Need help explaining math problem to my son...

Try using two different color highlighters.

Highlight the constants (the things that stay the same) in one color, and the variables (the things that change) in a different color.

Then it is a simple matter to replace the proper highlighted items with a Letter. I like to describe this as using a kind of “shorthand”.

That will get him through the homework but he may not understand what he is doing.

For my own daughter, the best way for her to understand is to make up her own examples.

Have him try to think of simple pattern situations that will be very real to him. Things he actually experiences regularly.

Examples:

Any Number of weeks (without spending) times his allowance = how much $ saved

Any Number of weeks times 7 = days

Age of mother, father or brother/sister in relation to age of son.
(M= S+30)
for more complicated, combine…
M + F + B = (S + 30) + (S + 32) + (B-2)

Have him write a few number sentences that follow the pattern. Then use the highlighters to define the constants and variables. You may need more than one variable. Then replace the “variables” with a letter(s)

Try to use letters that stand for something as the variables at first, being careful to tell him that it isn’t required, but can help him remember what he is doing.

You could also use money to denote the different people and eyes. My daughter is a very hands on learner. She has difficulty keeping the pre-algebra equation in order, so I am trying to help her get a pattern down on her studying. Her first response is I don’t get it. So we go back and read the explanation of the chapter and review the examples, then we start on the problems, if we hit a snag, we go back the the narrative and the examples.

Also, if she needs to memorize some thing, we try to put together a little movement to remember it.
For instance the order of operations for algerbra are:
1) Do all problems in grouping symbols ie items in parenthesis (a+b).
2) Do all exponents 3 to the 4th power
3) Do multiplication and division from left to right
4) Do addition and subraction from left to right
5) Solve the equation.

She remembers this by saying and using her hands and body parts.
She puts her hand up for the parenthesis.
She makes a muscle and says “power” for exponents (this one she really likes)
She crosses her arms in an X for multiplication and uses her foot and fists for division and moves her hand from left to right
She then makes a plus sign with her arms and a minus sign with her arm, moves her hand from left to right
Finally she uses both arms over her head and says solve.

I tried to drill them with her with no results and the next night she couldn’t remember, we did this and she has it down cold, we practiced and on her test she got an 87%.

I hope some of these help.

Thanks Tekkma and Suzanne. This helps so much. When I try to explain these things to my son, I think I just complicate matters more. The textbook seems to be really confusion too. I really like the highlighter idea.

Also, I saw a great trick to help remember the order— Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally…PEMDAS, for parentheses, exponent, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction (even though, technically, multiplication doesn’t really come before division and addition before subtraction). I thought that was a great idea…