The answer is that I am laying bricks and building a foundation for future math content. The specific content is dividing polynomials by monomials. This is what it looks like:
It is not trivial.
So I want our current 6th graders to see that 252 divided by 6 written as
means that
252 = 120 + 120 + 12 =
6 6 6 6
Now we just reduce each term!
20 + 20 + 2 = 42
You'll notice that the above has the identical mathematical structure as dividing a polynomial by a monomial in the first example.
So it is true that your clever students can get the correct answer to 252 divided by 6 using the standard algorithm for long division. But I want to push them farther, to reach into deeper content and link to advanced concepts. Deep understanding, advanced thinking - those are some of the reasons why you are sending your children to Kazoo School.
And strategy division is part of that formula.
