Dear Family,
When you shop at the grocery store, and you place your items on the checkout 
stand, you usually don’t ask, “Does it matter if the price of milk is added before 
the price of bread?” This is because you know that the order you add the items 
doesn’t matter—but you may not realize you are using one of the mathematical 
properties of addition!
You and your student can have fun relating the day-to-day mathematics you use to 
other number properties. For example, you can ask your student:

“Does it matter if the cashier adds three cans of peas one at a time or 
multiplies the price of one can by three?” Your student may answer, “The total 
is the same either way.”

“If you take three apples from the display and put two back, is that the same 
as taking two apples from the display and putting three back? How does that 
make subtraction different?” Your student may answer, “Order does matter 
with subtraction. You can’t put back more than you took originally!”

“Does it matter if you multiply the price of an item you buy by the quantity or 
if you multiply the quantity by the price?” Your student may answer, “The 
total price is the same either way. Order doesn’t matter when you multiply.”

“Does order matter with division? If you divide the price of a pack of pudding 
cups by the number of pudding cups will you get the same answer if you divide 
the number of pudding cups by the price?” Your student may answer, “No, the 
answers are different, so order does matter with division.”
Your student will be studying concepts like these in math class. See if you and your 
student can find other examples of mathematical properties or formulas in your 
day-to-day life.
Happy Shopping

 

Mrs. Lounsbury