Vent: School work 2nd grade

Freaking crazy

I preface this with the fact I know there's no winning. Just venting.

But I had to use GOOGLE for her work! LOL

What the heck is the definition of Vertex as it relates to side, edge, face, plane shape and solid shape.

She had one week to be introduced, learn and then got tested on it. One short week (since Monday was a holiday) well damn.

She got side, edge and vertex mixed up. Her fault totally as the teacher reviewed it. She admitted to me she day dreamed and other kids got it right. She took responsibility for it. But that meant for the first time ever she got an F. Her Math grade can handle it (overall average is still an A) but I freaked! She had no clue what an F meant. How it affected her overall grade. Long term repercussions etc. I couldn't come down too hard on her as it was the day her Uncle was visiting from NY (Friday) But man alive.

VERTEX!? Geometric Vocabulary? ugh. Once I realized it was just basically the terms of 2D and 3D shapes I could easily explain them to her and make them stick but it's too late, that moment has come and gone. Tested and recorded. Sheesh. This school stuff is tough!

This is only 2nd grade. How the heck you moms do it with more than one.. Seriously.. what magic juice do you drink? I feel like I'm constantly on this slippery slope with school. I come one from one job and go into my second job (tutoring). We spend at least 1 hour if not two hours doing school work daily. I slipped up this week and this was the result. I feel just as responsible as her. I failed her. Ugh!


Or as I told my husband Heck of a time to give up caffeine, chocolate and red wine!

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

That is why I count my blessings that I have a child in ms and hs and don't need my help (or minimal) now. BTDT and I don't wish it upon anymore. Sorry lol

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

What math program do they use? We use Math in Focus which is Singapore math and they haven't covered those areas yet (my son is also in 2nd). But they do have problems that require basic algebra sometimes. I am a math person so none of it's been that bad for me as the parent although many of the non-math parents have problems! Personally, I like the new math much better than the way we were taught. I think it will make their problem solving skills stronger. But school, in general, is very hard nowadays!

Vent: School work 2nd grade

I think it's Core but they refuse to admit that. They haven't done Multiplication tables yet but other schools have and are moving into division so I assume that's next. We have seen fractions and simple algebra (find x). Geometry has been heavy. Such as um.. four or five triangular shapes together make what shape with how many sides, vertexes and angles. If 3D then how many edges and faces.

Word problems are there and she has show strength in those as well as subtraction in doubles - borrow 1.

Math is one of her stronger subjects along with science. So the F isn't earth ending but I felt bad I wasn't paying more attention. Something I'll try to not do again.

She has two books at school and a book and workbook at home just for math. She knows multiplications up to 5s but we haven't had to work past that yet. They've also been working on unit names such as Dozen, half dozen within word problems. So if you have a dozen items and half a dozen friends how many does each friend get of that item. with no numbers.

And I like math! LOL

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

Yeah the math is crazy. I worry about my daughter who is in K now. I hope she doesn't struggle with it. For my son it comes naturally but I don't think that the same will be the case for her.

Vent: School work 2nd grade

It really can be awful. We had a few nights where my son was stumped. It was SO HARD to help him when I couldn't even understand it, yet alone explain it!

Honestly, a couple of times I just was honest and wrote the teacher a note telling her we couldn't do it. She's wonderful though and would always send home extra papers showing various methods.

Knock on wood, it's been good so far.

But really - be honest with the teacher if it's that bad. ask for some extra methods to help. It simply shouldn't be torture, you know?

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

Yeah so tonight we spent another hour on homework.

Here are the three I could not help with. Yes I emailed the teacher with all three photos asking for help.


What is a Jug in measurements?


What pattern?


Um.. sides of what?
Above it (tho you can't tell she erased the 1-she went back and erased it more after I took the photo) was a simple 18 - 9 question. So the question I had for the teacher was. Where's the image?

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

The first one looks right, they should visually estimate.

Seconded one is a two by two pattern,
Like circle circle square square circle circle square square


No clue on the third!


Ps I hate Evan-moor and 1999 (copyright date is way before common core)

Message edited 1/26/2016 4:07:16 PM.

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

....

Message edited 3/20/2016 9:50:47 PM.

Vent: School work 2nd grade

yes you're right.
The first was an estimate, which threw *ME* because there was another question where it asked 4 cups fits into ??? and it had a small milk carton, a gallon and a quart as options. The answer is Quart. Because quite literally 4 cups = 1 quart. So I was confused when it then later asked about a jug and a picture of a cup.

Yes the AABBAABB was a pattern. But what exhibit she was looking for was what confused me. AJ did end up using Circle Circle Star Star Circle Circle Star Star. I also mixed it up with ABCABC ABABAB and ABCDABCD to be sure she understood the concept

The last one was this:

Obviously missing.

I was the only parent to ask (as of Monday night) but we do the weekly homework first thing Monday night.

Message edited 1/27/2016 9:59:02 AM.

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

This seems above and beyond what my second grader is doing. I know we're in different districts and states, but the amount of homework seems excessive. DS has 20 minutes of reading each night and usually a 2 sided homework sheet that isn't too challenging or long for him to complete.

Vent: School work 2nd grade

Seems on par with what we learned in 2nd last year. The whole new math is stupid and I often need to google the answers, not because they are hard but I can not figure out the concepts they are trying to teach. What really annoys me is how much time they do on estimates. Have the kids learn how to do the problems correctly first before you teach them estimating is ok.

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

Seems about right. In third grade my DC was "solving for X" already - I don't think we did that until 6th grade when I was younger.

Vent: School work 2nd grade

If you are ever struggling with some of the methods they are using to solve problems, look into Khan Academy. They had great videos that would explain the new ways to solve problems in easier terms, I used to point all the parents in that direction when I would get emails about math homework the last two years.

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

My 2nd graders common core work (envisions & go math) looks nothing like what you have posted. How can things vary so much state to state if the point is to have everything streamlined? I see 1999 date? That was a very long time ago, now I'm even more confused

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

Google "Evan Moor Daily Math Practice" books. This looks like it comes from one of them. Is it possible these are review sheets to supplement the curriculum, and are not actually from the math series the children use?

Vent: School work 2nd grade

Yes it's review work. I actually sat in their class today (Chinese New Year's) and sat through the Math review portion. They are doing 3 sets of double digit numbers in addition. So they need to learn to take the side by side numbers, stack them and the ones then the tens. It's sort of neat to see a room of 7-8yr olds totally nail the math work. All the hands raise up super quick.

So it's review work. They passed out their packets while I was there. I saw my own kiddo and the class just attack that work with vengeance. Never seen so many kids so eager and intent on doing math!

Re: Vent: School work 2nd grade

I teach vertex in kindergarten

Message edited 3/6/2016 3:56:15 PM.