Primary maths help please

[isitwineoclockyet]

My daughter's homework was all about odd & even numbers, & whether adding & subtracting odd & even will give you an odd or an even answer. So for example, odd + odd = even.

All very straight forward, except that some of the sums had decimals in them (31.3 + 42.6, for example)

DD couldn't do those & asked for our help. DH & I both thought the concept of odd & even only applied to whole numbers, except in certain specific cases, which neither of us can remember but which we thought were probably beyond the scope of the average primary maths lesson.

We asked our yr 9 daughter what she thought & she said she also thought odd & even only applied to whole numbers & asked whether they were supposed to round them.

I've just been & asked the school, & their answer is that if it ends in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 then it's odd, regardless of how many places beyond a decimal point the last digit is (so 3 is odd, 0.3 is odd, & so is 0.03.

Can anyone with a maths background confirm for me who is right?

(I should say there is some history here, including previous homework which had a 5x3 grid on it, & the statement underneath "In the 16 squares above.....")

Thanks.

How are things OP? Have been thinking about this and wondering if you've had any response yet?

Nothing so far - he wasn't about on Wednesday apparently (I suppose it's too much to hope that he was ashamed to show his face ), I wasn't about yesterday & they're on a trip today.

This is so typical of how things are always handled at the school - they wait for you to get bored & give up. If you don't give up, they get arsey.

I don't have a copy of the sheet. He's probably shredded them all!

A link to this page was posted on the TES website.
I am a secondary mathematics teacher and I find this sort of thing happens from time to time.

I suggest following this up through the hierarchical tree.
The LEA may help even if the school won't respond.

The teacher may be struggling with the mathematics component and primary teachers are expected to be "experts" at every curriculum area. So I have a certain amount understanding of the mammoth task involved.
Having said that, a refusal to acknowledge a mistake would worry me.

Many of the previous posters have already hit the nail on the head with the problem of saying "the last digit for decimals"

The idea of "odd and even" only applies to integer.
The idea of " the last digit is..." stems directly from this tacit fact.
[the last digit on the left of an integer certainly does decide if the number is odd or even]

It is misleading to have the child try and classify non integers as odd or even.
I would go so far as to say it could be detrimental to the child's education.

It worries me greatly that children who have an interest in mathematics are confused and taught incorrectly by people unable to admit that they have made a mistake.

However, being hostile to teacher in the first instance is conducive to getting the teacher onboard with this. If the teacher is running away then you must stick to your guns and insist that they meet with you. It is important that you help the teacher to help your child. If you have access to mathematical expertise then why not try to extend that access to the teacher.

As for the worksheet. Was the worksheet actually intended for the age and purpose for which it is being used?

If the rest of your child's education is fine, why not try to help.

I totally understand your frustration with the situation described.

It is not an ideal world teachers are not infallible.

You mention the teacher said "it is nothing to do with dividing by 2"

Teaching to a young age group I would disagree

Odd or even most certainly is to do with divisibility by 2.
One 'abstract' definition is

zero remainder when divided by 2 means the number tested is even

remainder one when divided by 2 means the number tested is even

I wish you good luck with your endeavour.

sorry

*However, being hostile to teacher in the first instance is NOT conducive to getting the teacher onboard with this.

I meant try to start out hostile with all guns blazing.

And if the teacher can't acknowledge it, just say that "I a greatly disappointed, I expected better"

Getting angry won't solve anything, and will only further increase the reluctance to speak to parents.

This is an update.... Of sorts;

in the two weeks since the homework was set, the teacher has been saying every couple of days that he will go over it again, but he still hasn't done it & they've now finished for half term.

I think he was stalling for time, & is hoping I'll have forgotten all about it by the time they go back.

Although I'm annoyed, I feel like shrugging my shoulders & saying it's not my problem. My DD knows that odd & even only applies to whole numbers (I don't think she'll ever forget this particular bit of maths to be honest!), & other parents who spotted the mistake have obviously decided not to say anything, largely I think because no one has any faith in the school responding in a reasonable way (however non-confrontational the parents are).

I am going to keep a closer eye on her maths homework for the rest of the year though!

DD had a teacher who made these sort of basic errors - and her head wasn't remotely interested in parents who complained or questioned. We found almost every day that her teacher was making basic errors, not just in maths but in any subject. We changed her school. Simply couldn't be bothered to keep on trying to deal with a teacher who made excuses or a head who pretended we weren't actually there and who condoned theft and bullying.

Keep an eye on every subject.