Don't pull out Silver Burnett. When you are teaching " Building upon Numbers You Know", show how the so called basic algorithm and other techniques have similarities. At that time, I go over several types of algorithm and then make sure they understand the algorithm that the sixth grade is requiring children to know. Remember in most problems children are asked to do a problem at least two different ways. One of these ways could be the standard thing. Sometimes I require the children to do three ways when one is the standard method. One trick is to not teach this topic too late in the year. Otherwise your students will have little opportunity to practice and understand the diffent algorithms. ( I did one year and that was bad news.) Susan Weiss
