a carton
· number of eggs in a dozen
· number of fingers on one hand
· number of eyes

Arrays (rectangular) (3-5) a formation of objects in a rectangle. This method is also sometimes called
an area model of multiplication.
columns

The multiplication fact

rows would be 4 X 6 = 24
4X6

Using known facts - one of the ways in which students begin to memorize their multiplicatio n
facts is to use what they already know to remember a new fact. The generally apply one of the
following properties of multiplication - commutative, associative or distributive.

Linda Coutts 555 Vandiver

K-5 Mathematics Coordinator Columbia, MO 65202
Columbia Public Schools (573) 214-3920 ext. "0"
lcoutts@columbia.k12.mo.us (573) 214-3911

PDF created with FinePrint pdfFactory trial version www.pdffactory.com

 I know that 4 X 7 = 28
because I know that 4 X
5 = 20 and 4 X 2 = 8
Commutative property: 4X5=5X4

Associative property: (3 X 2) X 5 = 3 X (2 X 5)

Distributive property: 4 X 7 = 4 ( 5 + 2) = (4 X 5) + (4 X 2)

In solving 16 X 25 a student might split the numbers into numbers that are easier to multiply and
then use the associative property of multiplication to regroup the factor s-

16 X 25

4 X 4 X 25 then multiplying (4 X 25) X 4 = 400

Using the distributive property the student might think (10X 25) + (6 X 25)

250 + 150 = 400

from right to left: from left to right: traditional method:

16 16 16
X 25 X 25 X 25
30 (6 X 5) 200 (20 X 10) 80 ( 5 X 6 + 5 X 10)
50 (5 X10) 120 (20 X 6) 32 (2 0X 6 + 2 0X 10)
120 (20 X 6) 50 (5 X 10) 400
+200 (20 X 10) +30 (5 X 6)
400 400

halving and doubling:

6X8
12 X 4
24 X 2
48 X 1

Linda Coutts 555 Vandiver

K-5 Mathematics Coordinator Columbia, MO 65202
Columbia Public Schools (573) 214-3920 ext. "0"
lcoutts@columbia.k12.mo.us (573) 214-3911

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 Division

Students will often begin solving division problems by repeated subtraction or by dealing out to
each group until there are none left or aren't enough to distribute or using a multiplication fact.

12 divided by 4 ---dealing out

111 111
111 111

Repeated subtraction: I know that 12 divided by 4 = 3 because I

know that 4 X 3 = 12
12
-4 1
8
-4 1
4 3 fours
-4 1
0

Larger division: How many 15s in 385?

385 ¸15
385
- 150 (10 X 15) 10 + 10 + 5 = 25 r 10
235
- 150 (10 X 15)
85
- 75 (5 X 15)
10

10
25 R10 or 25 /15 or 25 2/3
15 385
- 150 10 (10 x 15)
235
- 150 10 (10 x 15)
85
- 75 5 (5 x 15)
10 25

Linda Coutts 555 Vandiver

K-5 Mathematics Coordinator Columbia, MO 65202
Columbia Public Schools (573) 214-3920 ext. "0"
lcoutts@columbia.k12.mo.us (573) 214-3911

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