DD9 always has been able to do math in her head. When she was in first grade doing second grade math, she always got messed up on the "show your work" part. If you asked her, she could tell you that 93 + 28 = 121. If you asked her to use a number line or "sticks and dots" to show how she "got the answer," she would mess up -- making extra jumps on the number line or miscounting her messy sticks and dots. Using the methods mandated by the teacher, she often got the wrong answer. This would make her doubt the correct answer that she would get if she just did it in her head. Talk about frustrating.
