To think that 3 adults should be able to work out 17 divided by 3 without the need for a calculator?

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I run a local board games group.

Behind me three grown men were trying to work out this very difficult sum wondering what the answer was, one of them said they would get their phone out to us the calculator at which point I interjected and told them the answer.

These men are 25+!

Id expect a 6 year old to be able to do this... In their head!

At what point does it become 'acceptable' to use a calculator?

84 / 3?

125 / 7?

78 / 14?

I am sure some people can do those mentally and some can do them with a calculator. Some might use pencil and paper.

All might get the right answer. Some might not.

Yabu
You don't know why they couldnt do it this is the reason lots of my family members get embarrassed in situations like this as they have dyslexia and some struggle with math some struggle with writing etc. Don't really understand why your arsed anyway. Give the answer and move on.

Today 07:59 KanielOutis

17 doesn't divide equally by 3. It's 5 with 2 spare.

Yep. I know that. Most adults should know, also.

Orlantina I would expect most people (and I understand there are exceptions) to be able to work out how to split a simple 2 digit number roughly between 3 without the use of a calculator if it falls within the usual 3 times table i.e. upto 30 or 36 as children are now expected to learn their 12 times table.

As stated above the people had a visual clue as well to help in this instance i.e. the counters

Erm... if you were taught your multiplication tables you will not struggle. This is the. See for the majority and not the few with number issues.

...This is the case for the majority...

if you were taught your multiplication tables you will not struggle

I bet some people struggle with 40 / 3 - as you get past 12 x 3

There are people who 'know' their tables but don't know how to apply their tables.

Weren't children ALWAYS expected to learn the 12 times table? They are here. (Scotland)

If you "know" your tables then you will have been taught to apply them. That is basic primary maths. It us not something random you might or might not be taught.

...is not something...

If you "know" your tables then you will have been taught to apply them

I know plenty of children who can recall their tables but struggle to apply them.

12 x 3 = 36
Great so what's 14 x 3?
Then they struggle.

20 /5 = 4
Great
What's 2/5?

I have dyscalulia, I simply cannot do this kind of sun in my end. I have two degrees and hold down a demanding job, but it's nice to know you would assume I'm stupid because of a particular limitation. Honestly, what a supercilious post.

The 10 year old in this house did it in their head after grumbling about rounding up and down and recurring numbers. The 6 year old wouldn't have been able to.

5.66

It's not about whether the actual sum is simple in required standards or not.

It's about sneering at people who cannot do it.

Those 3 blockes could have a PhD in something really complex and wordy.

And if they haven't and really do struggle with maths and maybe other primary aged tasks perhaps they've been raised in poverty or parents had a poor attitude to education or any number of reasons.

coffeeandcrochet I was going to reply but someone beat me to it.

YES there is still a non calc paper
And vast majority of it is rather more taxing than 17/3
But, some students can't do that kind of numeracy. And often then excel in the shape/ space type questions. Not everyone 'sees' numbers.
And this is NUMERACY, not Maths.
What this poster said.

I can do mental maths (like the kind of thing in the OP) but not as quickly as DH. But if I have a piece of paper and can work it out there's not much between us.

There'll be quite a few people who can do maths without a calculator but not do it in their head.
My FIL can do long multiplication in his head and considers if basic maths. I need to jot it down. I'm not less intelligent than him the way some people would go on on this thread.

I suppose it comes down to what strategies you use.

Schools teach several ways to do sums, deliberately, so that pupils can become fluent,

So I approach 40/3 by noting that 4+0= 4 so it's not exactly divisible (sum of digits would be if it were), but that the number one higher or lower will be. Try them out. 39 obviously is because first number is 3 (gives 1) second is 9 (gives 3) with remainder one, or 1/3 or .33recurring

Other methods are available

Well I'd expect a grown woman who is berating others on their mathematic skills to be able to use apostrophes. After all, it's basic grammar. Mind those glass walls, OP.

Do you want an award for being good at maths when others aren't?

Being able to divide 17 by 3 is being good at maths? Bloody hell people have low standards. My 7 year old can do that sum.

There are a lot of very defensive answers here.

The point is surely that this is an extremely basic calculation and the kind of skill that people often need to get through their daily lives. If our education system isn't ensuring that adults have skills as fundamental as this, something is going badly wrong. Yes, some people have dyscalculia, but in other countries, and in other generations in this country, a sum as basic as that would have been easily carried out by most schoolchildren and adults.

It isn't sneery to say that this is a problem. It isn't the fault of those who can't do this stuff. Most of them would like to be able to do it but didn't get the right sort of teaching at school.

As for anecdotes, I can top that one. My husband was once in our local library and decided to buy some old books they were selling. They cost 10p each. He took a pile to the counter and watched transfixed as the library assistant got a piece of paper and wrote out:

10p
10p
10p
10p
10p
10p

And then added it up with a calculator.

Being able to divide 17 by 3 is being good at maths? Bloody hell people have low standards. My 7 year old can do that sum.
Congratulations, would you like an award? Would you try and humiliate someone bad at English too?

Yes I'm surprised how many people are saying "I can't do it, its normal and not a problem of any kind". I would think it would be more like "I can't do this and I wish I had learned better, and it shouldn't be normal at all".

Congratulations, would you like an award? Would you try and humiliate someone bad at English too?

Again, its not award level maths, it's the basics. Why so defensive? Surely its better to admit that there is a serious problem with numeracy in your society?

I don't think it's surprising that people get defensive on a thread that is calling people "thickos" for not having a firm grasp on numeracy. Do you really think it's likely people would say yes, you are correct, thank you for making fun of me and trying to humiliate me on a public forum. I say this as someone who realises her numeracy skills are an issue and is currently retraining. I have a GCSE in statistics but not in maths because I am good in certain parts but not in others. How can people not grasp that it's not okay to sneer at people that struggle with things?