Regarding mathematics, the information we have about the topic is not truly what is changing. Numbers are still numbers; adding them together and taking them apart still produces the same kinds of outcomes that they did in the past. When it comes to mathematics, the procedure has been modernized throughout the years.
These alterations are in the same line as the trend toward focusing on STEM learning in today’s schools, which stands for the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The significance of future-proof critical thinking, problem-solving, and skill sets justified STEM’s ascension to the top of the discourse about education in the United States. The new math approach tries to put a similar focus on thinking critically to solve issues.
Old or Traditional Math Method
“Old math” places a significant emphasis on reciting and learning facts by heart. The students were required to commit many mathematical facts and formulae to memory to solve issues.
After that, they would only comply with the regulations without comprehending their actions’ reasons. However, if it culminated in the correct response, you were in the clear.
This archaic approach is the math curriculum that most parents and teachers were educated with when they were children. Imagine having to commit your multiplication tables or the method for calculating the area of a circle to memory.
If you need to answer a math issue, you probably still rely on the “old math” approaches that have been around for a long time. And you probably thought it was the lesson your kid would also pick up. Though, this is not the case in most school districts.
New Math Method
In 2010, the National Council of Teachers published new mathematics standards for evaluating teaching efficacy at every grade level, from elementary to high school. These standards were designed to be used across the curriculum.
The new benchmarks for assessing accomplishment, known as the Common Core State Standards, were the impetus for a change in the methodology that mathematics educators would use to educate students in their classes about mathematics.
There is a widespread misunderstanding that the Common Core State Standards are, in and of themselves, a prescribed curriculum that schools of mathematics are required to teach to, a blanket assessment that measures adherence to the rules, or a list of practices and methodologies for teaching from which teachers are not allowed to deviate.
However, this is not the case at all in any way. The criteria are concise but comprehensive reviews of students’ progress that aim to identify the level of development they should have achieved at a particular juncture in their educational lives.
It is expected that a student’s counting skills will enable them to reach the number 120 by the time they have completed their first year of elementary school. The Common Core State Standards include this as a requirement, but the text also provides wiggle space that admits the possibility that some kids won’t be able to achieve such a high figure, even though it is stated as a requirement in the standards.
This exemplifies the principle behind the standards, which is that there should be less emphasis placed on memory to arrive at a result and more importance placed on a student’s comprehension of the process behind the correct answers and approaches.
How New Math Method is different from Traditional Method
Math was traditionally approached using a technique that was relatively straightforward and included a series of actual stages. Turning everything into a formula or theorem that demands plugging away until the solution shows itself was the only and most reliable method to get the proper answer for any given math issue. This was the superior and most reliable approach to arrive at the correct answer.
The new approach to mathematics maintains all of the formulas that were named after ancient Greeks and produces results that have been demonstrated to be accurate; however, it alters how students think about numbers and how they arrive at the appropriate answers for mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication.
For instance, if we were given the job of adding 52 and 68, the traditional approach to addiction required us to place the two numbers next to each other in vertical order, keep track of any remainders, and finally arrive at a conclusion. Following the Public Core State Standards, students are taught to begin by adding two to the value found on the other side of the issue, which is 68.
This results in a straightforward addition problem that you can almost certainly work out in your mind. Making tens is a strategy that guides students to the right solution to a problem and gives them the self-assurance to modify different aspects of the issue to discover the answers in their unique approach.
Obsoleting of Old Math Method
One of the most significant problems with the so-called “old math” was that it prevented pupils from fully comprehending the material. They were able to arrive at the correct result, but they never really understood the concepts that mathematics was based on. Due to this, they had difficulty applying mathematical principles to situations that occurred in the actual world.
Today’s children need distinct skill sets to succeed in new and forthcoming technological environments. And a significant part of it is adapting how we study mathematics.
In 2003, a group of mathematicians started with the intention of developing a mathematics curriculum that would be suitable for the years to come. These concepts are now referred to as the Common Core Math Standards.
The main goal of the Common Core Math Standards for mathematics is to convey to pupils not just what the numbers represent but also why the formulae and algorithms they use are valid.
