I help my 9 yr old GS with homework each afternoon. He is in 4th grade and is in the process of being tested for dyslexia, etc. Last week I got this paper explaining that we were to now do multiplication with their new lattice technique.... What THE *&^*&^. Imagine this. Draw a windowpane with 4 windows in it and draw a line from bottom left to top right in each "pane" to make a triangle. Put top number of the problem on top over "panes" and put the bottom number of the problem down the side of the "panes" then multiply it out and put the answers for the ones section in the bottom triangles and then multiply the tens and put the answers in the top triangles then add from bottom right to top left putting the answer under the corresponding windowpanes and up the left side.... Do HUH??? After more than an hour and 2 problems done I tossed the example paper in the air (behind the couch) and said lets try this. Then I showed him how us "old" people did it. 10 problems done in 30 min... worked out on the homework paper. I got a note "requesting" that "I" give the "new" technique a chance....My question is why? If it ain't broke, don't fix it..especially with a child that is already in Special Ed...

I have been through various "new math" methods over the years... I couldn't figure it out either LOL and I taught my kids and the others the old fashioned way too. I don't understand taking a basic concept and making it more complicated... :roll:

Why make it harder?!? I can remember my senior year in high school, someone decided to introduce "transformational grammer." I diagrammed sentences in junior high and loved it! Hated the new stuff-turned me off, dreaded the English class my last year. I hope you can help to keep down frustration-you're a good Mimi to help!

Back in my day, there was new math or algebra-algebra was way easier!

NO KIDDING!!! I cannot stand this new math crap! I taught my kids the old way and they are excelling better than their peers!! What is wrong with this???

Bottom line... they still have to know 1 - 9 multiplication tables before they can do double digits.... There is no "easier" method to learn these...

I don't understand why do this. And they wonder why kids struggle...

*shakes head* I totally sympathize with you, I can't figure out the "new improved" stuff either always drove me nuts tryin to help kids do homework and trying to show them the way the teachers wanted it done only to have both of us even more confused and no homework done.

We're having issues with my daughter's algebra teacher.

here's just the latest edition of algebra gone wrong.

Daughter just told me he "informed" them today that he's lost the grades for this half of the trimester and if the kids don't have the "hard copies" of their papers they'll get 0's...(most of which he hasn't handed back to them and said he doesn't want to re-grade them)

he claims he told them at beginning of year to save all papers..
he rarely uses real "paper" 95% of it's done on the computer so him telling them to keep their "papers" is kinda hard to believe as you can't save what you don't use.

And if he wasn't so engrossed with the football playoffs maybe he wouldn't have "deleted" the grades to begin with.

okies I'ma stop now before I rant any further..

I'm thinking this would mean a trip to the school to file a BIG complaint!

we had a conversation during conferences and I was apparently one of the "nice" convo's he had during conferences.

Yes looks like I'm gonna have to have another convo, maybe with someone a lil higher up the food chain this time.

*Sigh*

I had this with my kids, one daughter we were told was mentally "slow" and really retarded, so should be put into a "SPECIAL" class. One secretary there whom we knew said the school got lots extra money for each child in special classes.
My new husband refused to believe that she was retarded, this was the kid who figured out our gas milage when we went traveling, etc. She had a really sharp mind. She had already been tested in school and had no eye problems, 20/20. But a special optometrist agreed, she did have 20/20 vision, except that one eye saw things at a different level than the other. She had to wear special glasses but turned out alright, made it to being a Physician's Assistant. I also agreed with both my girls that the Dick and Jane books were boring as all get out, found a set of the old McGuffey Readers which were still being printed and were much more interesting to children. It taught by the sensible phonics method, not the look and guess which seemed to be the norm in the 50s. I also found a big abacus which they learned to use because it was fun, and in a sneaky way it helped them learn math.