November 1, 2008
During the next few weeks, our math class will be learning about and practicing multiplication of whole numbers. You can expect to see work that provides practice with multiplying numbers by 1-digit factors as well as by 2-digit factors.
Please help your child by reminding them to take their time & check their work. Also, keep them working on their times tables - the more you practice
the faster they will get and the easier time they will have with more complex multiplication problems.
We will also be working on division of larger numbers also known as long division. This can be a challenging hurdle for many students so the best advice I have is to practice, practice, practice. The more they do at home, the better they will be. Once thing I'm really stressing with students in math is ALWAYS show their work. Up til 4th grade, most students have been able to do division problems in their head, which is fine but this year, that all changes. Now we focus on learning the process and steps to solve long division problems which cannot be done easily in their minds. Many students want to take short cuts and not work the problems out the long way, but that's just not the way it works! As I tell students, it's not just about the right answer - it's about knowing the process and steps of getting to the right answer. Once you know that, you can work any division problem!
Great Multiplication and division tutorials