Many of the mathematical activities required by the Common Core State Standards include visualizing problems and their solutions, either by sketching them out or by utilizing materials that students may manipulate physically (also called manipulatives). Students better understand what numbers represent and how and why issues are addressed due to this.
It didn’t take overnight for everyone in the country to realize that the current math curriculum in the schools has to be updated. Since the 1980s, preparations have been made for it. In addition to the fact that we acknowledge the fact that new technology means we need more excellent math abilities, research investigations have indicated that the average arithmetic skills of high school graduates have been steadily declining.
Pros of the New Math Method
There are several different motivations for the introduction of the New Math Method. The New Math Method has several benefits, some of which are listed below.
Finding their Way to the Solutions
Concerning this topic, one of the most appreciated advantages of the Common Core State Standards is the shift toward providing students with some degree of autonomy in the mathematical discoveries they make.
As indicated earlier, kids are provided with various tools, one of which is the ability to identify tens so that they can answer arithmetic problems in class and on their math assignments. They are free to decide how they will use these tools and how they will communicate with and develop their connection to numerical data.
We are learning about taking different approaches to problems, manipulating pieces of a puzzle, and finding solutions based on one’s own decisions does wonders for one’s sense of self-agency, critical thinking, and confidence in one’s abilities to deal with issues that may at first look appear to be obscure.
As a result of this emphasis on critical thinking, a higher focus has been established on word problems. This is because analyzing and justifying acts is an excellent way to inspire reflection on one’s behavior.
Teachers have a Higher Level of Preparation
Before implementing the Common Core State Standards, which created concrete targets for administrations to aspire towards, a teacher’s goals were more often than not determined by state legislatures or curricula that had been around for a long time.
They would first determine what topics needed to be covered to get the grade given to them, and then they would get to work. In the new way of teaching mathematics, defined objectives are offered, and students may uniformly strive towards and assess their progress towards these goals through assignments and examinations.
Good Quality Standards
Although some educators make a move into the political world, this indicates that individuals without educational credentials were making judgments on what instructors should teach in classrooms.
Earlier on, it was indicated that state legislatures typically put standards into place. The Common Core State Standards are non-partisan, child-centered guiding guidelines produced by educators and implemented in all 50 states.
Consistent Courses throughout the Country
Students who are transitioning from one school system to another are another group that may benefit on a more local level. As a result of a consistent curriculum from one state to the next and from one city to the next, kids can take up precisely where they left off much more rapidly.
Challenges in New Math
No mechanism is foolproof. Additionally, change may be challenging and unpleasant at times. These facts constitute the most significant drawbacks of the new arithmetic.
Parents Facing Issues
Even in the early years of schooling, many parents find the approaches challenging and convoluted. Many parents are taken aback by this information, so they find themselves scrambling to get tutors or some other kind of assistance from the outside far earlier than they had planned.
Getting Help is Difficult
It isn’t easy to obtain tutors or other forms of academic support that are familiar with the new methods since they are still relatively new. When kids enter high school and begin studying subjects at a higher level, it becomes more challenging to get assistance.
Lecture Preparation
It has been stimulating for many teachers to teach math standards to students when they did not understand those standards when they were kids. In addition, educators responsible for the instruction of more than one topic have been required to apply new standards concurrently in a wide variety of subject areas.
Teachers and Parents Guide to Dealing with New Math
Do not Start with a Negative Attitude
Children tend to imitate what they see, and if they overhear their parents griping about the approach used in their child’s math class, it will provide them with an alibi for acting unfavorably toward the content they are studying.
The Common Core State Standards provide a problem-solving style distinct from the most recent generation of best practices in mathematics. Still, this difference is not intended to mislead or disappoint students.
This new method of doing things is intended to create connections between mathematical abilities and skills crucial in other subject areas, such as critical thinking.
Even if your kid is studying at a level equivalent to first grade, it is OK to assume that you will not comprehend everything instantly. This reaction has occurred in the past and will likely happen again as we improve the Common Core State Standards. Yes, your parents probably didn’t comprehend the new arithmetic you were learning when they taught it.
