Models for maths in primary school

[fridayeducation]

I am a part time tutor/tuition agent and an undergrad with 9 students on hand. I am replying your question as a tutor.


Anyhow, your child should spend 1 minute to draw a model and another 4 minutes to finish the question (max)

Try to brief your child on the basic model concepts

Eg. A have $2 and B have $3. How much do they have altogether?
Eg. A have $10. B has $5 fewer. How much do they have altogether?

Step by step. increase the level of difficulties. will definitely help. If he keeps doing them, when he sees the question, he will know what to draw almost instantly. It will be like when you see a lightning, you know the thunder will come.

[Jennifer]

Try this online http://www.mathplayground.com


It has a section on model, comes with a demo on how to use models in prob sums. Very easy to understand.

Must be patient when introducing model. No.1 had no prob understanding it when he was taught by the sch. No.2 had delayed understanding. I was so anxious then and kept telling No.2 die die he must master it. So I left him to do 2 levels of the qns in this website. Now he has no prob.

[kiasumama]

The school doesnt award/minus marks for models right or wrong…i wonder why?


The importance of the models are significant, arent they?

[fridayeducation]

kiasumama:

The school doesnt award/minus marks for models right or wrong...i wonder why?


The importance of the models are significant, arent they?

The model is significant in visualizing the questions, some schools will allocate marks for models as to them it is part of the working.

An answer to a normal model question should consist of;

1. Models
2. Statements
3. Equation
4. Final Answers

Every school has a different standard as to what to expect in a paper, some schools give full marks as long as the final answer is correct, some will not, it all depends on which school you are in.

[kiasumam]

i think it needs practise, the model method is a very good way to do problem sums, shouldn’t be affecting their speed! it helps the child to picture everything better!

[ET-PH]

My dd school do not give marks for the model but without modelling (visualisation), they may not be able to solve some of the math questions. For example (P3 question), A has $65 dollars more than B, if A give $20 dollars to B, how much does A has more than B. Some question even comes with A, B and C. With modelling, it is easier for the student to visualise and calculate the answer. Do the student in P5 and P6 still required to use models to solve problem sums ?

[cafelatte]

P5 and P6 will still get the comparision, before&after kind of problem sums which are easier to solve using models. There’ll get ratios and fractions in the problem sums.


Hence, it is a good idea to encourage them to use model from lower primary, starting with the simpler problems.

[Lynn1967]

My dd is using models drawings for most of the questions and I notice that after she had drawn models, she doesnt had a lot of workings which saves a lot of time. Last time when she was in P3, she had a tutor who wasnt familiar with model drawing and teach her conventional ways. Still can get the answer lah, but she found it hard to understand. She told me now after she had drawn the model she can find a soln quite easily liao.

[Lynn1967]

So if yr school doesnt teaches model, make sure yr tutor can do that.

[Lynn1967]

My son now P2 alrdy train him to draw models even though the question is easy. My tutor said let him get into the hang of it early so that he won feel the pressure when u introduce more complicated ones to him in upper pri.