Mathmathmathmathmathmathmath

So, Isaak has not had a full math curriculum this year due to him "going through" every other option the district had in the way of self-paced programs (as opposed to in a classroom). He finished their Algebra and Geometry "credit recovery" programs by October, I believe. So, the district math coach had been just designing some extra work for him to do. I think much of which has been WASL-prep problem solving work. They did have him take the 10th grade math WASL (as a practice) to see how he'd do, and he did pass it, but I think they still want him to work on improving his problem solving techniques.

Anyway, he'd had consistently good daily reports from school for weeks, and then I got three days in a row where he'd gotten "stressed" during his math time. It was something about them asking him to revise his work or that he wasn't understanding a problem and was refusing help. I told them to just send the problems home and let me look at them.

First problem; he'd just didn't complete the question they were asking by giving direct evidence from the problem or something. He was a little irritable with me (had obviously caused him stress at school), but he quickly got over it when I just showed him what he was missing. He went and did it, no problem.

The second problem was this:

"Jay earns $16.42 per hour. He earns 1.5 times his hourly wage for every hour he works over 40 hours each week. He earns 2 times his hourly wage on Sunday. Jay worked 3 hours on Sunday and earned a total of $903.10 for the week. How many total hours did Jay work last week? Show your work using words, numbers, and/or diagrams.

His formula to figure it out was this:




It's hard to see, but it's basically if h<=40, $98.52 + $16.42h = $903.10 h = 49 hours then the next line, if h>40, $98.52+$24.63h=$903.10 x 1.5h = 49 hours

His answer: 49 hours

The comment on the paper from school was, "Need to see calculations more clearly."

I could not follow his logic, even when he explained it. And he was obviously getting irritated with me for not "getting it." So, I asked him if he knew the answer was right. "I don't know, they haven't told me yet."

I turned the paper over and went to figuring it out, myself. Took me many steps and Isaak sitting next to me as my "calculator."


Eventually, I did figure out that the answer was 49 hours, just what he had figure out with his complicated, but succinct formula. So, my question is this. Is the request for more clear calculation the basis of his horrible handwriting (I don't think so) or the request for solving the problem in such a way as the examiner is able to understand, regardless of the fact that he did use correct math calculations and formulas and showed his thinking in that manner?

I don't fault the teacher/aide with the request to show his thinking better. The fact is that he thinks at a very high level and the way in which he arrives at answers do not necessarily follow prevailing logic for the rest of us. Does it have to? And it's not just an issue with this particular problem. If it were, I'd just have him add some steps so they could see or clarify his handwriting or something. But, I think this is going to be a systemic problem. He thinks in an unusual mathematical manner and it may take people who really understand deep mathematical thinking to relate to him and understand him. Meanwhile, he is frustrated because, in his mind, he did show his thinking, there were clear calculations, and he got the right answer.

So, I understand his frustration, and, like I said, I don't fault the teachers as this is an unusual situation. However, we do need to find a solution so he can continue to flourish in his crazy math fantasy world in his head. I don't want him to lose that spark because the people around him don't understand him and expect him to think the way they do.

I do really detest the WASL and such problem solving requirements.