Our New Approach to 4th Grade Math

This morning E and I were talking about math - in particular multiplication and division. It always seemed to me that a person doesn't really "learn" multiplication until they "learn" division; and, one doesn't truly "learn" division until they "learn" fractions and decimals. To my surprise E agreed with me. I expected him, being a math teacher, to say one must be mastered before moving on to the next.

We started this year with a 3 week review of 3rd grade then started long division. The textbook spends half the year on long division. The kids have already grown tired of it. I have decided we won't be spending half of 4th grade on the drudgery also known as long division. Instead, we will spend another week or so doing long division problems. Maybe, we'll have a contest to see who can do the longest division problem correctly. Then, it's onward to more interesting math problems. I think the kids will enjoy a faster pace. (Of course, we will review long division periodically throughout the year.)

That's our new plan for 4th grade math. Normally, speeding ahead at such a fast pace would cause me to worry that they might not remember it all later. But, the kids like math and they're smart enough to handle the pace. Also, I have E to fall back on if I screw up.