Apparently “my” way is called algorithmic and they don’t do that anymore. Personally I think a variety of methods should be taught because, like this kid, some kids just don’t get it and need to be shown a different way.

Another kid today, we were working on fractions. He had grids of 100 boxes, and had to count the coloured boxes to come up with a fraction before changing it into a decimal. His brain couldn’t comprehend that the grid was 10×10, but he discovered his own way of working it out. It was pure genius. I didn’t follow it at all, but as long as it worked for him who am I to judge? My brain went, 2 filled columns = 20 boxes, plus 7 in the third column = 27/100, 0.27. But his brain could not comprehend that so he made up his own way, which seemed completely bonkers to me.