Homework is the bane of every child’s existence, which means it’s also the bane of every parent’s existence. This may be surprising for some people. After all, elementary school work should not be an issue for a fully functioning adult — so you think. Sometimes homework could include a problem so confusing and convoluted, even parents can’t figure it out. And that was definitely the case for a mother named Dusty Sappington when her eight-year-old daughter Izzy asked for help with her math homework. The question was so hilariously unsolvable, Sappington posted a picture of the math problem on Reddit for other people to decipher. [1]
What’s the Solution to This Third Grade Math Problem?
After posting this photo, she commented, “If someone can answer this correctly, my child will be done with her homework!!” For more context, she explained that the homework included no multiple-choice options or any other kind of instruction.
One commenter answered, “< 15” but added, “I don’t think that’s a fair 3rd-grade question.”
Another Reddit user trying for an exact answer wrote, “The correct answer is, “some”.” But another user argued, “if some are lost then most remain.” And another user added, “You guys are going crazy here, the answer is clearly ‘The rest’.”
As another person surmised, “Today I learned that I’d possibly score less than some 3rd graders on math homework. I used to be so confident and cocky.”
“Janell lost her marbles,” said another user, and Sappington along with many other commenters responded, “Me too.”
One of Many Strange Homework Problems
In an interview with HuffPost, Sappington explains that Izzy has dyslexia. Therefore, she attends a private school that offers traditional classes while specializing in learning disabilities. And she has yet to learn the elusive answer to this math problem.
“I haven’t found out the answer, but hope to see her graded paper soon,” Sappington told HuffPost. “To be honest, I’m unsure if it was printed in error or was a question to test her knowledge of less than and greater than, which she has touched on in the past.” [2]
The mother explained that she posed the question to Reddit “mainly for amusement.” As an experienced mom, this isn’t her first encounter with a strange homework problem.
“Being the mother of a third-grader and a fifth-grader, I have seen a lot of homework over the years that has our family laughing at the absurdities, scratching our heads, and relying too much on Google,” she explained.
Speaking of overworked teachers, one commenter offered an explanation for the strange math problem.
“As a 3rd and 4th-grade teacher’s aide, I think they just lost their train of thought while writing the problem. It is a combination of two common questions, one would say ‘Janelle has 15 marbles. She lost some. Now she has 9 marbles. How many marbles did Janelle lose?’ and the other would say ‘Janelle had 15 marbles. She lost 6 marbles. How many marbles does Janelle have now?’ I see both a lot and also see mistakes a lot, especially on worksheets but even in textbooks! It happens even with the simple stuff.”
This is most likely what happened, and although it’s a simple and funny mistake, it does reflect a larger issue. Sappington hopes her post will serve as a reminder about how important education is and how our overworked teachers deserve better pay. “I hope this adds more fuel to the fire to better fund our educational systems,” she said.
More Puzzles to Solve
If you like riddles with real answers, here are some others you’d like.
- Here’s a puzzle 6-year-olds are expected to solve in under 20 seconds. Could you?
- Speaking of puzzles for kids, can you answer this puzzle from the CIA?
- Can figure out the answer to this confusing Wheel of Fortune puzzle?
- If you’re sick of complicated math questions, here’s the perfect puzzle for you!
- But if you’re up for a real math challenge, check out this viral equation that’s dividing people online!
Sources
