Mom Shares ‘Unfair’ Question On Daughter’s Homework And Answer Is Baffling Everyone

How many of us can’t deal with math questions at the level of a 3rd grader? Not many. Kids at that level are still learning numeracy and simple mathematical formulas such as additions and subtractions.

Well, this mum who chooses to help her daughters with their homework is baffled by the questions of a 3rd grader. Dusty Sappington, the mum, took a picture of the homework her daughter, Izzy, who’s in the third grade and has dyslexia.

The question reads: “Janell had 15 marbles. She lost some of them. How many does Janell have now?”

Dusty posted this picture in a Facebook group ‘Love That Matters’. The question has sent a lot of people into confusion. Everyone is bamboozled, including me. With my Bachelor Degree, I begin questioning what I have achieved so far to have not been able to answer a 3rd grader Math question.

Here are some replies that came in:

“Today I learned that I’d possibly score less than some 3rd graders on math homework. I used to be so confident and cocky.”

“Well. It would have to be 15 – X, where 15 <= X >= 1. She can’t lose more than she started with, and losing something implies at least 1.”

And aren’t you guys curious of the answer?

Dusty approached the teacher for the answer to the question.

“I spoke to her teacher today and found out the answer to her homework question was to ‘come up with her own answer.’

“Her answer, the question mark, was not considered wrong.”

While it sounds wise to give kids early education to never consider things to only be right and wrong, it might actually be just straight out confusing. Especially when math is not a subject that has a gray area. Several people complained about this:

“And they wonder why we have kids with literacy and numeracy problems.”

“That is just crazy and confusing for kids.”

“I hate that kids who at 7 or 8 years old are being expected the no one is wrong garbage. While still learning the fundamentals of math. Math is math, not theology.”

A teacher chimed in to show support to this open-ended question:

“I’m a teacher and would love to hear every possible solution to this question.

“I ask my kids these kind of questions every day and their answers always make me smile, my kids, suggest solutions not ‘the only correct answer’ Make them think about things!

“I would only accept a subtraction answer though.”