What do teachers want if they give maths homework that doesn't relate to classwork?

[WalkingThePlank]

DC has a half term maths homework that doesn't relate to what she has done in class. It involves topics that she hasn't studied before.

It seems to me that there are 2 options: either I show DC how to do it, probably using a technique that is 30 years out of date and therefore making it obvious that mum has had significant input or DC goes back to school with most of it incomplete.

What does a teacher expect to happen?

Thank you.

DH and I are capable of showing DC how to do it but I am conscious that the methodology of almost everything they do in maths these days has changed.

Is it better to not do it or explain to DC using 1970s method?

I'm not sure what the teacher is intending to achieve with this homework printed off the internet.

What is it they have to do? I may be able to help in identifying the method used

Strictly1 - I don't want to out myself by listing the questions - there must be 29 other sets of parents in the same boat! It's 8 different topics actually, wholly unrelated to her classwork. I'm wondering if it has been sent home in error to be honest.

In that case I'd let him have a go and then make a note of how he tried but with methods having changed you didn't want to cause confusion. I would accept this and feel slightly embarrassed that I'd sent home something which I had not taught.

Try logging in to the tes website - it's free- and doing a search for the topic under resources. This will show you how it's being taught currently.
Homework should generally be for reenforcement or extension of the current topic imo. I wouldn't set homework for numeracy not based on anything they have already at least touched on..

What year?
dd came home with a sample year 2 sats paper to try.

Is he year 2 or 6?

You could check out 'maths is fun' or bitesize see if you can find anything similar for her to reference, or muck about with, then have a go in the papers?

Could it be something she has to do over the next couple of weeks? dD had this one year, we got the whole book of worksheets in one go but it was designed to be done over the whole term.

I would be reluctant to teach new methods myself, in the 4 years DD is now in school she learned everything different to how I did it in primary and even DH and I do things differently.

I usually find that if you put a note on it, there aren't any repercussion for the child (assuming primary) So I would put a note in which says, dc had a go at these but didn't know the methods for subtraction/division etc.

If the teacher is printing homework off the internet then he/she will probably be too over-worked to spend any time worrying about the completion of said homework. Do something else with dd instead and put a note in explaining why.

Thanks everyone for your tips. DC is in Year 3. Will look on the sites mentioned for future reference.

DC's school is big on homework but not big on ensuring it is relevant. Finding it quite frustrating.