Reply to No doing well with Common Core, but we'll with Singapore math

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[quote=Anonymous]I agree the instructions are confusing. I could only enlarge the second sheet.  It says, "Write to make a ten.  Then add."  Unless the process is explained well by the teacher in advance, coming to the worksheet cold would be very difficult for many students.

The problem is the student doesn't just make a ten.  There is another step: the number used to make the ten for the first number must be subtracted from the second number, then the ten is added to the reduced second number.  Confusingly, in the second problem, the second number in the equation is the one used to make the ten.

Why couldn't the first line in the picture say:  Make a ten  from the 9.   _9___  + ____ = 10.  Subtract the number you used to make the ten from the seven to find the difference  7 - _____ = _____.  Add the difference to the ten  ____ + 10 = ___.
So  9 + 7 = _____.

Could it be a failure of the teacher to not explain the process well?

I think people sometimes really underestimate the role of language in beginning math.  I remember my language impaired DS having great difficulty with concepts like name a number between 3 and 10.  He really didn't understand the meaning of between.  My BIL who has done a lot of work studying math teaching recommended I spend some time with him on doing the following (I think this comes from Saxon) "game:"  I placed a knife, fork and spoon on the table and asked him to place the spoon between the knife and the fork, the fork between the knife and the spoon, etc.

After a few short sessions of this over a few days, he was easily able to name a number between 3 and 10.  I remember feeling how miraculous this exercise seemed.[/quote]

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