I sometimes get texts from Danica when she is at school. They are not frivolous and always pertain to math. While she has been pretty competent with the subject, she is now in grade 8 and sometimes gets stumped by the algebra that they are getting into.
As you can see if you can read the tiny text, I tried to get her started but had to leave for awhile.
Later, I got back to her with how I would solve it. As you can see my answer was 75cm.
I don't always know all of the steps that her teacher might want, but as long as she gets the concept, she can frame it the way that they want.
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Later, when I presume she was struggling with homework, I received another problem. I often am late getting around to responding since I am not always by the phone. Even though I might be on the computer, I am not on an Apple machine. Our phones are Apple, however, so I am not always aware enough of new messages to reply directly. You will see that by the time I got around to this one, she was in the car.
This problem had to do with the a rectangle. She was given that one side was 12m and the area was 240m2. If you were to fence the area, how much fencing would be required?
I never did get around to showing her the final answer, but I was able to show how to find the length of the other side, which was 20.
So two sides of 12m = 24m.
Two sides of 20m=40m.
Total length of the fence would be 24+40=64m.
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I do find it gratifying that she is reaching out to me, and I am pleased that I remember enough math to help her.
For now, that is.
I last took math 55 years ago, so I don't imagine that I can go beyond the basics. I mean what is a binomial anyway? And I am not sure that I know what a quadratic equation is nevermind having to solve one.
This is grade 8 work, and I think it is tough for that level and beyond my own grade 8 math 60 years ago -- according to my weak memories anyway. I probably wouldn't even be able do grade 9 anymore.
Maybe if I needed to get up to speed, or if Danica needed me to, I could re-school myself. When it gets to that point, perhaps I could borrow her math text although all of these problems seem to be on worksheets.
We'll have to see how it goes, but I am liking the mental challenge for now . . . and communicating with Danica too, even if it is via texting.
11 comments:
There's nothing better than feeling needed by another, especially the next generation! Congrats to you! Of course you know this is a limited thing, when you will understand the questions enough to help. But bask in the ability you have today! Tomorrow you can teach her something more about photography!
I agree with your first commentor Barbara. It is a great feeling to make contact with today's youth. I have that with my granddaughter Faye but, thanks to all the Gods that exist, it has nothing to do with mathmatics !!
When my kids were in high school I went and took a night class in Grade 12 math and found that the names and labels of things had changed, but not the solution equations.
And the sum of the hypotenuse, etc, still works. The way my grandkids did arithmetic was totally foreign to me. They seemed to be working in boxes of relationships and I could not follow. It did not help that the explanations were in French, she said, whining.
The grandkid has trig next semester and her father has bailed on her - says it is totally erased from his brain. I guess her mother will have to tackle it. I will stand in the corner and hold towels.
It's great that she wants you to help her. No one asks me much about math(fortunately!), but they often do about English or French.
That's totally cool, but I myself am a disaster about math. I can add and subtract, still, but that's about it. :-)
I really enjoyed teaching math. Isn't it wonderful to help her out?!
Our kids tend to forget that while all our devices are Apple, if the laptop isn't open, I don't get message notifications!
I told a story at our kids' wedding about them putting on snowsuits to go out for a nighttime walk. They were debating a quadratic equation!
Such geeks!
Lucky for me, both daughters comprehended math far better than I.
I didn't understand math well back then let alone now! I am very much impressed that you can hlep her with these. Wow! ;)
It is great your granddaughter reaches out to you for Math help. Good for you and her both. Our math skills from all those years ago hold us in good stead today, AC, as long as our minds hold on.
I often hear parents say they're unable to do the new math their kids in Grade 3 are doing, thus can't help with homework. You're obviously lightyears ahead of most! -Kate
Oh gosh! You made my brain hurt. I'm really not good with math reasoning. It's why I married an engineer.
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