Absolute value in algebra?

Absolute value bars are very, very simple.  They just make everything in them POSITIVE.  If your number in the absolute value bars is positive, then it stays positive.  If negative, then it changes to positive.  That’s it.  There’s nothing else to it.  They are “negativity erasers.”  THEN of course, the texts will start putting negative signs OUTSIDE the bars.  But that is just a simple matter of “following the negative signs.)  If you let us know exactly which problems you are having trouble with, I could show you.  You don’t really need another website.  Just explain to your daughter that those two bars are magic negativity erasers and that whatever is inside them is REALLY positive.  Always, always, always.  Then you apply what is OUTSIDE them, from closest to farthest.  It’s that simple.  Tell her there is an Absolute Value fairy with a magic positivity wand if you like.  🙂  But that’s just all there is to it.

One thing I did with one of my kids when we were doing the endless streams of -(-)(-)-/-3/ was this:  I taped a + on the “on” position of a light switch, and a – on the “off” position.  Then we simply turned the switch on and off.  We began like in the above problem—with a -3–in the “off” position.  But the absolute value signs turn it “on”.  Then the next negative sign turns it OFF.  Then the next one turns it back ON again.  Then the next one turns it back off.   Etc, for as long as you have the string in your problem.  (We also used an electronic circuit board labeled with negative and positive signs to learn the four operations using negative numbers.)

Oh My Word. This confirms my decision to find either a tutorial or tutor for DS starting next year, when he’ll be in 9th grade.