How many inches are in a foot? Ask YOUR kids!

[Dixie Luvr 98]

This subject reminds me of last year when I realized my then 7th grader couldn't tell time using a traditional clock without stopping for quite a while to figure it out. He always used a digital clock.

I bought him a traditional watch a kept asking him what time it was. Later found out my nephew had the same problem.

 

[Steve H.]

I'll ask, but if my 2 year old knows that, I'll be kind of surprised!

 

[d.kurz]

Originally posted by Dixie Luvr 98
This subject reminds me of last year when I realized my then 7th grader couldn't tell time using a traditional clock without stopping for quite a while to figure it out. He always used a digital clock.

I bought him a traditional watch a kept asking him what time it was. Later found out my nephew had the same problem.

Yes, yes, yes!! This same child has difficulty when I tell her it's 20 of, or 10 of nine. Asks me to give it to her digitally!! Which I refuse to do!

 

[Buckalew]

I am not shocked at all. My sisters kids more than likely couldn't tell you this basic stuff. It is like they skip all the basics nowadays and go for algebra. They didn't even have to memorize their times tables because (as the teacher told my sister)"they have calculators for that."

DD is learning all the measurements including bushels and pecks which leave me . She is converting measurements and now adding and subtracting them. I never remember learning to do this. She is a good teacher.

 

[Beanie]

Originally posted by Buckalew
They didn't even have to memorize their times tables because (as the teacher told my sister)"they have calculators for that."

Same in my Stepdaughters school...they didn't memorize times tables either, which I think is terrible!! I asked all three of my Stepdaughters those questions and the 13 and 16 year old got them right...My 18 year old had no clue about the cups/pints question... She also has a terrible time at US Geography...I don't know if it is because she is lazy and just didn't want to learn, but if you ask her where Idaho is, she has no clue at all! The one thing that really gets me though, is her use of the English language! Actually all three of my stepdaughters have the same problem because they just didn't study, but they are always saying things like "Babysitted"! I am constantly correcting them!

 

[damo]

There are so many things to be taught in the school system today that schools cannot do it all. I feel that it is not only the school's responsibility to educate a child in basic math, history and geography etc but it is the family's responsibility as well. So many people think that once a child goes to school, their responsibiliy to educate has ended. (I'm not implying this of the original poster) These days, it is so important that the families take a very active role in providing basic education for their children, so that the schools can spend more time dealing with areas not so easily covered at home.

As a high school math teacher, I see so many kids using their calculators for everything even though they "know" their times tables, etc. In many cases, it is more important that the child understand the concept and the process in a complicated topic than get bogged down with the arithmetic. You'd be amazed at how many kids cannot solve an equation but are trying to master calculus. In many cases, the calculator is a safety blanket ensuring that the kids do not make stupid errors. In other cases it is sheer laziness.

The attitude today seems to be that if the technology exists and is commonly available, then we need to use it.

 

[d.kurz]

This is so interesting!! My DD and DS were required to memorize their "math facts"...addition and multiplication. They were not drilled relentlessly on them like we were, but they were tested from time totime. And that was clearly identified by the teachers as the parent's responsibility at the time. I did not have a problem with that. Gee.....think about it... how often do you use mental math?? When there isn't a calculator available? Plenty of times.. How else do you figure out how much that pair of shoes is going to cost you at 40% off??? Not having tose tables memorized would be pretty crippling.

Damo: I've never used the pythagorean theorem in real life. I never even heard of it until I had to learn it to help with homework!!

 

[mickeyfan1]

Originally posted by Obi-Wan Pinobi
How about how many square feet are in a square yard?

I'm a carpet sales rep. The carpet industry has sold product by sq. yard for decades and has started incorporating sq. feet into pricing, and I'm surprised at how many people don't know this one.

9 sq feet! Why do we sell carpet by the yard and tile by the foot?

Don't get me started, we own a flooring installtion company, and have to have a price list by product, feet, yards, padding, underlayment, etc, etc, etc. What a PITA.

The entire industry should be standard. And OT - why is commercial carpet so much cheaper than residential, and so much NICER??? We are redoing the house (again) this time with commercial grade, man it is going to look so nice.

