Welcome to my first attempt at blogging. I am a math coach who is responsible for the coordination and implementation of the Everyday Mathematics program in my district. This is my third year in this position. During my first year as a math coach, it was necessary for me to become an instant “expert” in Everyday Math (EDM) as the teachers and administrators were looking to me to provide them with the information they needed to teach this math program. I must say that I absolutely love this program, though it does come with its share of controversy. The source of most of the contention lies in the alternative algorithms. Opposers argue that the algorithms taught in EDM are not as efficient as the traditional algorithms.
That’s the point, folks. Our traditional algorithms for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, are little more than rote procedures that somehow arrive at the correct answers, but few really understand how they work. In EDM, on the other hand, most algorithms have unvieled the mathematical concepts that underly each operation. There is no part of the algorithm that kids cannot explain. It forces children to consider the value of each number rather than the digits themselves. Yes, you actually have to THINK mathematically when performing these operations.
Too much of traditional math instruction involves teaching kids tricks and shortcuts to arrive at the correct answer at the expense of developing understanding. EDM is trying to change that.
