Melissa Song Jul 10 **#Guess & Check Versus Assumption method** Dear Parents, Time flies and it is mid of Week 2 of Term 3 already! School term has started so are our brain engines, right? So….let’s get started!!! Today, my first sharing for Term 3 is a method that puzzled most of the parents and children! That is … The ASSUMPTION METHOD! I believe you and your child are familiar with Guess & Check (G&C) method so I will not elaborate much on it. In my sharing, I will show the NEW version of G&C which is just applying Assumption method into it. I believe some parents would have seen such a presentation in some of the Facebook groups or tuition centre or even in school! So, let us have the best of 2 worlds ya (Guess & Check with Assumption) if you are still deliberating which method to use to teach your child Before I start, let me answer some of the questions that are buzzing in your head? Q: What is the Assumption method? A: Assumption method is a method which we use to ASSUME ALL the total quantity as one of the unknowns (instead of guessing any random numbers). With this assumption, the remaining steps are derived and solve according to it (See Pic 1.2 & 2.2). Q: Is Assumption method same as Supposition method? A: Yes. Same method, just different name Q: Is the Assumption method taught in school? A: Yes, for some of the schools. You can check with your child before teaching him/her. Q: Which level is Assumption method being taught in school or tuition centre? A: As early as P3! Q: Does my child REALLY need to learn Assumption method? A: No. Even though as compared to G&C method, it is a faster way to get the answer but if your child does not understand, your child will prone to make mistake in Step 3 (see Pic 1.2 or 2.2) hence it will result in obtaining the wrong answer and get 0 for the question. Do you want that? Remember, we must teach at our kids’ level and TO THEIR UNDERSTANDING. Our job as an educator is to expose the kids with the alternative method available and try our very best to explain to them. If they do not like or understand the alternative method, then why should we enforce on them? Nothing is more important than to let your child solves mathematics question confidently, right? Q: Can my child use Guess & Check method instead of Assumption method? A: Sure, why not! Just advise your child to guess the numbers LOGICALLY and ensure that no careless mistakes are made on the calculation! Logically means if the question stated that all of the boys had MORE pens than all the girls, then we should allocate a bigger number for the number of boys IF EACH boy has FEWER pens than EACH girl, instead of following the step blindly by having an equal number of boys and girls as a start! Q: How many types of Guess & Check or Assumption method are there? A: There are 3 basic types! (See Pic 1.1, 2.1 & 3.1). Hope today’s sharing is beneficial to you and your child and I have answered most of your queries! As usual, I have done a search for you in the Facebook group(s) and attach herein some questions for your practices! You can always re-teach your child when you feel that he/she is more ready. Remember, use the method that your child is comfortable with and NOT what you want your child to learn! Learning is NEVER easy, especially on new things. So, let us continue to persevere and help our children to excel in their studies! 🥰 Happy learning, everyone! 29 Likes · 3 comments · 14 shares Like Share 1 Like Like 2 Likes Like 1 Like Like 1 Like Like 1 Like Like 2 Likes Like 3 Likes Like 1 Like Like
