Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Showing work for easy calculations? (longish post)

BenjaminL - I've read that AOPS article, and I love it. I am 100% in agreement with being organized. And showing work where it helps to have the steps written down. I am all for it then.

But 20-12 has to be mental math at some point, right? Surely by 4th grade!

Quantum2003 - I had my son tack on the results on both sides of the equation/inequality sign so that when he returns it to school this week, his teacher will see I did reinforce the "showing your work" directive... even though in this case, I think it is absurd, and a waste of time.

mecreature - I agree! I sometimes look at his homework and I am dumbfounded as to what it is that they want him to do. Each week for his "Word Study" for example, he is asked to sort the words (e.g. same prefix), and then he is supposed to write what he learned. Every single week it is a struggle. DS: "But I didn't learn anything. I already knew these words!" So I tell him to write what he "observed" instead.

Zen Scanner - "I've also told DS that breaking problems into smaller steps is a way to explain problems to people who don't understand math the way he does." YES. Going to do this. Thanks!

I don't understand why the teacher wants "showing work for easy calculations". I'd want the teacher to explain the reasons to me, and to break the explanation into small steps. I'd be insisting that the teacher "show their work" by providing detailed explanations and justifications of their teaching practices instead of expecting students and parents to simply accept their pronouncements.

I think the important thing they are trying to get at with the homework is not the mental math, which is done through drills, but understanding how to explain math concepts.

The fact that many people find those extremely difficult suggests that it's necessary to teach it.

I will say that my children do math from three different countries' work books (long story) not including US math and asking them to explain, using words, why 1 + 3 > 1+ 2 is NOT unique to some stupid US math curriculum.

In fact it appears to be integral to the math curricula in the most highly-scoring countries as judged by the PISA, among other things.

So, that's just my 2c on why it might be worth it to have your child think through these easy-peasy problems. I can sing Mary Had a Little Lamb. What note does it start on? What key is it in when it starts in that note?

Math has theory just as music has theory, and it can be beautiful.

Easy? Nope. Fun for all children? Nope. But hey, this is a gifted forum, so who said the kids needed easier work?

binip, I could understand if the problem asked for an explanation. It didn't. He has to answer True, False, or ?. There was hardly any space to "show" that 20-12=8*3 is 8 =/=24.

For other problems on the worksheet, there were lines beneath each problem for students to provide written explanations.

It is absolutely appropriate to require students to understand concepts and be able to articulate them. I don't know that this worksheet is a good example of that--not in 4th grade.

I think being able to explain these answers is appropriate for children who are at that level and have to actually think about the problems. For those who are beyond that it is torturous and mind-numbing. As adults, we wouldn't need to explain how we know 2+2=4 and a kid who is past that shouldn't either. It's already completely obvious without having to put a bit of thought into it. If kids have already shown mastery of the concepts, they shouldn't even be doing those problems, much less explaining or showing work.

I would ask if my kid could test out of it. Of course, we all know how that goes with most teachers.

No. It's just plain busywork of no redeeming value whatsoever.