I always hated math in school. Hated it with a passion. And I was BAD at it. The only math class that made the slightest sense to me was Geometry. So when I got involved in the unschooling 'movement' and found I was not alone in hating math I was very happy.

Through repeated discussion I was able to realize math is not a bad thing. Math is a natural force (like gravity) that exists everywhere. But that they way schools go about teaching it is just totally fucked up, and that's why so many people end up math-phobic. Not only that but I came to realize I DON'T hate math. And I'm not as incredibly bad at it as I always thought. In fact I really like math, on my own terms.

So now Kathrynn's in first grade math and I'm dealing with it all again, only worse! The methods of teaching math over the last 20+ years have clearly changed and as far as I can tell they have changed for the worse!

It's so far off from what I was taught that they actually have instructions on the back of the page for the parents. It's that non-intuitive.

Here is a sample of the insane story problems in question...

Jane had three cookies, her mom gave her two more cookies. How many cookies did Jane have in all.

(Ok the problem itself is not hard by any stretch, Kathrynn always gives me the answer right off after reading it. But apparently that's all wrong!)

Thought__________________________
Information______________________
Plan_____________________________
Solution_________________________

There, now solve that. Like I said, non-intuitive, hence the need for instructions. So what you might not have known is that 'Thought' is another word for Function. Why they would teach them to call the function a thought so that they could later confuse them further but teaching them that it is called a function is completely beyond me. Probably the same reason the dentist wants to call a cleaning 'tickling' their teeth.

'Information' is the numbers in the problem. 'Plan' is the problem and Solution is the problem with the answer. So it ends up something like this...

Thought___+_______________
Information__3,2__________
Plan______3+2_____________
Solution__ 3+2=5 cookies__

So do you get why I hate it? I swear it's not just laziness. The ones I really hate though are these ones...

Jane had 3 cookies. He mom gave her more cookies so that she has 5 cookies in all. How many more cookies did her mom give her.
Thought_______
Information___
Plan__________
Solution______

Again Kathrynn can tell me the answer. But in order to show it like they want you have to write it out as a subtraction problem! And there's clearly no subtracting going on here! Why do they want to confuse people like this. Math isn't this hard!

So instead we made it an algebra problem and solved for X. 3+x=5 It was easier to explain that than trying to explain that it was a subtraction problem. Granted it was 'wrong'. So I asked the teacher (in the handy comments section of the homework paper I have to sign every night) how she was teaching the kids to set up these sorts of problems in class so I could help Kathrynn do it 'right' instead of just confusing her.

She wrote me back that the instructions were on the back of the paper and if I had any more questions to call her. SO NOT HELPFUL! Because the instructions specific to these sorts of problems are NOT on the back. Surely I am not the only person who's ever been confused by this. And it gave me the distinct impression that I had grossly misused the 'comments' box which is probably only for her to write to me and tell me Kathrynn had to be asked to stop talking in class again.

I really do hate first grade more the second time around. Maybe my attitude is just bad, or perhaps I have a lot of potential I'm still not living up to.