Eric Owens of the Daily Caller highlights one of the bizarre ways in which Common Core is complicating simple mathematics.
It’s back-to-school time, America. As a courtesy to parents sure to be frustrated with their children’s infuriating Common Core homework, Buffalo, N.Y. NBC affiliate WGRZ has published a series of helpful videos.
The first of the six videos informs parents about the new way to add 9 + 6. Parents could be in for a surprise if they are merely familiar with the old, boring way, which is to reinforce that “9 + 6 is 15? again and again until it becomes second nature.
“With the Common Core, students need to understand why” 9 + 6 equals 15, a bubbly WGRZ reporter explains.
Fourth-grade teacher Eileen Klag Ryan then demonstrates the Common Core way to add 9 + 6.
This Common Core method takes nearly a minute.
“Our young learners might not be altogether comfortable thinking about what 9 + 6 is,” Ryan relates. “They are quite comfortable thinking about their friend, 10.”
The novel addition method emphasizes 10 for younger students “as we’re working in ‘Base 10 System.’”
“So if we can partner 9 to a number and anchor 10, we can help our students see what 9 + 6 is.”
At no point does Ryan explain how this impressively complex method of adding 9 + 6 will lead students to any understanding of “why” 9 + 6 is 15.
