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These are not that difficult. A third grader could do these if they have been in a strong math program. Americans are notoriously afraid of math and our math programs in schools are not aggressive at all. Most Americans complain about having to learn any math beyond basic addition and subtraction.
These are difficult for majority of 3rd graders, regardless of race or nationality. Gifted kids can solved this type of problems with ease, if they are well trained and well coached.
I don't think the Chinese or Indians have some special secret ingredient to higher levels of math achievement.
The success comes from the perception of opportunity. If the prevailing culture tells you that the path to financial security is almost exclusively through STEM careers, the educational system will compensate to steer kids in that direction. I remember taking physics in high school. We had an exchange student from China and he got nothing but A's on every test, quiz and homework assignment. He told us that he was the equivalent of an A- (ish) student back home, with lots of hard work but that he could be an A+ student here with much less effort.
American kids aren't dumb though. It's just that our elite universities demand more than just grades and SAT scores. A kid with a 1400 SAT score and a 3.95 GPA doesn't really stand out without any extracurricular activities. A Baby Boomer or Gen X kid with those grades/scores probably gets into the Ivies with some ease. Today, a kid would need several after school clubs, possibly a sports team, Student Council, volunteer work etc., along with the same or better academic performance. Our culture is also one that screams "find your own path." STEM is probably more reliable in terms of finding a well paying job, but so many people succeed with all sorts of degrees that there's less of a push to go down one specific trail. It seems like in Asia, if you aren't a math superstar, you're almost doomed to fail. Here, you can be "average" at math but use your other talents to achieve your dreams. I prefer a place where different kinds of people with various talents are able to 'win the game' so to speak.
That's pretty advanced for 3rd grade..systems of equations involving 3 variables.
Quote:
Originally Posted by psikeyhackr
That first one is JUST an algebra problem. The nitwit nuns didn't use the algebra books they gave us in 8th grade.
No. Algebra is not required at all. No 3rd grader had mastered algebra, except Terence Tao. The best way to solve 1 to 4 is to do it visually by using tiles or blocks. The geometry problem is a combo of math concept and IQ test. High score in Ravens Advanced Matrix will definitely help.
#4 is quite familiar. My daughter gets problems like these in 4 th grade now. It was pretty hard in third too, but it was doable. The others look very hard though, and I think some of the reason is how they are phrased.
These are difficult for majority of 3rd graders, regardless of race or nationality. Gifted kids can solved this type of problems with ease, if they are well trained and well coached.
Natural Talents + Good Education = Great Results
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlygal
These are not that difficult. A third grader could do these if they have been in a strong math program. Americans are notoriously afraid of math and our math programs in schools are not aggressive at all. Most Americans complain about having to learn any math beyond basic addition and subtraction.
The hardest part of any word problem is figuring out what the words are really saying. So on that respect, is it a math problem or a communication problem? And looking back I don't think I ever heard minuend and subtrahend outside 3rd grade math. It is not how the real world communicates when describing problems.
These are difficult for majority of 3rd graders, regardless of race or nationality. Gifted kids can solved this type of problems with ease, if they are well trained and well coached.
Natural Talents + Good Education = Great Results
A child doesn't need to be gifted in order to be given aggressive math instruction at a young age. Children can learn more than we think.
A child doesn't need to be gifted in order to be given aggressive math instruction at a young age. Children can learn more than we think.
It depends on the child. Some are not ready. Age and maturity matter.
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The best way to solve 1 to 4 is to do it visually by using tiles or blocks. The geometry problem is a combo of math concept and IQ test. High score in Ravens Advanced Matrix will definitely help.