Now Back to your regularly scheduled question........... I think that students today are being taught to the test, and the test have nothing to do with the real world. Glad I'm not in school these days.

 

[FOJMO]

Originally posted by Dixie Luvr 98
This subject reminds me of last year when I realized my then 7th grader couldn't tell time using a traditional clock without stopping for quite a while to figure it out. He always used a digital clock.

I bought him a traditional watch a kept asking him what time it was. Later found out my nephew had the same problem.

Boy, that strikes home with me! My DD (17) still has trouble with conventional clock time. If you say half-past, or quarter to or quarter after, etc. she has no idea what you're talking about! That digital thing ruined them!

I'll ask her tonight about the inches in a foot question and see what happens!

 

[sha_lyn]

Now Back to your regularly scheduled question........... I think that students today are being taught to the test, and the test have nothing to do with the real world. Glad I'm not in school these days.

Exactly

I agree that parents need to teach their children, but when they are in school for 7.5 hrs a day and have 3-5 hrs of homework a night just when are the parents suppose to teach them anything?
I was amazed at the things that DS was not taught by 6th grade.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I just asked DS who is in a private school and in 4th grade. Hmmm...when I asked him how many inches are in a foot, he didn't know. When I told him that his ruler is one foot and then asked how many inches his ruler is, he said 12. Hmmm...what are they teaching these kids?!

 

[Pin Wizard]

But when I just mentioned a yardstick, he knew that there's 3 feet in a yard.

 

[kellyla]

My DS,14,knew there was 12 inches in a foot but my DS,11,didnt.But I wont fault him since they teach the metric system up here.

 

[gravymom]

Ok, this is slightly off the main topic but I am going to ask anyway.
I consider myself to be intelligent (though three kids in four years has diminished that somewhat ) Anyway, someone a few posts ago brought up grammer. This had bothered me for a while. I would swear that growning up we were taught that hung was correct (and now I see "hanged"). Same with dove vs. dived. I know there are other examples but they elude me at the moment. Am I just a lot dumber than I thought or does anyone else remember this?

PS - my kids are too young to know about the 12 feet = 1 yard thing but I am a math nut so hopefully they will learn quickly.

Thanks


Amy

 

[Banzai]

12 Inches in a Foot
3 Feet in a yard
36 inches in a yard

Liquid is a bit rusty:

4c in a pint
4p in a (I want to say quart)
4q in a (I want to say gallon).

However, I am very got at metrics, as they push them at school

 

[Banzai]

Originally posted by gravymom
Ok, this is slightly off the main topic but I am going to ask anyway.
I consider myself to be intelligent (though three kids in four years has diminished that somewhat ) Anyway, someone a few posts ago brought up grammer. This had bothered me for a while. I would swear that growning up we were taught that hung was correct (and now I see "hanged"). Same with dove vs. dived. I know there are other examples but they elude me at the moment. Am I just a lot dumber than I thought or does anyone else remember this?

PS - my kids are too young to know about the 12 feet = 1 yard thing but I am a math nut so hopefully they will learn quickly.

Thanks


Amy

Amy,

I was taught that one can use either Hung or Hanged (I use Hung), and I was taught Dove. Dived sounds odd.

Brad

 

[d.kurz]

Originally posted by Banzai
12 Inches in a Foot
3 Feet in a yard
36 inches in a yard

Liquid is a bit rusty:

4c in a pint
4p in a (I want to say quart)
4q in a (I want to say gallon).

However, I am very got at metrics, as they push them at school

Almost right, Banzai. The inches and yards get you an A+.

2 cups= 1 pint
2 pints= 1 quart
And 4 quarts IS a gallon!!

 

[Gillian]

Banzi, it's 2 cups in a pint, 2 pints in a quart, 4 quarts in a gallon.

The metric system is much easier!

 

[d.kurz]

Originally posted by Gillian


The metric system is much easier!

For those of us who learned it. I did not!



and gravymom...i use hung and dove.

 

[dizneenut]

Just asked my oldest DS (12) and he knew!! Whew!