If you’ve ever tried to help your child with homework and ended up questioning your entire education, you’re not alone. Welcome to the brain-bending world of new math problems—the kind that leaves grown adults reaching for a calculator, YouTube tutorial, or glass of wine. While Common Core and similar approaches are meant to build problem-solving skills, many of us are stuck wondering what happened to simply carrying the one. These new math problems look innocent on the surface, but behind the boxes, number lines, and “friendly tens,” lies confusion, frustration, and the haunting realization that you might not pass third grade today. Here are 11 new math problems that made us want to throw our kid’s homework across the kitchen.
1. Decompose 67 into Ten Frames, Then Add 8
Ten frames? Decomposition? What happened to just adding the numbers? Instead of 67 + 8 = 75, you now have to break down 67 into 60 + 7, then break 8 into 3 + 5 so you can “make a ten.” Sure, it’s mathematically sound—but trying to explain that to a tired adult brain at 7 p.m.? That’s when the eye twitch starts.
2. Use a Number Line to Subtract 92 – 47
Okay, but why? We were taught to borrow and subtract in a tidy vertical format. Now your child wants you to jump backwards in increments across a number line while keeping track of mental subtraction. This problem turns a quick solution into a complex obstacle course of hops, skips, and doodles. Your answer might still be correct—but the method? Totally wrong, apparently.
3. Solve Using the Area Model
Area models are a new math favorite, and they’re about as clear as mud to anyone over the age of 30. Instead of multiplying 23 x 17 directly, you’re drawing boxes, splitting numbers, and labeling partial products. It looks like a poorly planned bingo card and makes a 20-second problem take five minutes. And somehow, your child still ends up with the wrong answer.
4. Round to the Nearest Ten Using an Open Number Line
The open number line is the wildcard of new math problems. There’s no scale, no labels—just a blank line and vibes. You’re supposed to estimate positions and round numbers like you’re eyeballing furniture placement in a room. There is no greater math trust fall than trying to use an open number line without any instructions. And still being told “that’s not how the teacher does it.”
5. Solve 542 ÷ 3 Using Partial Quotients
Partial quotients are supposed to make division easier. Spoiler: they don’t. Instead of just dividing like a normal person, you now repeatedly subtract giant chunks of the divisor from the dividend while tracking leftover numbers. It’s like reverse multiplication with no clear ending and too many steps. Halfway through, you forget what the original question even was.
6. Show 93 – 28 Using Compensation
“Compensation” in math is not a paycheck for surviving this question, unfortunately. Instead, it means adjusting one number to make the math easier, then adjusting the answer to account for the change. The logic is clever, but it makes your head spin if you weren’t taught to think that way. It’s like solving a puzzle you didn’t sign up for. And somehow your kid still ends up asking, “Why can’t I just subtract it normally?”
7. Explain Why 6 x 7 = 42 Using an Array
You know it’s 42. Your kid knows it’s 42. But now you have to draw dots in a rectangular pattern to justify it. Arrays are meant to visualize multiplication, but for adults who already memorized the times tables, it just feels like a lot of extra work. Bonus stress if your child wants you to color code the rows and columns. And don’t even try using fingers—you’ll be corrected immediately.
8. Identify the “Friendly Numbers” in 96 + 27
What makes a number “friendly”? Apparently, it’s a multiple of 10 that plays well with others. To solve this, you have to break down numbers into components like 90 + 6 and 20 + 7, then mix and match until something adds up nicely. It’s like a dating show for digits. “These two numbers didn’t hit it off, but 90 and 10 are definitely compatible!”
9. Label the Place Value Disks and Use Regrouping
Place value disks sound like they belong in a board game, not your kitchen table. You’re asked to represent numbers using colored chips, label them with hundreds, tens, and ones, then solve using regrouping. It’s hands-on math without the actual hands-on part—unless your child makes you draw all the disks by hand. Just give us the old-school columns and some scratch paper, please.
10. Solve 104 – 59 Using a Tape Diagram
Nothing says “math time” like trying to interpret a diagram that looks like a bar graph from an IKEA instruction manual. Tape diagrams are visual tools meant to model subtraction or part-part-whole relationships, but without clear instructions, they’re just confusing. Trying to label and fill in the parts makes you feel like you’re decoding ancient hieroglyphs. You’ll miss the days of simple vertical subtraction.
11. Write a Story Problem That Matches This Equation: 36 ÷ 4
This one flips the script. You’re not solving a problem—you’re inventing one. Now you have to write a word problem that fits the math, which sounds easy until you’re staring at the paper trying to make apples or cookies fit the equation. “If you have 36 goats and 4 barns…” quickly spirals into confusion and giggles. Creative? Yes. Brain-breaking? Absolutely.
When Your Third Grader Knows More Than You Do
These new math problems are meant to build number sense, problem-solving, and flexible thinking. But for many adults, they just bring on flashbacks of easier days when carrying the one was enough. The good news? You’re not alone in your confusion—and the even better news is that your kid is learning to see math in a whole new way. Even if it makes your brain hurt.
Which new math problem totally broke your adult brain? Share your most confusing homework moment in the comments—we’re in this together!
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