Which Calculator is Right for Your Child?

The pencils were sharpened, the paper was loaded in the binder, and the books were covered. You spent a lot of time and effort gearing your student up for the new school year, and now with a few months under your belt you might be re-evaluating if they have all the correct equipment for a successful year.

The big question for math classes is "which calculator should I give my kid?". You stand at the wide selection of calculators at the store and wonder when they started adding more than 20 buttons to these machines. Does your 2nd grader really need the square root sign? Is your middle school student using the graphing capabilities? You want to make sure they have everything they need, without giving them so many shortcuts that they don't learn the pencil-and-paper way to solve problems either. 

We break down the levels of calculator needs for each of the school levels in the following article to help you determine what's right for your student:

https://blog.mathnasium.com/how-to-choose-right-calculator-if-any-for-child

With calculator use, it's important to keep in mind that you don't want your child to become calculator-dependent! No matter what level your student is at, there are certain problems that your student should be doing in their head without struggle instead of immediately grabbing their calculator to perform basic operations. Therefore, like any piece of technology, it's important to periodically monitor how your child is using it to make sure it's correct. 

"Whether using a computer or a stand-alone calculator, it’s a good idea to see exactly how your child is using the calculator. If they are using a calculator when they should be doing the math in their head, that might indicate a problem with their basic math skills."

Do you feel your student has become calculator dependent? Is your high school student reaching for their calculator to perform basic multiplication? Is your student giving up easily and just reaching for the calculator instead of powering through mentally on a problem?

Don't let your student get so focused on solving the problem and getting the right answer that they forget to continually strengthen their numerical fluency and problem solving skills! Used properly, a calculator is a great tool, not a crutch. 

If you have any concerns about your student's calculator reliance, or would just like to see where they stand with their numerical fluency, come in to Mathnasium of Littleton for your no-obligation assessment and we'll help you gain some insight!