Is this really year 8 maths?

[DrRuthGalloway]

My DD is in year 8. She is in a comp, we live in a grammar area but she didn't pass 11+, just for context, maths is a weaker area though she is generally able in my opinion. She was 13 marks off passing 11+.

At the comp (genuine comp, not secondary modern) she is in top set maths. They have a new homework system. She seems to be getting ridiculously difficult tasks - screenshots attached, a couple of a series of this sort of thin from her most recent homework. Is this really expected in year 8? I have no idea how to solve this and even dh, who got A for maths O level back in the day, isn't certain. I thought the new guidelines were to stay within programmes of study for the age group and not zoom upwards, but I am quite shocked if this is ordinary year 8 work.

This.

If you know the rules on powers, it takes a second.

If you don't, you could work it out in a couple of minutes.

No it is not surfs

Indices are literally how you do compound interest. If you don't understand that (2 to the power 15) is just 2 times (2 to the power 14) then you're not going to get very far calculating that mortgage.

I think a basic understanding of powers / indices is important for everyday numeracy.

Useful for understanding compound interest (personal finances) exponential growth (pandemics) and so on.

My DC is Year 8 and I would have no clue how to explain this to her. It mystifies me how I got a B at maths GCSE. Luckily I teach KS1 maths now.

I think being able to understand this will depend on how good the teacher is at explaining as it seems to be a relatively simple concept once you understand it. Given the number of non-specialist maths teachers though, that can't be relied upon.

Cross-posted with @namechange3394 about understanding compound interest.

Urgh ..sparks maths! I had a chat with my year 8's maths teacher this week about it. She told me that the work is generated by the programme adapting to the child's previous work. This means that they might not have covered a particular topic in class, and have to rely on the (frankly, rubbish) video lessons to complete the homework.

I can't really see how this helps them in their learning, just frustrates my year 8 and means I have to spend hours helping him...usually by finding a better teaching video on white rose!

I don't understand why homework can't reinforce what the teachers are actually teaching.

I didn't know this was done in only year 8.

This question is so simple
My year 5 son would be able to do this after being taught powers
it's just adding up then taking away

2+6=8
20-8=12
24/30 = 4/5
Answer is 4(r^12)/5

This isn't true. The teacher/HoD puts in the scheme of work at the start of the year and the questions are based on this. Sometimes if the students are at a high level the questions might be a little harder then in class but it shouldn't be topics they haven't studied. Sounds like they aren't using Sparx properly! (From a head of maths)

@Mischance do you say that about other subjects - that's they're pointless unless they can be used in someone's every day life? So you don't see why kids should have to read the War Poets or Shakespeare, or learning about the Tudors, or how oxbow lakes are formed, or what nitrates are or newtons laws of motion. All pointless are they?

They do learn this though. My Y7 DD was complaining to me last week that she'd misunderstood a question and calculated compound interest when she was meant to just be doing a simple interest question. It's a myth that kids aren't learning this stuff.

Dd says they haven't been taught how to simplify powers of fractions yet.

I got through maths gcse by learning all the algorithms but never really "saw" maths. My son who is a natural mathematician would probably "see and understand" how this works. Dd doesn't.

Yes it's sparks maths. I don't disbelieve her when she says they haven't covered this is class yet. She is pretty reliable.

"He's probably just forgotten it!" ........ And how has him forgetting it impacted on his life and ability to function in the world and hold down a job? Not at all I would guess. This is my point.

It is simply not worth putting children off school for these purposeless exercises.

Calculators were developed for a reason - they are part of our modern world - why does maths education just plough blindly on, ignoring this fact?

Another...I am going to try to work this out...

Ok year 11 maths whizz DS literally just looked at that one and said "d? it's 46"

Obviously I have a brain problem, not a maths problem....

can confirm that this is way easier than the algebra my DC is doing in the lower-middle set at a grammar school, so looks about right. if she had been paying attention in the lessons he would understand that its just simple knowledge of the 3-times table and a bit if addition and subtraction.

She does pay attention in lessons! She is very conscientious which is why she is getting upset. She says they haven't covered it.

If they haven't covered it, maybe she should just say she can't do it?

Maths whizz DS has just tried to explain it to me and I think I may have finally understood why it's addition/subtraction even though it's a multiplication....

I have told my GS to go back to the teacher and say he does not understand the sums he has been given and ask her politely to help him.

You just don't know the rules - to multiply powers you add them, to divide them you subtract. So 13 to power 10 x 13 to power 63 is the same as 13 power (10 + 63) so 13 power 73.

Because she is conscientious, she wants to do her homework and is getting upset by being given tasks which are too hard and she hasn't been taught. Sparks maths is new to the school and I have told her that it's probably just the programme trying to find her level and not worry about it....but she is!

Write it out to work out why: b to power 3 is (b x b x b). B to power 5 is (bxbxbxbxb).
Bpower 3 x b power 5 is therefore (bxbxb) x (bxbxbxbxb), or removing the brackets, bxbxbxbxbxbxbxb. Which is b power 8.