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MUS blocks and multiplication – ???
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I had an epiphany with the blocks. I see it now, at least through lesson 24 of gamma. It’s more tedious than simply doing the problem, so I want my kids to have the aha moment and then we will just continue sans blocks for a bit.
Bookworm, does that sound reasonable? I want them to use it for understanding, but I don’t want to bog them down using blocks for every question.
It really is just showing what is actually going on in the problem and that there are 4 products that should be represented by the blocks. And, then 2 separate problems that are then added together. Hope that made sense 🙂
My ds and I did more this morning and he is getting that everything has to be accounted for and put it’s proper place. For my ds, it’s not enough that he knows the steps, but that he actually know what’s going on behind the scenes. But, man is this difficult to show a child who struggles with math…it’s like teaching him to read all over again. I have to have patience as it’s like a new language to him, which it is…math has it’s own language where digits are representative of real live things 😉
The hardest part for him is creating the large rectangle that Mr. Demme shows at the beginning of lesson 23. My ds struggles at that, but I just make him prove to me what he has made and if it shows ten, 10’s, for example. He may have to count them out and come to a conclusion, but I think it’s helping him. This has been good for us to do together and dig deeper.
Yes, Christie, that is totally reasonable. WE dont’ use the blocks for every problem. We demonstrate a few until the kid seems to be getting the basic idea, then we move on. After all, no one is going to be taking the blocks to college algebra class . . . . lol. The point is to get the concept, what is going on underneath the problem.
Got it. Now to stay a 1/2 step ahead.
I’m backing up to make sure dd12 and ds9 get the multiplication. Then I’ll go over division with dd12. Be ready for more blockhead moments;)
Christie, I’m so glad you got it because I couldn’t! I guess I need some re-learning of my own. We are on lesson 28 and haven’t used the blocks in months. Oops.
I think it just takes awhile to understand what he trying to show you. I had to watch the video a couple of times, read the teacher’s guide, then watch the video again. Then I manipulated my own blocks and finally figured out what he is showing the student. Really, for me, the hardest part is helping my ds to understand what is actually going on. He’ll get it, but we are taking it a bit slow…problem by problem. I’m having him say the factors out loud, grab the blocks he needs, put them in their proper “place” and, etc. I have tried to have him build the large rectangle first (what Mr. Demme shows at the beginning of lesson 23), but he can’t quite figure that out. I really have to say, “Show me 10, 12’s,” over and over, or, tell him back what he has created…then he sees it’s not enough, or whatever. Finally, he’ll get it, but it takes awhile. He can do the steps to multiply the digits, and get the answers most of the time, but I am waiting for the “a-ha” moment for him so that he knows “why” he’s doing what he’s doing.
It’s like a puzzle, isn’t it??!!
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