Arnon asked if the scorpion had scared me away from my own blog and updating. No, but I am still having camera issues and a non-stop fun December. So, for Auntie Arnon here is an update.I volunteer over at the school in the 3rd grade and kindergarten classrooms. This week when I walked into Brighton's class her teacher said, "Oh great you can go over to the math center and help the kids with the activity. The wording can be a little tricky." Red flags went up in my head, tricky and math? We were off to a bad start. What else to do though? I jumped in and did pretty well until question number 4. Using the table above see if you can answer this question.
4. Color squares in your multiplication table. Color 1 in the first and last row of products and 2 in every other row to form diagonal pairs of equal products. Write the factors of each product you color. What pattern do you notice?
What...? I didn't even know where to start. I asked the teacher. I'm not so sure she understood it either and after she finished "explaining" it to the kids and left I asked them if they got it now. They (the advanced math group) looked at me quizzically and said, "Nope!" We skipped #4 on the remaining groups.
So, any math genius' that read this blog want to leave me a comment with some insight? Apparently, I have reached the threshold of my math skills and topped out in 3rd grade:) Oh and I should add that Brighton's teacher is excellent and generally good at explaining things so I think it was a poorly worded question. What say you?
7 comments:
Chris and Kennedy have both informed me that I am no longer allowed to check Kennedy's math homework. Apparently when I help, she gets things wrong. Gotta love it.
Tessa! I was looking forward to some cute pictures with a charming narrative - NOT something that hurts my brain...
This was a painful math problem to read... what the heck is it talking about?!! I thought I was good at math... but this is messed up. haha. :)
I've seen this before and I'll tell you, they make it harder than it really is. You just color the multiples of two one color and see the pattern, then the multiples of three another color and see the pattern, then the multiples of four. . . etc. I don't know why they word it so difficultly, maybe they are training to join the IRS or some other government agency :)
Trust the mother of 5 with 4 in elementary school to know:) I may have to come over and get tutored before Bri's in 4th, Alli:)
This made me laugh so hard cuz math is another language to me - a very foreign one just as exhibited by your example.(Last summer sometimes I would look at my math professor and wonder if he was EVEN speaking English!) Good for you - just skip the question!
Bleh...my only question is WHO would think up such a pointless question? :>
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