Information for Parents about Stewart Math Class

The following passage is a quote from the Teacher's Manuel for the Bridges Math program. I think it might be helpful as you support your child with this work at home, especially since these were not the methods most of adults used to master these skills and concepts.

Throughout this unit, students have been using the base ten area pieces as a model for ading 2-digit numbers. The model reinforces place value concepts, encourages students to think in chunks, and gives them an opportunity to regroup. We also find it's helpful for students to add and subtract 2-digit numbers in the context of money [We'll be working with money on Monday]. Because we have currency that is worth 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 cents working with money encourages students to think about a wider variety of groupings, which helps them become more flexible and efficient.

Students will build visual models for our coins and bills. These models represent the value of each coin as it relates to a dollar. We find this model helpful...When students look at a dime, for example, nothing about the way the dime looks suggests that it's worth ten cents. However, when they build a model for a dime that shows the value of that dime clearly, they have an easier time computing with money. In addition, th model connects well to the base ten pieces, reinforcing place vlaue concepts and improving computational fluency with larger numbers (Volume 1, p. 276).