Would I be creating more problems for DS by teaching him old-fashioned column addition and subtraction?

[Buda]

DS is struggling with maths (age 6 - Yr 2) and although we are working on it and have signed him for for Maths Whizz etc. I wondered if I were to teach him the old fashioned way of adding 2 digit numbers and then obv 3 digit etc.

The current way of adding the tens and then the units seems more complicated to me.

If they still don't get it I put the number line on the floor and get them to jump it! It is just the understanding that subtraction is the difference between two numbers.

We will hve a go at that jumping around the floor thing Abbey but I don't think she'll be up for it today after our morning session.

And what's 'chunking'? Anyone know? It's something to do with is it 'long' division perhaps?

Our school makes a huge fuss about methods. They do not appreciate you using any others. It drives me mad! My DD struggled for ages with maths because she got so hung up on method rather than the sum itself. But I must admit once she got used to it her maths improved massively.

I would be wary. Speak to his teacher first.

Chunking is division. You take 'chunks' of the number out until the whole of the number is divided.
e.g. 87divided by 6 you take out 10x6=60 leaving 27. Take out 4x6=24, leaving 3 and the answer is 10+4 =14 remainder 3.

So could you not, in 87 divided by 6, take out 12 x 6 = 72, leaving 15, then 2 x 6 =12, leaving 3 to give 14 remainder 4? or do you just go to '10' because a lot of schools only teach to "ten times 'x' is..." ?

Thanks for your explanation but for the life of me I can't see how that makes maths more understandable over and above the 'long division way'! You know, '6 into 8 goes once, remainder 2, 6 into 27 goes 4, remainder 3, answer 14, remainder 3!

I think by the time they get to that stage teslagirl they will have been presented with the tools to do it both ways...so they can choose iyswim

to my mind the long division way is MUCH easier too, but I'm always surprised at how many children much prefer chunking!

I think that is what is good about how maths should be taught now - different methods suit different people - we only ever had one method, and while it got you the correct answer, you had no idea really what you were doing

It doesn't matter which 'chunks' you take out, we just discuss that 10x is an easy way to start. If it is a bigger number they could do 20x or 30x. It is up to them, for example if they are happy with 6x they could start there. Caz10 is right, they can choose their favourite method later on but at least this way they understand how they get their answer. 6 into 8 is confusing if you don't understand why you are doing it and place value.

Not having a school age child this is all news to me. I'm confused, I'm good at maths, columns didn't cause me any problems and I don't see that they have caused problems for people in the past, we're not all bad at maths because of it. Those who are bad at maths probably would have been anyway and are probably better at English. What's with the rush to get things into kids heads these days? I remember learning about columns and I also remember learning that one hundred and seventy three isn't written 100703. Does it matter what order it goes in? They'll have the same outcome in ten years when they do their GCSE's.

Those number squares and lines absolutely do not work for dyspraxic or uncoordinated children. They get the wrong answer by crossing lines and have no idea why it is wrong, and have no way to check. I've taught my son column addition and he does understand it (easy to show one row is units, one tens, one hundreds) and it means he can get the right answer.

Column addition has caused problems in the past-people can do it but they have no idea what it means. For example when I was taught column subtraction, in the infants, I was told to borrow one and then pay it back; I was good at Maths so I knew where it was coming from but a lot of children don't understand that you are changing tens to units.

have been doing it this way with dd1

11 +
14
__
25

You don't say how old she is misdee but if young it would be confusing. Both numbers would be partitioned so that you add 10+10+1+4.

she is 8.

she doesnt 'get' the other way of doing it, and has found her homework easier the last few weeks doing it this way. they have just started doing it this way in class as well.

have also started reciting times tables with her as well, as she just wasnt getting it. my dad als bought her a times tables poster for her bedroom.

dd1 does find school hard work.

It is easier that way but the danger is that although she has a formula that will get her the right answer she may not understand why it works. (I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be better to give a DC with difficulty a way of doing it and plenty of practise and let the rest come later so that they could feel successful and confident-however that isn't the way at the moment.I don't want to open a can of worms with that one!!)