Does this seem too hard for a first grader?

[jannan]

the other day i was helping students with their math homework in the after school program in which i teach at and i couldn't believe the homework . it was about 10 problems that went like this:

8-2= ___ -1.

do you believe it !!?? this is esentially algebra.

i told them to tell their teacher that their homework was too hard. no body could do it alone. it caused alot of stress...

[Fleurette]

Ok, please don't take this the wrong way, but as their teacher I'd be pretty upset with you for deciding that the work I gave out was too hard for them. Unless you know what they're covering in the curriculum, you can't judge if it's too hard for them or not. You wouldn't believe the stuff they expect kids to learn at such an early age. Please don't bash this teacher for following his/her curriculum; he/she more than likely doesn't have a say in what is taught. He/she is just expected to teach it.

I had a sub do this to me one day. I was sick. I left a unit test. She looked it over with the kids, proclaimed it was too hard and began giving them the answers. I was NOT impressed. How did she know it was too hard? She'd been with my students a grand total of 10 minutes while I'd spent several months with them at that point and had taught them all the material covered on the test. She basically caused me more stress because I had to create a brand new test for my students. My students were upset because they had to take ANOTHER test.

[Greaseball]

I started that kind of math in 3rd or 4th grade. No way would I have figured that out in 1st grade.

[TiredX2]

So, I just wrote that equation down for my 1st grader to look at (we unschool and have definately not covered anything like that).

Her response?

"So, you have to add one to that (8-2) number?"

Me: "Can you write down the answer in the space"

She filled in:

8-2 = 7-1

Just one person, but she didn't seem at all phased.

[journeymom]

I know that my dd wouldn't have been able to do that in 1st grade, but they were starting on those sorts of algebra equations by the end of 2nd grade.

[Ms. Frizzle]

My son is in grade one, and those type of questions have come home with his math home work. He is marked for algebra on his report card, so I'm glad they are teaching it, lol
I'm sure the techer knows what she is doing

[glittermom]

I don't recall seeing anything like that on my 1st graders homework, but I did just write the problem out for her. She got it right in the end, but I talked the problem out with her (like saying to her look at the problem (8-2=? which also equals _ -1=?).

[jannan]

ok, so i stand corrected.

[glittermom]

Originally Posted by jannan

ok, so i stand corrected.

Just wanted to add to my response, that had I not helped and explained it out for my 1st grader, she would not have understood it on her own. There are many times that I think to myself that both my 1st and 4th graders homework is really tough. Sometimes, I even have to read and re-read some of the instructions myself to figure out what the homework is asking for.

[Katana]

Come on, for the average first grader, stuff like this is too hard.

I think it's all right that the op told them to tell the teacher that it was too hard and causing stress. Homework is supposedly review, of something the kids have learned and understand. It's not supposed to cause hives, sweating, and tears.

If the kids are asking for help, they obviously don't understand. The teacher needs to go over it until it becomes clear.

Which it should, sometime around fifth/sixth but maybe even ninth grade.

[lerlerler]

oops

[super duper]

its only too hard if it hasnt been taught properly. im sure first graders could understand it if their teacher gave them the tools needed to figure it out. when i was a first grade teacher, if i had just handed my students a bunch of problems like that and expected them to figure it out on their own i would expect no more than half to "get it." but if i could explain how to solve the problems, and spent lots of time demonstrating and checking for understanding, then yeah, im sure they could do it. its sad when people determine that something is too hard for kids without even trying to explain it*. i have heard that from many former co-workers and i have always been able to prove them wrong with my students.

*im not talking about trying to get a first grader to explain the symbolism in shakespeare, im talking about teaching something that is a little more challenging than what a child is currently able to do.