Study the Ideas Presented in the Common Core
The model uses arrays. Box multiplication. Tape Diagrams. The new matching method provides students with a wide variety of specialized tools, which they can use when the appropriate circumstances arise.
By gaining an understanding of these principles, not only will you experience personal growth, but you will also be better equipped to assist others with their schoolwork.
Make Sure Homework is Finished
Homework works as a bridge between a teacher and a parent; it offers what may be crucial post-lesson engagement with a topic and can help students reinforce ideas that may be discussed in the student’s next period of class time.
Exercises in Communicating Through the Solving of Problems
Try to persuade your youngster, in light of the proliferation of word problems and the increased emphasis on documenting one’s work while addressing an issue, to go through daily activities as if they were presenting at the most critical conference in their industry.
Examples of New Math Method
The Common Core State Standards use various teaching methods to assist children in developing a more profound comprehension of numerical concepts and their significance.
The following are a few of the early mathematical principles that are taught using the Common Core:
- Addition
- Subtraction
- Multiplication
- Fraction
Addition
The mathematical operation that will be the most comparable to how you learned math would be added. Students may practice adding two single-digit numbers together by counting items, using a number line, or boxes on a ten square. Another option is to use a ten-court (including using their fingers).
When adding integers with two digits, modern mathematics departs significantly from traditional methods of mathematical practice.
When solving the issue of adding 24 and 35 together, a learner should first break the problem down into place values.
Therefore, the student fills down the numbers in the tens position, adding 20 and 30 to achieve 50.
After that, they add the place values of the ones; thus, 4 plus 5 becomes 9.
After that, they combine both sets of results, resulting in 59.
This fresh approach to mathematics is probably something you already do without even realizing it. However, this helps your youngster solidify their concept of place value at a far younger age than they would without.
Subtraction
In the Common Core, the process of subtracting involves conducting addition first. I know what you are thinking, and yes, it sounds insane.
On the other hand, addition is often more straightforward for kids to grasp than subtraction. According to the Common Core, math teaches students how to rewrite problems to make them easier to solve.
The answer to our example issue is 32-12.
Rather than stacking the numbers one on top of the other, the pupils concentrate on the number that is less than the others, which in this instance is 12. They keep adding simple numbers until they reach the more significant number, 32, which is their goal.
They may start by writing 12+3=15 on the board.
Then 15+5=20.
Then 20+10=30.
And ultimately, 30 plus 2 equals 32.
As we have progressed through the equation and reached the more significant number, the next step is adding the second number in each sub-equation.
3+5+10+2=20.
Multiplication
When it comes to multiplication, things become a little more complicated. The box approach is used to teach multiplication following Common Core requirements.
Have you ever reserved the time to sit down and think about what the term “multiplication” really implies before we move on to a more complex problem?
Consider the following straightforward equation: 2 3
Have you ever considered the solution regarding rows and columns, even though you’ll know the answer immediately?
The expression 23 tells you there are two rows of three things (or three rows of 2 objects). And if you provide an example, then it’s not hard to figure out your answer: 6!
This is an illustration showing two rows, each containing three things. The sum is equal to two and a third times two.
Fraction
The Common Core math curriculum begins instruction on fractions at an earlier grade level. And one of the most common ways they are presented, to start with, is via visual representations.
Typically, this takes the shape of a pie graph, in which the total number of gaps represents the bottom number of the percent, and the colored spaces indicate the top number of the fraction.
In addition to circles, squares, and rectangles, you may utilize triangles, rectangles, or even hexagons. Due to this, they better understand how fractions represent different elements of a whole.
The exact visual representations are used later in the student’s education when they are taught how to add, subtract, and multiply fractions. Students can better understand how the values are being modified since the fractions are still shown as shapes that have been filled in.
The Common Core State Standards are a comparatively recent idea, yet, the newly developed approach to teaching mathematics didn’t begin with Common Core, and it’s unlikely that it will end there either. However, the standards that are in place presently do provide some synergy across different curriculums and encourage students to approach problem-solving with an analytical mindset.