Intelligent Math

I welcome the attempt by MOE to make the primary school Math syllabus more visual and creative, with the emphasis on problem solving skills and logical thinking. This is definitely a commendable swerve away from our days of old, when Math is about rote learning and never-ending practice of similar sums. 

One Monday evening last month, Big Bee came home with the typical numerous pages of Math assignments (yes, unfortunately, Math teachers are still the same - they love to give homework!). She completed the usual drill practices by herself, but asked me for some help for these 2 interesting questions that I thought differ so widely from our rigid questions of yore! They are challenging, yes, and I had to take a few moments away from her to work out the solutions - but they are a refreshing reprieve to invite creative problem solving competencies in our children! Math had indeed turned more "intelligent" and visual these days, which is wonderful to hone logical life skills eventually. 

Question 1 - requires a wee bit of sleuthing! Big Bee was excited when she read "clues" but needed my help to guide her in a step-by-step logical way.

Read these clues and tell us your answer in this format: _____ tens ______ ones 
a) I am a number 
b) I am bigger than 29 but smaller than 50 
c) The digit in my ones is twice the digit in my tens (something like that) 
d) If you add up the digits in my number, it is an even number 

Question 2 (see picture below) - reinforces the visual methodology of Math, incorporating the concept of modelling, which, yes, Hubby and I became one of those parents who relearned the modern Math curriculum based on visual modelling. I thought this is a powerful foundation for future Math problems in secondary school where visualisation is much better than ceaseless practices of 10-year series books! 

Enjoy solving these sums!