^{How Will Math Look in Your Child's Classroom?}

^{As
a result of the recent effort in mathematics teaching to include
understanding in the teaching of math, from basic through advanced
levels, the picture of your child's math class may, indeed, look
different from what you remember when you were in school. For instance:}

^{Children will be expected to know their math facts: Children will be learning their math facts with an understanding of how facts relate to each other.
Children will be doing more than arithmetic: Children
will be seeing that math is much more than arithmetic (knowing the
facts and number operations); it involves estimation, geometry,
probability, statistics, and more.
Children will be striving to achieve high goals:
Children will be achieving high standards of understanding, complexity,
and accuracy set for them by their parents, teachers, schools, and
states.
Children will be actively involved in the study of mathematics: Children will be doing tasks that involve investigations. They will be talking and writing explanations for their thinking.
Children will be working with one another: Children will be collaborating to make discoveries, draw conclusions, and discuss math.
Children will be evaluated in a variety of ways:
Teachers will use many different ways to determine if children know and
understand math concepts. Some of these will include writing samples,
projects, or written tests. Not all evaluation will be the same for
every classroom or every child.
Children will be using calculators to solve problems:
They will be using calculators not as crutches but as tools to solve
more complex problems with bigger numbers than they could do otherwise.
Children with good knowledge of math facts, number sense, and reasoning
about math will be able to use the calculator most effectively.
Children will be using computers: They will be developing databases, spreadsheets and computer graphics, while solving problems.}

^{Math Survival Tips}

^{Ten Steps for Solving Mathematics Problems}

^{1. Whisper read the problem at least two times. Make a mental picture of what you are reading.}

^{2. Circle the key words in the question.}

^{MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE QUESTION IS ASKING!}

^{3. Identify and circle/underline the key numbers and labels.}

^{4. Eliminate unneeded data by drawing a line through it.}

^{5. Thoroughly study any graphs, charts, or Venn diagrams.}

^{6. Determine the operation(s)/strategies needed to solve the problem.}

^{7. Solve the problem. SHOW YOUR WORK! (Draw a picture, work backwards, make it simple, etc.).}

^{8. Evaluate the answer. DOES YOUR ANSWER MAKE SENSE? DOES IT ANSWER THE QUESTION(S) ASKED?}

^{9.
If an answer sheet is used, check your answers with the answer choices.
If your answer is not found, repeat steps one through eight.}

^{10. Bubble in the correct answer in the right space on your answer sheet.}