How to teach carrying in addition (regrouping), step by step
A step-by-step way to explain carrying (regrouping) in addition, with worked examples, the mistakes kids make most, and short ways to practice at home.
Blog
Math help, one column at a time.
Step-by-step guides to the methods your child is learning at school, written for the grown-up sitting next to them.
Subtraction with borrowing across zeros, explained for parents
Why 503 − 267 trips kids up, and a clear way to teach borrowing (regrouping) across zeros, with worked examples and the mistakes to watch for.
Multi-digit multiplication step by step: partial products vs the standard algorithm
How partial products and the standard algorithm work, why schools teach both, and worked examples you can follow with your child, one step at a time.
Long division steps for kids: divide, multiply, subtract, bring down
The four long division steps explained simply, with a remainder example and a decimal example worked in full, plus the mistakes that trip kids up.
Why kids struggle with place value, and how column alignment helps
Place value is behind most carrying, borrowing and decimal mistakes. Here is what it is, how to spot gaps, and simple ways to build it at home.
Adding fractions with unlike denominators: a parent’s guide
Why you cannot just add the tops and bottoms, how to find a common denominator, and worked examples of adding and subtracting fractions with your child.
How to check math homework without doing it for your kid
Quick ways to check a math worksheet, what to say when an answer is wrong, and how to help your child find their own mistakes instead of fixing them.
Times tables practice that actually sticks
A calm, practical plan for learning multiplication facts: what order to learn them in, strategies for the hard ones, and five-minute practice ideas.
Math anxiety in elementary school: practical ways to help at home
What math worry can look like in young kids, what to say (and avoid saying), and small changes to homework time that help a nervous child feel capable.
3rd and 4th grade math skills: a checklist for parents
The main math skills most 3rd and 4th graders work on, in plain language, with examples and simple ways to check how your child is doing at home.
Quick skill guides
One page per method: what it is, a worked example, the usual mistakes and the grades it shows up in.
Work the examples on the pad.
Every example on this blog can be typed into MathPad, one digit at a time, with hints on the step that went wrong. Sign in free with an email link.