Common Core adds up

In regards to Carla Amparan’s April 2 letter (“Common Core ludicrous”), I quote her: “And yes, the math is too ludicrous to even understand.”

Well, I will quote the Common Core standards themselves: “Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Mathematically proficient students check their answers to problems using a different method. Grade K: Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from. Grade 8: Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving volume of cylinders, cones and spheres. Grade 12: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Understand solving equations as a process of reasoning and explain the reasoning.” Example: “Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100… Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 in the range 10-90.”

Another direct quote: “If it took 7 hours to mow 4 lawns, then at that rate, how many lawns could be mowed in 35 hours? At what rate were lawns being mowed?”

Yes, these are so ludicrous. If you are going to criticize something, please read it first. Or, do the math.

John McNamara

Pullman