Should I be worried or is it likely to be a mistake?

[Somewhereoverthesanddune]

DD is in Y3 and has just started a new school (relevant as I don't know the general level of the class in maths). She's come home with a homework worksheet that is add 10, 100 and 1000 to various numbers and then subrtravt 10, 100 and 1000 from various numbers. All fine except some of the subtraction results in negative numbers (eg 478 - 1000).

Is it likely the teacher just didn't read the worksheet well enough or is this something many schools will have covered in year 3? They don't set for maths and as far as I can see the same worksheet has gone to everyone and these Q's are just in the middle of all the other ones so it doesn't feel like an extension activity.

Just wondering if I'm going to need to tutor her in maths to catch up as she hadn't done anything of the level of negative numbers in her last school. I don't remember doing negative numbers until secondary!

Meant to say I don't want to ask the teacher as I don't want to become 'that parent's who points out mistakes this early in the term!

I think that’s a mistake! When they start doing negative numbers they definitely don’t go that far into them, more like 5-7!

Negative numbers a definitely a primary school thing, usually introduced along with number lines.

478-1000 isn't the usual starting point, more like 0-7, or -10-6. But it's straightforward enough once they get started.

Mine did negative numbers at that sort of stage.

place value to 1000 is normal, but not negative numbers.

Sounds like an appropriate worksheet for the age.

Yikes. He was top set maths at his last school. Looks like we have some catching up to do.

How would do schools teach child 534 - 1000 nowadays? He gets the concept but I'm worried I'm not teaching the right method (because I'd just use a calculator for that!)

Just asked my y3 who is sitting next to me. He says he could do the big numbers as subtraction when they have a positive answer, but couldn't do it with a negative answer.
My Y5 could do it.

She's year 4 now but this hasn't been taught in class so far this year.

I don't know how they teach it, but I would explain it like this:
So on a numberline (you could use a highriser building with lots of underground levels) you start at (floor) 534 and have to go backwards (down) by 1000 steps (floors). So at first you go backwards by 534 steps (down 534 floors) which brings you to zero (ground level). The remaining steps, of the 1000 altogether, is how far you go below zero (how many floors underground).
So how many steps (floors) do you still have to go? How many of the 1000 remain to go, when you have already gone 534? Why, it is 1000-534 of course, so 466. So if you go 466 steps below zero (466 floors below groundlevel) you end up at -466 (466th floor underground).

That said, this is NOT 'the same type of question/same topic (only harder)' as 34566-1000; it requires different knowledge and skills. So on a worksheet where all questions are of the 34566-1000 type, I would assume that 534-1000 is a mistake. If it is meant as extension for the more able, then it is poorly planned extension IMO.

My child is in Y4 too and hasn't done any negative numbers at school yet.

Year 3 teacher here. It’s a mistake. At this stage of the year they’re looking at the place value of numbers to 1000 and the structure of numbers. The first number was probably meant to be something like 1574. The addition and subtraction element is just to get them to use their knowledge of the value of the digits within the number. For example 1574 - 100 they would need to know to subtract one from the hundreds column. Thousands are only introduced at the beginning of Y3 so anything else is unrealistic even for the higher ability children.

Thanks and I'm glad I didn't query it. Last thing I want is the teacher thinking I'm a smart alec pointing out mistakes this early on the year.

It's not a typo though I don't think - I think it's just a poorly thought out worksheet he's grabbed off the internet. There are four calculations like this out of about 30 questions total.

This is Y4 but as we're only two weeks in and she hasn't been taught this this year I was thinking it might be advanced y3 content.

If he hasn’t done negative numbers at all, then I wouldn’t teach it and just leave those ones blank. I wouldn’t start an introduction to negative numbers with subtraction calculations like that,

I suspect it’s a mistake. Calculating across 0 doesn’t appear in the curriculum until year 6 and even then it’s usually using a number line and small differences either side of 0.

Perhaps it's also just to see if any of the DC are happy to give it a go?

It can be good for DC to be used to having questions they don't know the answer to/haven't been been taught yet.

She's massively lacking in confidence in maths so not being able to do it resulted in hysterics. If that was the intention I'm not impressed!

I do think it was just a mistake. Wanted to check she wasn't massively behind for safety and then the usual MN genius children had me scared! I might sit down with the apartment block to explain it better as I'm worried I've confused her now.

Thing is if they aren't used to having worksheets or test with things on they can't do then they will get stressed etc.

Learning to do their best and sometimes things are too hard is good in the long run. Focusing on the ones she has completed and tired is the key.

Explain that if a teacher wants to "test" everyone there will be questions no-one can answer!

I think I'd be inclined to chat with the teacher. Not so much to point out the error in including material not yet taught, but to mention that your daughter lacks confidence when meeting new topics.
However, it is close to the start of term and teachers should be in the process of assessing pupils so hopefully she's already aware.

Just do the ones she can do then attach a note to the sheet asking the teacher to give her some advice about how to tackle the others. It sounds like a mistake to me!

@Random Mess
Homework is meant to be practice though, surely? I would never set homework with impossible questions as it damages self esteem and may switch some of the more sensitive children off. It’s a mistake. As an experienced teacher I think it’s a bit sloppy.

I agree it could just be sloppiness, it could actually be a topic most of the class has covered.

I do think it is good for children to have "practice" questions and "have a go" questions but they should be labelled as such really.

Personally not a fan of homework anyway!

Me neither! I hate it. Hate setting it. Hate marking it. I try to vary it but I know how parents hate the ‘creative’ stuff. It’s a waste of time really. I would just set reading if I was allowed a say.

My DD is year 4 and has just started on negative numbers. They are only just touching them though. I know because she keeps asking what's 10 minus 12? And similar.

She did sums involving multiples of 10 I'd add 10, 100, 1000 etc last year.

She would struggle with this and is top set maths. It may be a mistake but it may not be.

Perhaps Ofsted will instantaneously combust one day and disappear...

Such a waste of everyone's time!

Perhaps you could offer a choice...
Worksheet or
Creative something or
Read 2 pages of book

Therefore hoping must will choose reading...

I'm assuming they may not have noticed the worksheet introduces negatives