Vertical sums or number lines
Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators
Vertical sums or number lines
H
I spoke to my Year 2 son's teacher at parents evening yesterday, and the teacher gave some feedback. Any thoughts, please?
Teacher stated that DS1 struggles with 3 digit numbers, and went on to say if he did a sum such as 137-24, that he did not like the fact that DS1 works it out (correctly!) in a vertical sum format. The teacher prefers him to use a number line and count back.
Consequently, DS1 does not struggle with 3 digit numbers, but just chooses to use vertical sums; is there anything wrong with this method?
I spoke to my Year 2 son's teacher at parents evening yesterday, and the teacher gave some feedback. Any thoughts, please?
Teacher stated that DS1 struggles with 3 digit numbers, and went on to say if he did a sum such as 137-24, that he did not like the fact that DS1 works it out (correctly!) in a vertical sum format. The teacher prefers him to use a number line and count back.
Consequently, DS1 does not struggle with 3 digit numbers, but just chooses to use vertical sums; is there anything wrong with this method?
schools don;t teach the vertical method until later, the numeracy strategy tries to get them to have a feel for numbers before teaching an algorithm.
trouble is it's difficult to ask a child to unlearn it. I know first hand as having been taught long division in one school I moved somewhere where they did short division first and I was told not to do long division, still can;t get the hang of short division
trouble is it's difficult to ask a child to unlearn it. I know first hand as having been taught long division in one school I moved somewhere where they did short division first and I was told not to do long division, still can;t get the hang of short division
-
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:36 pm
- Location: Rugby
-
- Posts: 1806
- Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:29 pm
- Location: Berkshire
Had the same problem with my boys, at that age.
As long as they are sure of their units, tens and hundreds place values you can teach them to use the vertical method, horizontally as well.
They can learn the school method and then use which ever is easier for them. With maths there can be a few ways to get to the same answer.
As long as they are sure of their units, tens and hundreds place values you can teach them to use the vertical method, horizontally as well.
They can learn the school method and then use which ever is easier for them. With maths there can be a few ways to get to the same answer.