Math Questions

If you are like most parents, when it comes to helping your child learn math, it's a chore.

Math can be fun. There are also more math aids out there than there used to be.

The Math curriculum we use at Palm View (ACSI - K-5 and Prentice Hall 6-8) both meet national NCTM standards as well as California state standards. Both Mr. Santos (5&6) and myself (Mr. Miller, 7 &8) have taught math for a number of years, taken required California credential classes, and engage in ongoing professional development in math. Furthermore, we both have worked in applied mathematical fields (engineering / computer programming/finance).

When I took my teaching of math class a number of years ago, I was surprised to learn how much had changed then when I had gone to school in the late 1970's. Mathematics is the science of pattern and design. When I had been taught to borrow and carry when subtracting, my teachers were now telling me to regroup. While at first it seemed like a minor change in terminology, I soon saw the conceptual basis that differed, and the resulting amount of less incorrect answers.

As technology has ever increased, so we have learned how to teach better.
Give me a 6th grade student that can rattle off memorized multiplication tables through 15 (and show them to me with manipulatives) and be creative with shapes (K-nex, Legos, symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns) and the rest is simple patterns reflected in formulas. To paraphrase the good cook from Ratatouille, "Anyone can do well in math!"

Don't forget that 6-8th graders have web codes and helps on the Prentice Hall website.

If you have questions about your student's math progress, no matter what grade, you may consult with either Mr. Santos or myself.

Mr. Miller's Math Blog