Can your 11 year old do this math problem?

[Mushroomwithaview]

I suppose the answer will be that some can and some can't.

My 11 yr old is absolutely incapable of understanding a problem like this on a conceptual level. I worry about her. But her teachers tell me she's doing okay in math.

"Is it 22 minus 10?"
"Is it a divide by?"
"Should I plus them all?"

Her number knowledge is really good. She knows all her tables and her basic facts. But she just can't seem to apply what she knows.

She's not traumatised by this by the way - we're not in tears at the kitchen table!! She's quite happy, just seemingly unable to grasp this or similar problems conceptually. Normal? Or not great at her age?

There’s always one 😂

My 10 year old just gave it a quick go and came up with the bottle weighing 90 grams. She’s very proud to have gotten it so close. But yeah that is a very complicated written math problem. It’s given me a headache

My Year 6 DS got the answer correct - 94g.

He performs at the bottom of the top set in his class for math.

Year 6 (nearly 11yr old) DS got this, although I didn't give him the prompts just the question and it was interesting how he worked it out. He did say "oh, the actual bottle?" so i do think maybe the question wasn't immediately clear.

I would automatically go 12=36, 1=3, 22=66, 160-66=94

He did 12=36, 2=6, 10=30, 124-30=94

Which just seems bizzare to me. It was helpful to get him to practice writing his working out though!

My DS is too and that's why I saw all the bear traps in this question, years of trying to help him! He's good at arithmetic but adding words to it...

My DD is 48. There is no way on this earth that she would know which process to use to deal with this problem. She has a good degree from a Russell Group university and an MA.

Don't despair!

Right I’ve now tested it out on my family. 11yo & 9yo did it no problem but they’re in the ‘school maths / sats’ zone. 40 yo DH couldn’t do it without help 😂

I didn’t give any of them the ‘help’ bit (cos actually I think that overcomplicates it & adds to the words element), just the question.

You could make it more real.

In December, I used 1000 kWh of gas and my bill was £50*
In January, I used 1200 kWh of gas and my bill was £60
What does a kWH of gas cost?
And how come my gas bill is more than that if you look at the amount of gas I used?**

*Figures totally made up.
** Standing charge, obviously