Challenging Maths by Ammiel Wan - which grades?

[Dharma]

stetan:

The branch method is much faster than the model method.


Every minute counts in the PSLE.

As far as I know, the PSLE allows for ANY method in problem solving.

Hi stetan,

The “branch method” will not help to solve all maths problems. It’s useful as a quick method to handle questions that give you some information about what is remaining in terms of fraction or percentage after doing/carrying some activity.

See example below:

Mr Samad made some toys to sell. He sold 20% of the toys on Monday. He sold 27 toys on Tuesday. On Wednesday he sold 10% of the remaining toys. After that he found out that the toys he had left was 1 more than 1/2 the number of toys he had made. How many toys did he make?

[NickleBee Tutors]

Personally, i teach my tuition kids the model method first so that they can visualize what "1/2 of the remainder (which is 3/4 of the original)" actually looks like.


After they have mastered the model method and if they are up to it, i would then teach them the branching method while showing them how it is actually based on the model method (except for the mode of presentation) and let them explore it themselves. Most would usually settle for the model method while those who are better at more "abstract" rather than "visual-based" thought processes would go for the branching method.

Branching method is actually a very elegant method and may save time because you don’t have to draw a model and do all the pesky sub-division of units. But unless the kid understands how it works (and realizes that its actually model method in another from) and knows when to apply it, i would still recommend the model method.

I hope that was useful.

Yours
Zhou Shicai
NickleBee Tutors

[nansk]

Dharma:

...The “branch method” will not help to solve all maths problems. It’s useful as a quick method to handle questions that give you some information about what is remaining in terms of fraction or percentage after doing/carrying some activity.

Thanks, Dharma. This is a very good point that I overlooked.

[nansk]

NickleBee Tutors:

Personally, i teach my tuition kids the model method first so that they can visualize what \"1/2 of the remainder (which is 3/4 of the original)\" actually looks like.


After they have mastered the model method and if they are up to it, i would then teach them the branching method while showing them how it is actually based on the model method (except for the mode of presentation) and let them explore it themselves. Most would usually settle for the model method while those who are better at more \"abstract\" rather than \"visual-based\" thought processes would go for the branching method.

Branching method is actually a very elegant method and may save time because you don't have to draw a model and do all the pesky sub-division of units. But unless the kid understands how it works (and realizes that its actually model method in another from) and knows when to apply it, i would still recommend the model method.

I hope that was useful.

Zhou Shicai
NickleBee Tutors

Yes, it was helpful. Thank you for your detailed response.

I am not sure, though, whether the average 10 year old would be able to see the correlation between the model method and the branching method. Is it possible that some may be confused by the two ways? Perhaps it would be better, as you suggest above, to work with just the model method (which, it seems, works for all types of problems) and make sure the student understands it well.

[lego]

Very confused with all the methods :oops:

May i ask - what is unit transfer method? Is it different from model method?

[NickleBee Tutors]

nansk:

NickleBee Tutors:

Personally, i teach my tuition kids the model method first so that they can visualize what \"1/2 of the remainder (which is 3/4 of the original)\" actually looks like.


After they have mastered the model method and if they are up to it, i would then teach them the branching method while showing them how it is actually based on the model method (except for the mode of presentation) and let them explore it themselves. Most would usually settle for the model method while those who are better at more \"abstract\" rather than \"visual-based\" thought processes would go for the branching method.

Branching method is actually a very elegant method and may save time because you don't have to draw a model and do all the pesky sub-division of units. But unless the kid understands how it works (and realizes that its actually model method in another from) and knows when to apply it, i would still recommend the model method.

I hope that was useful.

Zhou Shicai
NickleBee Tutors

Yes, it was helpful. Thank you for your detailed response.

I am not sure, though, whether the average 10 year old would be able to see the correlation between the model method and the branching method. Is it possible that some may be confused by the two ways? Perhaps it would be better, as you suggest above, to work with just the model method (which, it seems, works for all types of problems) and make sure the student understands it well.

Actually i expose my tuition kids to the \"Branching Method\" only when they are in Pri 5. And i have found that only those (not many) who have developed a more \"abstract\" as compared to a \"visual\" based thought process can accept the \"branching method\" and link it back to the model method without getting confused.

I personally work with the \"Singapore Model\" method and once my tuition kids master it or if they are already considered \"High-ability\", i would then teach them other useful problem solving techniques and heuristics which are required for solving higher order questions.

The risk of insisting that the child should use the \"Branching\" method without proper understanding and application knowledge is that he may get confused and either use it by randomly plugging fractions in and hope for the best or he will just \"freeze\" up because he doesn't know when to apply it.

The thing i like a about drawing models is that all the information you need is inside the question! You just need to arrange the necessary information in a model/tabular/visual-based form and once you get the key concept/idea of the question, it practically solves itself!

I hope that was useful.

Zhou Shicai
NickleBee Tutors

[janet88]

Ammiel Wan has been coming up of late…writing for 2 publishers…onsponge as well as SAP (I think). It’s really mind boggling seeing new authors/publications in Popular.


Parents, do you get new publications to try or stick to the same Maths authors year after year ?

[tisha]

janet_lee88:

Ammiel Wan has been coming up of late...writing for 2 publishers...onsponge as well as SAP (I think). It's really mind boggling seeing new authors/publications in Popular.


Parents, do you get new publications to try or stick to the same Maths authors year after year ?

I try new publications if highly recommended. On sponge was recommended by a friend and I was also quite impressed by the problems on thier website/forum. So I gave it a try. DS enjoyed doing it.

[janet88]

tisha:

janet_lee88:

Ammiel Wan has been coming up of late...writing for 2 publishers...onsponge as well as SAP (I think). It's really mind boggling seeing new authors/publications in Popular.


Parents, do you get new publications to try or stick to the same Maths authors year after year ?

I try new publications if highly recommended. On sponge was recommended by a friend and I was also quite impressed by the problems on thier website/forum. So I gave it a try. DS enjoyed doing it.

I bought onsponge bcos school teacher asked kids to buy...otherwise wouldn't even know its existence. Get Henry Lee, Simon Eio, Andrew Er every year.

[mrswongtuition]

janet_lee88:

Ammiel Wan has been coming up of late...writing for 2 publishers...onsponge as well as SAP (I think). It's really mind boggling seeing new authors/publications in Popular.


Parents, do you get new publications to try or stick to the same Maths authors year after year ?

I think Ammiel Wan is also writing for the publishing house I'm working with because the editor was mentioning about it too...