Originally Posted by 1frugalmom
Here is some of the latest math I've seen and sorry to say - I don't get it! Good thing it doesn't ask to "explain" how you got your answers.

It is a "Practice Page" with 4 sections. Each section has the following instructions followed by about 15 simple multiplication problems like 7X8, 9X3, 5X9, 8X3, etc.
1. Pretend to Add with 9 and Count 5, 6, 7, 8
2. Pretend to Add with 9 and Think of 7X7
3. Pretend to Add with 9 and STRETCH
4. Pretend to Add with 9 and see 2 4's

Talk about confusing! I'm not a math genius by any means, but this just looks too complicated and how will kids remember all these tricks anyway (even if they can make sense of it). I think we will just do the problems and call it good!

My first impression was that this is totally bizarre, but actually I now think this jargon refers to various tricks for calculating these products, so the students should know what jargon refers to. (Ask your kid.)

Google "finger multiplication" for an example of such tricks.