Old Dogs, New Math: Homework Help for Puzzled Parents

by Mike Askew, Rob Eastaway

Overview

“Perfect for parents who want to understand the different methods to do arithmetic their children are learning—and why they are being taught that way.”
—Keith Devlin, award-winning Stanford University mathematician

“Can you help me with my math homework?” If this question fills you with fear (or even panic), then Old Dogs, New Math is here to help!

Gone are the days when elementary school students simply memorized their times tables and struggled through long division. Today, students are expected not just to find the right answer, but also to use the best method—and to explain why it works.

If your attempts to help your child are met with “That’s not how the teacher does it,” then it’s time to take the stress out of math homework. Old Dogs, New Math demystifies Common Core math for parents, including:

• Number lines, place value and negative numbers
• Long multiplication and division
• Fractions, percentages and decimals
• Shapes, symmetry and angles
• Data analysis, probability and chance

Complete with sample questions, examples of children’s errors, and over 25 games and activities, Old Dogs, New Math will not only help you and your child subtract on a number line or multiply on a grid—but also help you discover math all around you, and have fun doing it!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615190270
Publisher:	The Experiment, LLC
Publication date:	09/14/2010
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Rob Eastaway is the puzzle advisor for New Scientist's puzzle column and the director of Maths Inspiration, an interactive lecture program that has reached over 100,000 British teenagers. He has written or coauthored more than a dozen books, including Maths on the Back of an Envelope, Why Do Buses Come in Threes? and Old Dogs, New Math. He lives in London.

Table of Contents

Preparation

Introduction 3

The Big Questions 5

Math Props for Moms and Dads 18

Math Language 22

A Year-by-Year Summary 23

Arithmetic-And How it Has Changed

Numbers and Place Value 35

Addition and Subtraction: Mental Methods 61

Addition and Subtraction: Paper-and-Pencil Methods 85

Simple Multiplication and Tables 97

Multiplication Beyond Tables 118

Division 132

Beyond Arithmetic

Fractions, Percentages and Decimals 153

Shapes, Symmetry and Angles 175

Measuring 203

Data Analysis and Probability 222

Calculator Math 250

Big Ideas for Small People 270

Questions...and Answers

Questions That Your 11-Year-Old Might Encounter 289

Part 1 Calculators Not Allowed 291

Part 2 Calculators Are Allowed 298

Answers to Questions That Your 11-Year-Old Might Encounter 300

Part 1 Calculators Not Allowed 300

Part 2 Calculators Are Allowed 313

Answers to Test Yourself Questions 320

And Finally...

Dos and Don'ts 338

Glossary 346

Acknowledgments 363

Index 365

About the Authors 376

Editorial Reviews

"Rob Eastaway and Mike Askew’s book is a massive step in making math more fun and comprehensible for moms and dads. It will help to banish the lament that ‘I was never any good at math at school.’"

Sir Peter Williams

"This book is an absolute triumph. Given the author’s reputations, I would expect nothing less."

Liz Woodham

"Sometimes you come across a book which makes you happy. Recently, I did just that . . . [Old Dogs, New Math] is brilliant, and exactly what far too many parents (including myself) need."

Sarah Ebner

"This book will take the terror out of math for all the generations."

Joanna Trollope

"This delightful little book is perfect for parents who want to understand the different methods to do arithmetic their children are learning—and why they are being taught that way. The authors’ easygoing style and humor should help ease the path for parents for whom mathematics brings feelings of dread."

Keith Devlin

"This book will take the terror out of math for all the generations."
—Joanna Trollope, bestselling author of The Other Family

"Rob Eastaway and Mike Askew’s book is a massive step in making math more fun and comprehensible for moms and dads. It will help to banish the lament that ‘I was never any good at math at school.'"
—Sir Peter Williams, Chancellor of the University of Leicester

"This book is an absolute triumph. Given the author's reputations, I would expect nothing less."
—Liz Woodham, Primary Maths Journal

“This delightful little book is perfect for parents who want to understand the different methods to do arithmetic their children are learning—and why they are being taught that way. The authors’ easygoing style and humor should help ease the path for parents for whom mathematics brings feelings of dread.”
—Keith Devlin, Stanford University, author of The Math Gene and Mathematics Education for a New Era: Video Games as a Medium for Learning, and NPR’s Math Guy

“Sometimes you come across a book which makes you happy. Recently, I did just that . . . [Old Dogs, New Math] is brilliant, and exactly what far too many parents (including myself) need.”
—Sarah Ebner, The Times (London)

From the Publisher