Dear Figure-er Out-ers,

When you were in preschool you just “knew” that 5 came after six. You just knew that the color of  that car was green. You just “knew” that the name of that shape was an oval.

But then something changes. Now you can’t just look at 1/4 plus 2/3 and “know” what the answer is. You have to figure it out. You have to stop, maybe draw a picture, maybe think about the fractions in different ways, and find the answer.

Too often we think that math is about “knowing” things. But it’s really about figuring them out. And you can all do that.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck