Introducing my 8-year-old to imperfect squares. Take note of how I don’t directly tell her what to do. I lead her to discover it on her own, letting her make mistakes and redirecting her in the right direction until she is able to make the connection on her own. This is the best way to learn something – earning that “Aha!” moment. It sticks better that way! Teaching this way is called directed discovery. You don’t just let the child flounder, but aim her in the right direction while giving clues about where to go next.
This free math tutoring video shows the difference between “3 squared” and “3 to the second power” as well as the difference between “4 cubed” and “4 to the third power” – important concepts to understand for higher power algebra.
This free math tutoring video shows the BEST way I’ve ever seen to introduce the idea of square root. It makes it so clear what the symbol means… one side of the square!!! That’s all there is to it!
It’s best for children to have a good understanding of square numbers before introducing the concept of square root. See my other videos for ideas!
