Have you seen this math worksheet making the rounds and wondered why the answers were labeled “incorrect”? It has caught over three million views in just a week, and the reaction has mostly been confusion.
Let’s break it down: 5×3 equals 15, right? So what gives? My not-so-Common-Core-expert brain interprets this as five, three times. But apparently, I’m meant to think of it as five times three! Three… five times. As a parent who struggles with math, I can’t fathom why it matters whether it’s five, three times or three, five times — it always leads to the same answer. What’s going on with math, anyway?
Common Core has me feeling like I’ve lost my math skills. I recognize that my resistance might stem from this feeling, but if it truly enhances my child’s mathematical abilities, I’ll gladly silence myself.
And it’s not just about numbers. I never anticipated having difficulty explaining basic shapes to my kindergartener, yet here I am. When my son brought home a shape recognition worksheet, I found myself perplexed. Yes, by a kindergartener’s homework. It was a humbling moment.
Looking at the worksheet:
- First and second rows? Easy peasy. Triangles and cylinders — nailed it!
- Third row? Okay, one has a face, which is definitely different. But the other isn’t a full circle, so maybe that one is the odd one out?
- Fourth row? Two squares, so could the rectangle be the odd shape? It’s also three-dimensional, which might be a clue. But the last square lacks sharp edges, so perhaps that’s the unique one? Oh, for crying out loud!
- Fifth row? I think I need a drink!
I admit that I’ve been out of school for quite a while and hoped to teach my child the basics: if it looks like a square, it’s a square! Memorize your multiplication tables. No one warned me that parenting would involve math. My mother, an immigrant, learned English when my sister was learning it — she certainly wasn’t my math tutor.
Maybe the takeaway here is that we should step back and let our kids learn in the new ways they are being taught. Ugh, don’t quote me on that. I honestly don’t have a solution to the Common Core dilemma or know if it’s even a problem. I just wish I could help my kindergartener with confidence that my answers are correct.
I’ll be studying my 4-year-old’s worksheets for now.
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In summary, Common Core has presented challenges for parents, making us question our understanding of basic math and shapes. As we navigate these new educational waters, a little patience and humor can go a long way.