I learned how to do 30 x 8, but I could not have explained that 8 groups of 3 is 24, so 8 groups of 30 is 240. I think it's great that they're now emphasizing actually understanding what you're doing.

Maybe the class has not yet gotten to 31 x 8, but I assume that will be 8 groups of 30 is 240, plus 8 groups of 1 is 8, so 248.

For what it's worth, this is how Singapore Math for third grade teaches multiplication.

Anonymous wrote:Does your child get questions like the one listed at the top of this thread, and can she produce the sample response without any assistance from you? That's my real question.

Fwiw, my kid has an excellent teacher as well....but this homework (which I'm assuming was taken off of the sites the teachers were given for the new curriculum) seems like a bit of a stretch. Explaining is one thing, but this seems a bit over the top.

My daughter is in 4th grade at an HGC. They are often asked to explain the reasoning behind their answers in a BCR. They also get quite a bit and of actual computation to do as well. Not sure if this is 2.0 related or not as she was at a private before.

Does your child get questions like the one listed at the top of this thread, and can she produce the sample response without any assistance from you? That's my real question.

Fwiw, my kid has an excellent teacher as well....but this homework (which I'm assuming was taken off of the sites the teachers were given for the new curriculum) seems like a bit of a stretch. Explaining is one thing, but this seems a bit over the top.

Anonymous wrote:There needs to be a mixture. Learning the mechanism behind dividing fractions w/o really understanding what is going on isn't optimal either. A kid that has simply learned to turn the crank on some arithmetic algorithms might not really have an idea what is going on, even if they're getting the right answer.

Agree. My child likes the explaining part and occasionally gets ES for that. It seems his teacher is very good at teaching/motivating kids and a very very bright person. We got lucky.

Op again...

I really just want to know if your kid is getting similar homework and if he can produce the written response without your assistance.

There needs to be a mixture. Learning the mechanism behind dividing fractions w/o really understanding what is going on isn't optimal either. A kid that has simply learned to turn the crank on some arithmetic algorithms might not really have an idea what is going on, even if they're getting the right answer.

My kid is not yet in third grade, but that is terrible!

Anonymous wrote:Ha ha!! Does this remind anyone of Tom Lehrer's song "New Math" ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIKGV2cTgqA

The 1:05 point is priceless.

This is 2.0 math

Thank god my husband is British and was taught real math short cuts in school rather than this twisted BS explanation.
Our son gets the answers right, but shows his work in other ways. There are a lot better math methods than what OP posted!

Ha ha!! Does this remind anyone of Tom Lehrer's song "New Math" ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIKGV2cTgqA

Reform math at its finest.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/11/a-new-kind-of-problem-the-common-core-math-standards/265444/

This is good article. Particular pay attention to the comments where the main author of the common core said that this way of teaching is not mandated by the common core. It is the reform math educators' interpretation of it.

My average 3rd grader isn't home yet (after-school care). Based on the number of HGC threads on this forum, you & I must be the only parents in MCPS whose children are average.

I don't know what he'll say about this HW.

These written responses which are basically explanations of math by 3rd graders are beyond ridiculous!!

Tonight's homework:

Solve each problem using place value strategies and properties of operation.

30
x8


Easy enough, right? Except the way it was taught today was "multiply 3 and 8 and add a zero.". Um, okay....that works for THIS problem, but it won't work for 31x8....how were you taught to do that? Blank stare....."I think you just add a zero."


It gets better. The REAL homework is to explain how you solved the problem....and here's the sample response:

30 is the same as 3 tens, so I can think of the product as 8 groups of 3 tens. Then I can think about equal groups, and 8 groups of 3 tens is 24, which is 240.


Um, okay....I understand this....but my third grader, not so much.

Is every average student getting this math homework? Do you think your kid is actually learning? Can your AVERAGE kid do this homework without your help. (I'm talking about the written response.)