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Happy Xmas by the way. 

weebecka:

That's right of course DM, I just walked in and all was sweetness and light. The children devised Euclid's algorithms for themselves while I sat back, relaxed, sipping my cuppa.

I knew it.   Well, fair play to you - if you've got it, flaunt it.

bgy1mm:

weebecka:

Even with a very simple concept like multiplication, there is substantial variation over time and confusion now as to what it actually is.

 

We had a thread recently on how to teach -2 * -2 = 4.

Oh you don't have to get that complicated, just try 7x3.  What's that?

weebecka:

Oh you don't have to get that complicated, just try 7x3.  What's that?

It's the lucky numbers, 3 and 7 makes 21. I was taught that by my mother and still think of it that way.

Of course I can add 14 to 7 in my head,  but that's a bit of an effort, so I don't do it like that. I just treat it as a fact.

Multiplication and division facts should be that for most. No real depth,m simply a parrott fashion response

Teacher "7x8"

Every student "56"

Once this is sroted, fluent for all operations then  an understanding of why can be explored.

Anything beyond this is not required for many students who slug their way through 11 years of foral education to come out with a C or D grade still unable to recall basic number facts.

Numeracy is not maths, maths relies on numeracy.

Teach them as two subjects, the latter being a progression from the former for those fluent.

Why teach angle facts, area of strange shapes and scatter graphs year in year out if the pupils cant work out the monthly cost of their gas bill if they have been handed the yearly one?