P2 Math - General Discussion

[girlmum]

Just4Fun:

This is what my DS got for his Maths paper :

There were 6 cookies in each packet.
I bought 3 packets of cookies on Monday.
a, How many cookies did I buy on Monday ?
b, I bought 30 more cookies on Tuesday.
How many cookies did I buy altogether on both days ?

Answer to (b) ??? Can some one pls help on this ????
48 or 66 cookies shd be the correct answer ???? :?

I would think that the answer should be 66. (Mon 18 cookies, Tues 30 more ie 18+30 = 48, both days 18 + 48 = 66)
Hope I'm right

[Just4Fun]

That is what I hv thought, and this is what my DS had answered.

Unfortunately, this is not the correct answer ! ???

This question is quite ambiguous, isn’t it ?

[MMM]

So what is the answer??? Is it a issue with english sentence structuring rather than math???

[Just4Fun]

The answer fr the teacher is 48.


Yes, this shd be English words structuring issue ,right ?

[MMM]

Maybe you should feedback to the maths teacher. When they say 30 "MORE" than it’s usually on top of day 1. They should simply said, they bought 30 cookies (no need to add more).


Not forgetting, the maths teacher need to go for a english revision class.

[Just4Fun]

Yes, I hv just written in to seek for better understanding. This is the only question that my DS has got it wrong. I am not so concerned abt marks, but more on the concept, and how to explain to him so that he can understand this better.

[mrswongtuition]

Just4Fun:

This is what my DS got for his Maths paper :

There were 6 cookies in each packet.
I bought 3 packets of cookies on Monday.
a, How many cookies did I buy on Monday ?
b, I bought 30 more cookies on Tuesday.
How many cookies did I buy altogether on both days ?

Answer to (b) ??? Can some one pls help on this ????
48 or 66 cookies shd be the correct answer ???? :?

What I read is:
b, I bought 30 more cookies on Tuesday [than on Monday].

What the teacher means:
b, I bought [another] 30 cookies on Tuesday.


Please go and speak to the HOD of Maths about this. They should have vetted the papers to prevent such problems.

[MMM]

Just4Fun:

Yes, I hv just written in to seek for better understanding. This is the only question that my DS has got it wrong. I am not so concerned abt marks, but more on the concept, and how to explain to him so that he can understand this better.

More importantly is when he sees the same structure in the future, he will interpret it \"incorrectly\" due to this experience.

[girlmum]

Just4Fun:

Yes, I hv just written in to seek for better understanding. This is the only question that my DS has got it wrong. I am not so concerned abt marks, but more on the concept, and how to explain to him so that he can understand this better.

Precisely!!! It's making the child confused and not forgetting the parents too. They should phrase the question CLEARLY. What worries me is when the next time the child were to see the word MORE, should he add or not? :? :? :stupid:

[david59]

MMM:

Maybe you should feedback to the maths teacher. When they say 30 \"MORE\" than it's usually on top of day 1. They should simply said, they bought 30 cookies (no need to add more).


Not forgetting, the maths teacher need to go for a english revision class.

Let me try to clarify for understanding in a converstional approach.

Eg. \" Hey John, how did the football match go today?\" asked Jim.

\" Terrible, we lost the match today,\" said John.

\" So how many matches did your team play so far,\" asked Jim.

\" We have played three games so far,\" replied John.

\" Ok, how many more matches to go by the end of the tournament? asked Jim

\" Well, there are four more matches to go,\" answered John.

Dear forumers, how many matches did John's team play by the end of the tournament? Answer is 7 or 10 matches. Of course all of us got it right, the obvious answer is 7.

We need to differentiate the \" 30 more cookies\" as compare to \" 30 more cookies than\" bcos the \" than\" indicates that there is a comparision of more quantity bought than with the earlier item. Otherwise, the \" more\" simply indicates that some more of the same item were bought. Hope it helps.