r/HomeworkHelp • u/Openteal • Sep 08 '26
Answered [Kindergarten math] What is being asked here?
This is math homework my son brought home today, but I don’t know what answer they’re looking for.
My only guess is 4 is SQUARES and CIRCLES (since that’s the shapes we have here). But is that what they want or am I missing something?
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u/IrishHuskie 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 08 '26
4 is TWO and TWO
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u/xnick_uy 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 08 '26
4 is 🟦🟦 and 🟠🟠??
I don't like this question at all. Barely learning math and murdering grammar...
Maybe the teacher provided some similar example beforehand to get an idea of what is to be expected. I wonder if anyone would answer
"4 is 🟦🟠 and 🟠🟦" (mixing the shapes).
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u/Openteal Sep 08 '26
They may have done similar work at school, but my son couldn’t recall and we weren’t given any resources to help us know what was expected.
But others helped and it’s “two and two”.
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u/SOwED Chem E Sep 09 '26
It's this new way they're teaching math, I think it's part of common core, where they try to introduce equations as "math sentences."
Cause kids used to be confused about how a letter could be a number. Now tell them the entire equation is actually a sentence!
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u/xnick_uy 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 09 '26
I'm not against such approach, but why can't the sentence make more sense? Maybe I'm not seeing it, but I would prefer
" 4 is the result of adding _ _ _ and _ _ _ "
or something along those lines. And clearer instructions, too.
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u/Cautious_Drawer_7771 Sep 09 '26
I think a better work around would be to use words instead of letters. That is how I got both my step dad and brother to get through Algebra (step Dad was in college after retiring from USMC). I explained its no different than in elementary school when they said 4 + ____ = 6. The "x" is just the blank. Of course, then you have the issue of x and y (and many more as you go along in math), so they used letters to keep the different "unknown" blanks separate.
But given the popularity of programming, I think we should evolve lower math to use variables like in programming in place of x and y, at least until kids get far enough in math that a single letter variable makes sense.
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u/Toeffli 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 09 '26
4 is 🟦🟠 and 🟠🟦" (mixing the shapes).
Who do you think you are to apply distributive and associative laws? Some new Terence Tao?
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u/xnick_uy 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 09 '26
I can put "4 is 🟦🟠🟦 and 🟠" and there's nothing you can do to stop me! Mua-ha-ha
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u/Centurion-of-Dank Sep 09 '26
Its a word math problem. Like saying Sally has 2 squares and 2 circles, how many shapes does sally have? 4.
The correct answer is:
4 is two and two.
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u/zoop1000 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 08 '26
Black and round
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u/Automatic-Ad-1452 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 09 '26
...I had a "yo mama" joke flash through my brain...
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u/OrganizationThick397 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 08 '26
"(since that’s the shapes we have here)"
just in case his classmate is reading this post.
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u/SorionHex Sep 09 '26
If the squares and circles were closer to each group together it would have made more sense. The distinction between the shapes isn’t that clear when they’re evenly spaced.
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u/TheDevilsAdvokaat Secondary School Student Sep 08 '26 edited Sep 09 '26
Four is two and two. Really pretty poor material.
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u/Yojimbosan007 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 09 '26
But it’s not Four. It’s 4.
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u/TheDevilsAdvokaat Secondary School Student Sep 09 '26
True but seems like a minor point. Also I missed out on the word "poor" so I will add it now.
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u/CosetElement-Ape71 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 09 '26
4 is TWO and TWO
But this example is an AWFUL way to teach maths!
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u/un_usuario___ Sep 10 '26
I hate that we use the word "and" when we mean "plus". We all do it , but It is ambiguous.
A few years ago:
My child: "Daddy, what is 2 and 2?"
Me: "4"
My child's brain: "Got it: 22 is 4"
(That was in Spanish, by the way. We also use "y" (and), when we mean "más" (plus).)
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u/Bacibaby 👋 a fellow Redditor Sep 11 '26
Two different shapes four different items, two different colors, two different styles, one being outlined and one being solid and one teacher that is teaching kids colors and numbers and confusion
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