Decimals Archives - MARILYN BURNS MATH

Decimals Fractions General Interest Interviews One-on-One Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning

How Was Amber Reasoning?

The fifth-grade class I’m working with this year is studying addition and subtraction of fractions, and I asked to “borrow” the class to see how they would view Amber’s solution. I describe how I structured the lesson and have also included students’ writing.

Marilyn BurnsDecember 14, 2024

Algorithms Decimals General Interest Interviews One-on-One Mental Math Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Tutoring

Algorithms Are Not Enough!

Last year, I agreed to meet with a friend’s sixth-grade son. Oscar’s math teacher had raised an alarm for my friend and her husband about Oscar’s math progress. They were shocked. Oscar did his homework and was proficient with paper-and-pencil math. What was the problem?

Marilyn BurnsFebruary 19, 2019

Decimals General Interest Multiplication Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Real-World Problems Videos Word Problems

When You Multiply by 10, Just Add a Zero? Horrors!?!

Have you ever asked students to solve 12.6 x 10, and they respond that the answer is 12.60? I have, many times. Students who do this apply a pattern that works when they multiply whole numbers by 10—they tack on a zero to the end of the number they’re multiplying. But then they apply the same pattern when working with decimals. What can we do?

Marilyn BurnsOctober 1, 2018

Decimals Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning Problem Solving

Teaching Adding Decimals: What If You Give the Answer First?

When teaching students to add decimals, I wind up reminding students to “line up the decimal points.” This makes sense to some students while others follow the rule without understanding. How can we teach adding decimals to develop understanding and skill? Here’s a possible suggestion: Give the correct answer up front.

Marilyn BurnsJanuary 14, 2018

Decimals Number and Operations Numerical Reasoning

A Decimal Lesson . . . about 13/20 and More

I love Twitter. On November 3, 2017, I saw this image in a Tweet posted by @MarkChubb3. The image stuck with me for several days. After talking about it over dinner with a teacher friend, and then again over lunch with another, I became curious to find out what students might think. I made arrangements to “borrow” three fifth-grade classes and made plans to teach the same lesson in each class.

Marilyn BurnsDecember 19, 2017

Decimals

How Was Amber Reasoning?

Algorithms Are Not Enough!

When You Multiply by 10, Just Add a Zero? Horrors!?!

Teaching Adding Decimals: What If You Give the Answer First?

A Decimal Lesson . . . about 13/20 and More

Categories

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Marilyn Burns Math

Decimals

How Was Amber Reasoning?

Algorithms Are Not Enough!

When You Multiply by 10, Just Add a Zero? Horrors!?!

Teaching Adding Decimals: What If You Give the Answer First?

A Decimal Lesson . . . about 13/20 and More

Categories

Subscribe to Marilyn Burns Math

Subscribe to
Marilyn Burns Math