Common Core question

sorry if this is a silly question but I have no knowledge of this since I don't have kids in elementary school YET. The other post on FHF got me thinking. What's the difference of how they teach math different with the CC then how they taught it to us back then? Just curious. If someone can give me some examples. Thanks!!

Common Core question

There are 12 steps to solve a 2 step problem now. I can't even explain it, but I'm sure if you google, you will find some images of the stuff that comes home.

Re: Common Core question

Re: Common Core question

Personally I don't think that you should be worried about the common core curriculum. To me the curriculum itself is not horrible. I think the issue with common core is how it was rolled out. They started with the older kids and worked their way back to kindergarten. At the same time they introduced the testing. Those tests were inclusive of common core practices. They should have started to introduce the curriculum with Kindergarten first. My daughter is in 1st grade and did not have common core in kindergarten. She seems to be adjusting to it fine. The math is different but I actually like how her teacher is teaching it. My suggestion is to read up on the program yourself and not make your judgment on feedback from parents who have older kids.

The biggest issue for me is the weight of the results of testing the kids. All kids learn differently and in the little I have seen of the common core it shows the kids that there isn't just one way to solve a problem. Which I personally like. All kids also respond to tests differently. So I think that the testing aspect of the program needs to be improved but I am also not in a testing grade yet. So this is just my opinion.

The below website was very helpful to me when I wanted to know more about how the math would be taught.

Common Core Math

Really the biggest thing to grasp for myself was the change in terminology. My daughter didn't have a hard time with it since that is all she has known.

Good luck with your research!

ETA...

I found some more websites that I looked at as well that might be helpful.

http://www.corestandards.org/

https://www.engageny.org/

http://www.corestandards.org/Math/

Message edited 5/29/2015 1:00:40 PM.

Common Core question

Thank you so much! This was very helpful!!!!!!

Re: Common Core question

My oldest is in 2nd so I have only known common core. And, with that said, he hasn't started the testing yet (that starts in 3rd grade) so I'm sure my perspective may change.

But, I wanted to say this - don't take your perspective on the common core from these boards. I find all the posts on the common core and the testing to be very one-sided and not aligned with what I see in our real life. So far, I find the common core to be great curriculum wise. It is more rigorous than we were younger but most if not all of the kids can handle it. My DS still finds the curriculum extremely easy and has no issue with it whatsoever. I personally find it to be much more solid education wise than what they were doing in the lower elementary grades before. I think it fits the times more. The math, while more convoluted, is very solid. It is not meant to teach or replace fact fluency - it is meant to teach the kids strategies that are built upon every year. I'm surprised at how good my 2nd grader is in math (and doing nothing outside the classroom). He gets the math conceptually which is VERY important going forward.

Now like I said we haven't done testing yet, but, want to put this out there because again I feel most young parents are reading very one-sided info on here. In my district we have an EXTREMELY low opt-out percentage. Like around only 5%. And those that opt out are on the lower end in the classroom. We have several kids that get a perfect score and several several more that get close to it - especially on the math. So, I would take it as it comes and make your own decision without pre-judging and getting nervous based on what you see on here. Again, maybe my perspective will change dramatically next year but, these are the facts in my district.

ETA: Most of the districts I know of use either math in focus or go math as their common core aligned curriculum. If you google these you will see the new math. That said, it starts VERY VERY basic in K. By the time it gets tricky the kids know how to handle it. The real losers in this situation are the now fifth graders - they had to do a total 360 and learn this difficult math without having the foundation. The kids that get it from K will really be fine.

Message edited 5/30/2015 9:26:08 AM.

Re: Common Core question

Go math is common core aligned, but much easier and kid friendly than the state tests. Teachers will tell you, and have been saying, the standards are fine, the curriculum is okay, the tests are not.

Common Core question

I have a problem with common core, mostly related to the fact that my son was in fifth grade when it was rolled out. He was basically told to forget everything he had learned to that point and learn it all over a new way.

Aside from that, I also have a problem with the fact that common core does not allow a child to learn in the way it comes easiest to them. Kids are not cookie cutters, and each learns in his/her own way. If you arrive at the correct answer, it shouldn't matter which method you used to get there. But, with this curriculum the student will be marked wrong if not using their method. That I have a problem with.

Re: Common Core question

Common Core question

That's been my experience so far. Often when my son gets a question marked wrong, his answer is correct, but the work is wrong. When the teacher is in a generous mood, she will give him partial credit, but more often than not she marks it wrong. He has ADHD and the way the math is being taught now involves a lot more steps than his attention span can handle. He is lost about halfway through the problem, where he could do it easily with the old method.