word problem

Today I opened Ella's school folder and reviewed the papers inside. Among them was a word problem: "If Max has 6 apples and Jane gives him 3 more, how many apples does Max have? Show your work." Instead of drawing the apples, then adding them as her teacher expects, Ella confidently "showed her work" by writing in the space provided, "I knew that 6 + 3 = 10."