Are You Smarter Than a 1st Grader?

A few weeks ago Andrew was sent home with some math homework to complete.  It was all about the "Fact Triangle", which I had never heard of.  And if you do know what it is don't turn your nose up at me yet....it's been a while since I've been to 1st grade ; )
Back when we were in school I had to walk five miles, with holes in my shoes, up hill and knee deep in snow just to get to the school house.....oh wait, that's not me, that was my mom and dad's story!  Did everyone's parents use that story?
Anyways I digress (as usual).....I promise I'm getting to the story. 
If you're not a teacher and have been away from the teaching process for a while you soon realize that teaching methods have changed....for the better!  There are new concepts out there that make learning easier for kids. 
Here's a little lesson in "Fact Triangles"......

Looks easy right...well the worksheets look something like this:

Blanks...that's all I saw was blanks....and well, I  was confused.....so I did what any rational mom would do and decided I had to run to the store.  I handed the homework off to Jesse and told him I'd be back and to "take care of it".  Surely he would be able to figure this "fact triangle" puzzle out....surely.

When I returned home I found a frustrated husband sitting beside an even more frustrated 1st grader.  They had been at the homework for a while and were almost done (~Whew~I dodged a bullet)!
So I slid the homework in Andrew's backpack and sent it in to school.  A few days later the homework was returned home again with a note from Andrew's teacher that read: "Try Again".  So of course I LAUGHED OUT LOUD!  I couldn't help myself.  I mean it is quite funny that two parents with College degrees couldn't figure out a 1st graders math homework......and the kicker....Jesse was the one who did it wrong!!!!!  HA! (He's gonna hate me for this post)!

Here's where he went wrong, he added the numbers around like this:

12 + 6 = 18

6 + 6 = 12

6 - 12 = 6

12 - 6 = 6

Where he went wrong was the 12 + 6 = 18, all the numbers should equal one of the numbers in the triangle. 

The only reason I know this is because I turned to my best friend "Google" and it pointed me in the right direction.

I helped Andrew correct his homework and it clicked right away with him.  The reason he had been so frustrated with Jesse is because he was learning one way in class and Jesse was teaching him another.  Then I wrote underneath the teacher's note "Sorry, Dad's fault"...*hehe*!

I am well aware that this post makes Jesse and I look like complete idiots, but it was way too funny not to share!
Wow......my poor kids, maybe we should get them tutors now!