Supplementing math is becoming the norm now?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I’ve recently had a bit of a reality check about math education and wanted to see if others have experienced something similar.
My DD is in 5th grade, and I had assumed that being in a small private school class with more individualized attention would mean math instruction and practice would be strong enough on its own. But I’m starting to realize that relying on school alone may not be enough and can be a serious mistake. This is insane!! I’ve noticed that many classmates are doing supplemental math outside of school. The % is much higher than I expected. I started to freak out. When the concepts started getting harder this year, it became clear that kids really need consistent practice to build mastery. At least in our school, the amount of homework has been consistent since 1st grade yet insufficient and it doesn’t seem to be checked closely. Coming from another country where math education involved much more systematic practice, I’ve been surprised by how common it seems here for families to supplement math outside of school—even when they’re already paying $$$ for tuition! It’s quite hard to accept the reality. I wonder what others see and experience. I first started out appreciating how much kids enjoy their children here but I now see that it comes at the expense of a solid, necessary academic foundation for the future. It’s getting frustrating. |
Anonymous
| Math education in the US is awful. I don’t know what happened but yes, you need to supplement. |
Anonymous
| Not the norm unless you're in public. DD attends private and goes to math class outside of school. Most of her classmates don't. I've noticed the kids at enrichment math are mostly public school kids, with a few kids from magnet schools and specialized privates. |
Anonymous
| Do you mean a page out of a workbook a day at home, or going to Kumon twice a week? |
Anonymous
On average my kid has 1 page of math practice per school day in addition to reading comprehension homework. It’s not just the amount, it’s also the quality, relevance, and how closely it is checked and explained. In my view, schools (at least elementary schools in our experience) are not instilling discipline or work ethics that are necessary for kids to succeed in the future— not just academically. When I was a kid, homework was graded and I was held accountable for completing it and doing it well. Here, there is little to no consequence. |
Anonymous
|
PISA test results and NAEP test results show the US is not very effective at teaching math.
As OP notes, a frequent issue with US math instruction is lack of sufficient practice to really master math skills. Reinforcement or supplementing for math is common, but not universal, both in local public schools and in local private schools. At the usual math tutoring centers I see car stickers from all of the top local privates and can watch students get in/out of those cars. Some other families do this at home with a parent overseeing the reinforcement / supplement. No doubt some small percentage of students are naturally gifted in math. What also is common (at least locally) is for students and families to avoid letting on that such supplementing is happening outside school. |
Anonymous
| Kids are often supplemented for different reasons. My oldest is naturally gifted in math and we started supplementing him in 1st grade per the advice of his pediatrician (he wasn’t being challenged enough with the school math curriculum and it was resulting in a high level of distractedness in class). I also want him to view math as fun, challenging, and interesting. I supplement my younger kid because he struggles a lot more to grasp math concepts and I want him to grow into a confident math student. I come from a math-oriented family and I truly feel that a child’s foundation in math can never be too strong. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
| I have one child who has a math tutor (and genuinely needs it) and another who excels in math and has no outside enrichment. Both have excellent math grades. |
Anonymous
This is not our experience at all. I have two kids at two different privates and a LOT of their classmates either have a math tutor or do something like Mathnasium, RSM, etc. |
Anonymous
This right here, my elementary school kids get that one page practice and finish it in like 5 minutes. My older one is in accelerated math and generally gets all As, but is clearly not very good at what was considered basic math 15/20 years ago. |
Anonymous
| Watching drop off at RSM it was mostly kids in uniforms. So yes this is common in many circles. |
Anonymous
|
Unfortunately it isn’t common enough, which is why most kids are behind. Schools are inadequate and ineffective and teaching pretty much everything.
However, you don’t need to send them to RSM. You can supplement at home. If you have a college degree, you should be able to teach math through algebra (with some brushing up here and there). Buy some textbooks and/or look up some homeschool materials and get started. |
Anonymous
OP is talking about private school, though. In 5th grade, I’d expect privates to be giving regular math homework. That said, there is a huge range and variety of privates to meet different student needs and parent priorities. I picked a large private that does tracking and leveling for math and English, so DD does above grade level math and gets daily practice at school and through 4x/week homework. |
Anonymous
How do you find the time? Our private gives plenty of homework beginning in 3rd grade. At minimum they get daily math homework, reading and grammar homework several times a week, and spelling and vocab work. Homework is assigned every day but Friday, which is reserved for occasional project work. Between homework and extracurriculars, I don’t know how parents and kids would find the time. |