This "progressive" math approach is the one my son's new school uses. He is now, to my mind, behind where he should be in math, after previously being ahead (so, he is where he should be per the standards, but behind where he could be). I'm now looking at summer/school-year supplementation to make up for what he is losing in school. It's ridiculous to teach a kid that the best route to a multiplication result is a process that takes five minutes for two digit multiplication.