Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Math Homework

DAD22 puts it beautifully with his MSL analogy. Love it!

Personally, I would be sorely tempted to draw some inappropriate pictures for the tally to embarrass the teacher into providing real work. But that may just be my current snarky/sleep-deprived mood speaking. I don't actually recommend the strategy, but it's fun to think about.

All of these analogies and perspectives have been so helpful and thought provoking. DS has done the extra work without being asked, which is progress! I think we may wind up having to talk more with the teacher about all of this, but it sounds like we may not get very far. Common core and all that... vs. a different style of learning (I also appreciated the math as a second language analogy, that's sort of how DS describes it to us.)

Did find out there are no prescribed "right" answers, so that's something. Yet, if there is no right answer to "how did you do the work?" it makes me wonder what the point of asking the question is... ;-)

I was reading this thread when ds7 showed me his math homework. "Use the mental math strategies we learned in class today to solve the following problems. Show your work."

Just made me giggle and shake my head at the same time.

At the conference for DS7 his teacher said with Common core they insist that the kids write down explanations for each and every step. They will not let a child progress even tho they know the child can do all that silly stuff in his head. She was showing me his test where he didn't explain how one is able to count by 10s on a hundred chart. She knows that DS knows how to use the chart because all of his answers are right but since he didn't explain well too bad for him. This child of mine easily works on 4th grade math at home. Unfortunately there is only so much time to afterschool - the mind numbing boring stuff they do at school is exhausting for little ones.

OMG, AM Tuba! My DD had the same sort of instructions recently and the both of us were cracking up over it. (She came to me to show me. "REALLY?" is her usual comment in these situation.)

Because that the point it's too late. It's like teaching an old dog a new trick.

Yeah but at least by then there are some steps to write down. I don't really see a problem with waiting until there is more than one step.

But a lot of these posters had kids 6 or 7 years old. My daughter is in 6th grade so I do understand what you and the others are coming from. But really is there that much homework at that age? Is putting down the one extra step that big an effort? Another comment which wasn't by you is laughing with your kid about the teachers instructions. They may be funny but I think that's a bad habit to get in.

I think as others pointed out your explanation is good. My only observation though is that it sounds like Algebra was freshman year in high school for you. These days you can take Algebra as early as 6th grade.(or probably sooner)

Homework varies. Most nights it isn't too bad, maybe 4-5 worksheet pages. The issue really was trying to get him to show work in the prescribed way, when he was more than able to do math problems like 24 plus 39 in his head. So, in his mind (and mine), it was busy work and the methods they were trying to teach (i.e., filling in grids or arrays) were a true step backwards. The extra steps may not individually have seemed like a lot of effort, but yes, it does take time to fill in that many dots in an array (especially for a kid who dislikes writing). Time that could go to much higher level purposes.

That said, yes, he understands that if there is any question of the teacher needing to check his thinking, it makes sense to write down the steps. Now that the school has him in fourth grade math, we're not seeing the same level of frustration with this topic as we were when I first posted, fortunately.

I believe we started pre-algebra in 8th grade when I was in school, perhaps earlier.