Doin' the Math

Euriel just paid his entrance fee into Preparatoria (High School) and he got this prep test for the test he'll have to take some time this summer. I think it's only to give him an idea of what the test will be like so memorizing it (20-25 pages) is out of the question. That "simplify" the equation was the first that really stumped me and even though they have answers in the back, it made no sense. It's been too long since I've done the kind of math you only run into in school. I'll have to look for examples on the Internet.

This test has a some reading comprehension but also conditional situations very much like Math but not really. Like logic I guess. Some of those made my head spin but partly because they were in Spanish. Also two very difficult pages of English. The English they teach here is very limited and I doubt they get much conversation or heavy reading experience. Don't know how they are going to read a long paragraph, understand it and answer questions ??? Students put up little English sayings on Bulletin Boards at the school and all are humorous and they had time to research those.

Front page of study guide from Internet

College Board - Puerto Rico y America Latina

As I go through this test and make notes I have to make sure he can't just shake his head YES and move on. He has been a little lazy in school and has not asked me for English help or much of anything else unless it needs the Internet. I mark the multiple choice questions but he is going to get a WHY and EXPLAIN IT. Within the next week I'll sit down with him and see if his brain is a total vacuum or has absorbed some of it. Crossed fingers. What is a disabled kid gonna do if he can't finish school.

Link to Prep Test for High School in Mexico - PDF file

What ever happened to the Multiplication Table

Has the US become as calculator dependent as Mexico?   I know I memorized  the Multiplication Table before computers and calculators but it seems such a basic part of math why would it be forgotten.   This came up helping Euriel with his math homework and both he and his mom wanted to use the calculator for some simple addition and multiplication.   Both amazed I could do it in my head.

The stuff he's working on now is addition and multiplication of positive and negative numbers and mixed numbers (fractions).   He's just not getting the Minus part of it or the rule for even and odd number of minuses when multiplying. Then I have to run to the computer to find that even and odd are pare y impare in Spanish.

I'm disappointed that mom and I did more of his homework than he did and this is not going to help at all when he has an in-class test.   I've pretty much decided not to be doing his homework but only telling him the rules and giving him exercises.   This morning I found a printable Multiplication Table and a site where you can make up math exercises .... with and without an answer page in various languages.

Dynamically Created Math Worksheets