I was working with DD6 on her grade 1 math homework, really simple but she has to do the class work before she can do her CTY.
It was a number line that went from 0 to 20. She had to creat a number model (an equation). She had to describe in words how she worked it out, show the number model and also do a number word problem.
She wanted to do 7-8 (actually wanted to do 7-20 but there wasn't room to extend the number line that negative). She really wanted a negative number. So I let her do it and then we came up with a story that she bought a book for 8 dollars, only had 7 and owes the store and has negative one dollar.
She wanted to do it, but in my head I was thinking this is so in your face, you make me do this stupid math when you know I am doing the accelerated math. She got 4 on her report card for accuracy for math and speed of computation but got 3s for the rest because she doesn't explain her work. She seems to tell the teacher she just knows, which isn't acceptable.
Was shown an example of her "knowing" and what the rest of the kids did with 10-7. The rest of the kids said they had 10 things, took 7 away and counting the remaining to get 3. DD wrote, I know 10-5 is 5 (since 10-7 knowing is not acceptable) and 7 is 2 more than 5 so I must take 2 away from the other side and get 3. They thought this was a problem because she couldn't explain. And this is a teacher of gifted students....
Ren
