New Evidence Shows Common Core Has Been a Total Disaster ... - Free Printable

Let's analyze the problem shown in the image and understand both the "old fashion" way and the "new" way of solving the subtraction problem: 32 - 12.

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🔹 "Old Fashion" Way

This is the traditional subtraction method:

```
32
- 12
----
20
```

✔ This is straightforward:
32 minus 12 equals 20.
This is correct.

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🔹 The "New" Way

Now, let’s look at the "new" method shown:

It starts with:
> 32 - 12 = _____

Then it shows a sequence of additions:

```
12 + 3 = 15
15 + 5 = 20
20 + 10 = 30
30 + 2 = 32
```

And then says:
> 20 ← Answer

Wait — this seems confusing at first. Let's unpack it.

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🧠 What's Going On?

This "new" method appears to be using decomposition or number line reasoning, possibly related to making tens or counting up from 12 to 32.

Let’s interpret the steps:

We are trying to find:
32 - 12 = ?

Instead of subtracting directly, we’re adding up from 12 to 32, keeping track of how much we added.

So:
- Start at 12
- Add 3 → 15
- Add 5 → 20
- Add 10 → 30
- Add 2 → 32

Total added:
3 + 5 + 10 + 2 = 20

So, to get from 12 to 32, you add 20.
Therefore:
32 - 12 = 20

✔ That matches the old way!

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🔍 Why Is This Called the "New" Way?

This is a "counting up" strategy often taught in modern math education (like in Common Core or number sense approaches). It helps students understand subtraction as finding the difference between two numbers by adding up from the smaller to the larger.

It builds number sense and mental math skills.

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✔ Final Answer:

32 - 12 = 20

Both methods give the same result.

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📌 Summary:

| Method | Steps | Result |
|-------|------|--------|
| Old Fashion (Direct Subtraction) | 32 - 12 = 20 | ✔ 20 |
| New Way (Counting Up) | Add 3, 5, 10, 2 to go from 12 → 32; total added = 20 | ✔ 20 |

👉 The red box highlights the final addition step: `30 + 2 = 32`, but the answer is not 2 — it's the total of all the added parts (3+5+10+2), which is 20.

So the final answer is:
> 20

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✔ Answer: 20