Seriously?

It's new math.  Instead of memorizing, they are giving number sense.  Subtraction is, after all, backwards addition.

When I began as an assistant in fifth-grade, it took me a year or two to get the hang of it.  I have an eleven-year-old and seven-year-old.  At first, I wasn't too thrilled with the math (We use TERC), but my kids have awesome sense - something I never had.  It's not perfect, but if it keeps them from struggling like I did, then I'm all for it.

It's hard as grandparents and parents because we can't really help them.  Periodically, handouts go home, but that's a lot to ask of the adult.

You know how I feel about this. This is ridiculous. No one should have to work so hard to get the "hang" of basic math. No wonder why our students aren't progressing - they are probably as bewildered as we are.

http://blog0rama.edublogs.org/2009/12/12/

I agree. When my daughter was in 4th grade she use to have 2-3 hours of homework every night.  And she's a straight A student! She has less homework now in 6th grade than she did back then. She rarely got to go outside that year. I hated it.

I'm going to go crazy when that's me some day.  Joel will start Kindergarten next year and I can't imagine what I'll do when he gets busy work for homework.

This is exactly why I do NOT give any homework in kindergarten and gave very little in second grade.  Don't we want kids to love learning and coming to school?  When I get home, I want to put my feet up, play some video games, and hang out with my dog... I imagine it's quite similar for most kids.  Homework should be meaningful and SHORT.

My son is also in the third grade and while I'm excited about how much he is learning, I worry about how much homework he has to do.  He often has 1.5-2 hours of homework a day.  Plus independent reading on top of it.  It's too much.  He often complains that he doesn't get any time outside.  

I teach 2nd grade and struggle with this. I give math homework, but if they try, they should finish in class, so then it is just a matter of showing it to their parents. I also do a reading log - 30 minutes in a week. I would hate for any of my students to be spending more than 15-20 minutes a night on homework.

Just curious, what did the math problems look like?  Was it something like "___ - 3 = 2" ?

400+300 is 4+3=7, with the idea that you transfer the two zeros, so it's 700.  They do a lot of computation by groups of 10 as well.  I'm sure the teacher has take-home papers to explain how to help if the child gets stuck.  Just ask.

I wonder if it might be best to give children a half hour playtime before starting homework. It gives them a break between school and working their brain again on the same subjects they just studied. It's good physical activity and it might even help them concentrate instead of feeling stressed out.

As for the math, I agree that basic math shouldn't be so confusing.

Many children have lost their enthusiasm in China because of the highh pressure from the  examination-oriented education system.

It's interesting to see just how pervasive digital memory has become in our   lives. It seems like everytime I turn my head, I see something with a card slot or USB jack . I <i>guess</i> it makes sense though, considering how inexpensive memory has become as of late...<br><br>Ahhh... I shouldn't be moaning and groaning. I can't get through a   day without using my R4 / R4i!<br><br>(Submitted from R4Submit for R4i Nintendo DS.)