Kids are too smart.

[Sweater Cows!]

She is doing her math homework which is multiplication.

She was having trouble with the 7, 8, and 9's, same as me back then oddly
enough. She asked me to do it for her and was given an absolute NO!

I asked if she had one of those times tables to use, she said yes but
teacher doesn't let them.

I got on the computer and looked one up. I deleted all the answers and printed it out. I thought she could
fill it in to see the pattern of how the answers work. That was not what
she wanted. So I closed out the browser and left the office. A few
minutes later I went back in and she had got online and Googled the
chart herself. I unplugged the line so she couldn't get back on the
internet. She didn't think to use the calculator that was on the shelf a
foot in front of her.

It is amazing how smart kids are now days.

[XLFD]

I remember my father telling my older brother that he didn't have a slide rule when he was doing math, my older brother telling me he didn't have a calculator when he was doing math, me telling my eldest that I didn't have a scientific calculator to do my math, and her telling my youngest that she didn't have a computer to do her math.

One of these days, math problems are going to all come at us pre-done, so we can appreciate other important things, like not having to read anymore.

[AQUAMAN]

This at first kinda sounds like a boring thread, but, like Sheila's other thread on the women working deal, it isn't. If kids don't learn the basic math of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, they are doomed as adults. You'd be surprised how many smart and well educated adult people can't do them. Go buy anything almost anywhere, if the computer or cash register malfunctions, the clerks can't give you change, cause they don't know the answer. Alot of people can't balance their checkbook properly with the month's end statement, why, simple addition and subtraction. There's a little trick to getting multiplication mastered. The simplest form used to be to mark dots on paper or a blackboard like 8 X 8. Put 8 dots down on paper across, then repeat 8 times down in a row, then count all the dots. Another would be to add 8 dots together, 8 times, to get the answer 64. I'll bet X has better examples of this since he was a math major too. And don't tell her to use the slide rule, that's may be a bigger challenge, or maybe not, if shown properly. Either way, it's important and worthy to avoid calculators or other forms of cheating. She'll thank you later some day.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Good point Aqua.

[Sweater Cows!]

Somewhere along the way she learned to for example draw eight circles, fill each with 8 dots then count them up.

[Haiku Confucius]

Kids and animals
May mess on rug at times but
Smarter than keepers.

[Mary A.]

Thank God my offspring did not get my math genes! I loved elementary school math, but I developed math anxiety big time starting in high school. Two of my three daughters completed advance placement calculus in high school and the third at least got through Algebra II. I always regretted that I did not pursue more challenging math courses, but in those days it was not required.

[AQUAMAN]

I did the same thing in HS Mary, didn't get algebra nor see it's significance at all. Barely passed with C-. Now geometry was different, I loved it A- once I memorized alot of formulas and stayed after school with Mr. Greiner for his study help. Then advanced algebra, finally dropped out. Then calculus, liked that and excelled there too. But the basics again, are most important, and are a must for kids. If she continues to have difficulty, google some math help books for mulitiplication or cd help course. Some better teachers in schools will stay after school with special study sessions to help students. They probably also have games to help learn mult. that is more fun than standard procedure learning.

[XLFD]

You got to love geometry. Math calculations are boring and trite, but geometry is something you can see, develop logical rules based on a few limited facts/laws, and construct figures and proofs of great artistic beauty on your own.

Max, enough of your progressive schooling-- we promote the three 'R' s around here {: ]

[Max]

What are the three "R"s...reading, righting and recess?

[Max]

I started to read this but then I saw it was about math. I didn't think there was going to be any math on this forum... ;-)

[Mary A.]

He he