"New" maths? Help!!

[Becaroooo]

My son is 8 and in Y4.

He is pretty good at maths (not g&t or anything) but they teach it so differently now (I am 40 this year) and I am embarrassed to admit I dont understand how its taught now at all

I would like a book/website recommendation to help me understand my sons homework!!!

TIA

www.cgpbooks.co.uk/pages/books.asp

These books are often recommended to students as revision guises, written in child-friendly language.

For an adult, to understand the new methods and the reasoning behind it.
www.amazon.co.uk/Mathematics-Explained-Primary-Teachers-Haylock/dp/1848601972

Hi Becarooo

Also over 40 and finding maths difficult to relate to sometimes - but the BBC website (BBC Learning [BETA] - beta = under development) has fabulous links to learning resources & games - through this I've been better able to understand/ support my DD also Y4.

link to BBC Learning KS2 Maths here: www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/keystage_2/topics/maths_ks2.shtml

Aside from the main topics in the orange square - to the right is a blue column listing topics and if you click maths you can also get a range of worksheets/ activities and games by age range & topic.

I've also come across this 'mad for maths' website: www.mad4maths.com/parents/ which helps to explain (with examples) primary maths curriculum. It's quite light and funny - so not very threatening at all.

HTH

Ask the school is they can give you a copy of their calculation policy. Most schools have ones available to parents.

Methods have changed, and it can be daunting. Please do value the reasons why the teacher is teaching in different ways, and don't bad mouth it to your DC!

It's very confusing for children to have their teacher and their parent showing them completely different ways. It just makes things harder for everyone involved.

Oh I think its great - its not a criticism!!! My son thinks its hilarious mummy finds his homework too hard!!!

Thanks for the links

Given the current state of the UK's maths skills we should probably all be worried about this. There is usually a lot of interest in anything to do with learning reading, perhaps not quite so much with maths. I have a sneaking suspicion that's because not being able to read puts one at a crucial disadvantage. Not being able to do arithmetic puts one at a crucial disadvantage too. But most people can count. Presumably there are adults who can't do basic arithmetic. I'm lucky in not having knowingly met one. But I think the real problem with mathematics proper, ie trigonometry, algebra, geometry and so forth is that for most people it's irrelevant. One reads things all of the time. But how often do you calculate the area underneath the graph or the volume inside a sphere? (Me, I do these things all the time, obviously.)

We use a method called Big Maths www.andrelleducation.co.uk/BMFreebies/BMBTCLICTests.zip
www.andrelleducation.co.uk/BMFreebies/BMBT%20Learn%20Its%20Tests.zip
www.andrelleducation.co.uk/BMFreebies/CLICsample.zip

@ learnandsay I used trigonometry to work out the dimensions of a box I wanted to make. It was very pretty.

But, as you said, most people probably wouldn't...

I have parents' evening next week, and I am expecting to have to answer many questions about our calculation policy. This was the main theme of the autumn term's meetings too.

I was trying to work out real world examples of trigonometry the other day. Carpet fitters use it all the time. They just don't use formulae. (They only need square feet.) I know civil engineers use lots of mathematical functions but I don't know anything about civil engineering! So I got stuck there! And finally I know that Napoleonic artillery officers (one of which the emperor himself was,) had to learn trigonometry in order to calculate the trajectory of canon balls. I'm still trying to work out how I'm going to convince my children that it really matters how much gunpowder they apply and at which angle they suspend the muzzle when I'm peering into their textbooks. I really believe learning should be active. But with mathematics I could take some more persuading.

Juniper904, I did A level trig but at aged 45 I remember nothing about it. I am NOT saying it is useless, just that my brain cannot recall it. So, how the did you use trig to work out the dimensions of a box??

Becarooo, good question that you raised. I was asking my Yr 2 childminded children today how they learned to add. Not sure I got it, but it certainly is different from what I learned 300 years ago.

Maths for mums and dads by rob eastaway . Regularly have it out when kids doing homework!

I really like Maths for Mums and Dads. It is an easy read and does a great job at covering the techniques which weren't around in the 70s (formal partitioning, gridwise multiplication etc) and lays out what they do when. Strongly recommended.

www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=maths+for+mums+and+dads&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=9029712545&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12126489491741364895&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_5neek3r2qr_e

Have just ordered it from amazon, thanks.