To not make DD correct her school work

[MayhapMayhem]

DS has dyscalculia and we have been spending the past few weeks trying to convince him that 43 = 34 etc

Teacher has returned some of DD's school work (Year below DS) and told her to do corrections. It's maths, her favourite subject and on the first page she has been marked 2/9. I haven't told her yet as she's going to be upset.

What has been marked wrong
47=28
34=12 (this has been corrected to 43=28)
63=18
16=6
45=20
27=14
36=18

In each case the teacher wanted the sum written the "other" way round I.e. 74, 61 etc.

On the next page
6+6=6*2=12 is marked as wrong.

AIBU to not make her "correct" it or should I tell her to write = b*a at the end of each sum?

They were obviously doing an exercise about how repeated addition turns into multiplication, so in this case 3+3 = 2 lots of 3, so 2x3 not 3x2 - I know they ultimately have the same value, but it’s about the conceptual understanding.

Yes, I know that. But it doesn't matter which one you write first. She did all the addition sums to go with it correctly.

so in this case 3+3 = 2 lots of 3, so 2x3 not 3x2 - I know they ultimately have the same value, but it’s about the conceptual understanding.

I'm not sure "2 lots of three" specifically is 2x3 rather than 3x2, even conceptually is it? If someone said to me "how would you more correctly write 5 lots of 6" I'm not sure which way round I'd do it and I have a degree in maths.

You say "3x6=18" has been marked as wrong because it should have been the other way round? What was the question she was answering? Was it "What is 3 lots of 6?" Sounds tedious to redo it when she clearly does understand the question and the multiplication.

Actually this homework sounds like it would confuse kids more. By marking 6x3=18 as wrong because it should be 3x6, the implication is that 3x6 and 6x3 are different, which they aren't.

I would ask the teacher why she has marked them wrong. We can't possibly know what the teacher was trying to teach. Obviously the sum as it stands is correct, but there is obviously something the teacher was trying to get across which means the answer given as your daughter has given it is incorrect.

If the teacher wants to put kids off doing maths she’s going the right way about it. Those sums are not wrong.
Maybe explain to your dd that the teacher requested them written the other way around, but they are not wrong.

Agree with trinity clearly she understands the maths but has just not set it out in the order that shows why she has changed the + to a x

So 4+4+4 is 3x4 as in 3 lots of 4.

I also hate this pendantic setting out but it does help children when they come to do other maths work in terms of learning to do things in a particular order.

Maybe not mention the book but do some work with her so she can see what she was supposed to write.

Your DDs teacher is being pedantic. And she's wrong. It's no wonder kids come to us with terrible numeracy skills (I'm a secondary maths teacher) tell your DD she's correct.

Now I'm going to be pedantic - these are not sums. A calculation is only a sum if it is addition.

Primary maths specialist here - it's brilliant that your daughter understands the commutative law that 76 gives the same amount as 67!
The reason the teacher has marked it wrong is because they want her to understand that the operation of goes with the number after it. Ie in 58 it's 5 somethings, then *8, which means it's 8 lots of 5 (not 5 lots of 8). It is useful foe children to understand this as it can help them understand the concept of multiplying better. It also helps further down the line at secondary when they're manipulating negative numbers etc became they understand the operation sits with the following number (e.g.-5).
It's not crucial understanding though so I wouldn't tell her she got them 'wrong'. Just leave it and celebrate that she understands the commutative law!

So 4+4+4 is 3x4 as in 3 lots of 4.

It's faces of dice. So you could also say I have a 4 three times which would be 4x3!

A calculation is only a sum if it is addition.
Sorry, point taken

By marking 6x3=18 as wrong because it should be 3x6, the implication is that 3x6 and 6x3 are different, which they aren't.
Yes, and this is what we've been talking about at meal times for the past few weeks with the DC to try to get DS to understand this concept!

All the bolding is confusing.

Given transitivity 23 is 32. That's logic and it's not up to the teacher to decide it's wrong.

If your DD inversed 3-2 to make it 2-3, that would be another matter.

I am not a teacher and idk if this would work with your dd. What I would do if this was my dd is sit down with her and tell her how brilliantly well she did and that that her teacher has asked that she put the added up figures first. Give her an example, rejig the questions or write some of your own. Resubmit them to the teacher yourself on an email stating you have done x with your dd.

In the email, I would say you found marking correctly computed answers as wrong rather than not written down in the order she wanted is off putting and distressing for your dd. The teacher is aware your knows has dyscalculia and you are surprised she hasn’t seen getting the answers correct as a good achievement. End asking her why she did this when your dd clearly understood the concept.

Oops should have reread my post before submitting. I said some angry stuff that I then deleted as I know teachers are under a lot of pressure. But I’m sure you get the gist.

Not one of those sums make any kind of sense to me so how kids are supposed to understand it I'll never know

Mummyoflittledragon

OP's SON has discalculus, this maths homework was OP's DAUGHTER'S homework who is in the year below DS.

This is a good example of how the teaching of Maths in school leaves very many people confused and frustrated. I end up sorting them out as adults.

For helping DS to understand have you tried using physical things laid out?
So, imagine each of these is a button:

It's 2 X4

But turn it sideways

34=12 (this has been corrected to 43=28)
????
I'm dead confused about the above.

But also, stuff like this was so annoying at school. They're trying to make math more complicated and I dont understand why. And then it just keeps changing because they didn't teach you it properly the first time.
Just do some different ones and explain it looks clearer to the teacher if it is shown that way round but thagcthey both mean the same thing.

Argh pressed post to soon

Turn it sideways




It's 4X2

You haven't moved any or changed any- you're just looking another way. But it's the same.

Is the work building her up to do BIDMAS? That's the only reason I can think the teacher wants the answers set out in a particular way?

Random
Ah yes, I see. I got confused. Even so, I think the teacher shouldn’t have just marked it wrong but rather asked for it be resubmitted. How poshme has explained it is great.

Completely aside from the maths, I'm reading this in iPhone app where writing an asterisk activates bold text - does using other access not do this?

4*7=28 should be read as 4 x 7 = 28 for anyone else confused!

And of course it hasn't done it when I write it

I'm a pain in the arse parent so not the best person to ask. But if it seems pedantic and unnecessary to me I don't get my kids to correct it. I would just check understanding. You can say 3 lots of two, or two, three times and it's the same damn thing, the words, like the numbers can be rearranged. As long as she understands conceptually, and only you know that right now, then it's all good.