A 3rd grade Western math question

[zeichen]

" for someone taking high school algebra. This is way too advanced for third grade, which I assume is age 8 or 9.

My guess is that you went to High school more than 20 years ago. Any college track kid would not be doing Algebra in High School. Algebraic thinking is started in the 4th grade unless you are in a crappy rural school in the US. Thailand is usually a few years behind other Asian countries for their math levels but in China, the kids in grade 3-4 could breeze through this kind of question.

Thailand does need to start pushing the critical thinking logic required for these kind of questions.

[ClutchClark]

For a third grader, or even a high schooler, many would miss.

Glad that I was educated in the old British system where math and science took precedence rather than teaching kids about "debate" which they ca!l "critical thinking"!

How can one have critical thinking when fundamentals are not learnet first?

But there is no better subject that Mathematics to teach critical thinking skills.

The OP equation is an excellent example of this. Story problems like this are about recognizing the relationship between the various factors and deciding how to set up the equation. It also means removing the unessential details by representing each person by a symbol--which makes it easier.

I think your 3rd grade child just needs a little instruction and once she gains a little confidence, she will be able to solve these problems like a champ. Seriously...kids are amazing like this if they are encouraged and if they introduced to these challenges in a positive and fun manner. (In no way suggesting you aren't doing just this--after all, I have the seen the way you diagnose a cars braking system).

Please let us know her progress in a couple weeks.

[ClutchClark]

Wille brought an extra tray of 42 cookies home from his job as a caterer. 18 of them are chocolate chip. Of the rest of the cookies, half are peanut butter, and the other half are oatmeal.

How many peanut butter cookies are there?

is a question from grade 4 US curriculem on Khan academy similar level of reasoning.

I think that is a little simpler and does not need any algebraic reasoning. I won't do a solution as I think that one is easy enough to solve by most people on this board:)

Maybe it doesn't require it but the lesson to the student is to always approach the problem using certain steps regardless of complexity. The general rule of identifying the variables and deciding how to set up the equation. Turning words into numbers.

C= chocolate chip

P= peanut butter

O= oatmeal

OP, I was very lucky because about 100 years ago I had the first teacher of many to make a positive influence in my life and academics. Just so happens she was my 3rd grade teacher. She made learning fun and never used words that were negative as she recognized it as counter-productive.

If your daughter thinks you believe she is capable of solving these story problems then she will be able to solve these story problems.

[farang000999]

I know that OP wants us to tell him that this simple question is way beyond the capacity of a Grade 3 student but that would be a lie. Maybe you should consider a tutor.