Everyday Math

[Anonymous]

I'm 22:01... and yes, I know the link is only comparing EDM to US math curricula. That's why I referenced it when comparing EDM with Saxon Math.

And US students very well might spend more time on school work, but if that's the case it's because they have a lot more homework... which research has shown to be ineffective in elementary school at the very least. By the way, I was thinking of Japan earlier -- sorry. They're the country with something like 220+ school days a year.

I know there is reliable research showing Singapore Math's effectiveness... as there is reliable research showing EDM's. That's why I was interested in finding out if there was any research directly comparing the two. If there is, I'm not familiar with it.

I agree with the earlier poster who mentioned that a number of variables beyond curriculum play an important part in students' learning. Quality of instruction, style of instruction (and professional development as it relates to those two), time on task, etc. are all really important. I know one area school that only has about 168 school days, and most classes only do math on average 3.5-4 times a week for 40-45 minutes. They also do the EDM curriculum, and it's completely impossible to do that curriculum right in that limited amount of time.

[Anonymous]

Please be careful about the research around EDM's effectiveness. Most of it is from U of Chicago. There has been TONS of criticism about how the research was done (too tired to look up the links now).
But in a nutshell, the research was done initially through the University before it was implemented. When it was launched, there were many failings, and in real practice, the results were horrible. Also, the struggle is between the teachers and the mathematicians. Teachers get certificates that show them how to teach, but little is done about their knowledge (content). U of C research was about process not content. I think they fail in both areas.
For all I know, McGraw Hill and U. of C. might have their hands deep in the pockets of school boards because I don't get this embrace of EDM. It is sooo counter intuitive.

[Anonymous]

Also, Singapore Math was created in a way that took into consideration that teachers might not have a good command of the content, i.e. it is supposedly more fool proof.
A lot is cultural. Many US parents/teachers don't want to drill students b/c it seems cruel. I don't think it is cruel.

[Anonymous]

I want to thank you all for the links and discussion. I'm bumping this bc I want to know if there are any more independent schools, other than the ones mentioned, that do not use EDM?

[Anonymous]

I can tell you what the Cathedral schools do.

St. Albans uses a dated McDougal Littell curriculum in grades 4 through 6. I have not been very happy with it. It's quite archaic, lots of rote stuff, very little meaningful problem solving or anything else that stretches kids to think. It's not uncommon to come home with 30 long division problems as homework or something like that. My son learned long division three different ways in third grade and was completely bored for almost a month when they studied that. We've hired a math tutor to keep him interested. I hear that their seventh grade honors math program is pretty challenging, though.

Beauvoir uses EDM to an extent, but I know they've started doing a lot of supplementing with something called Contexts for Math or something like that. My son had the now math curriculum director as his third grade teacher, and they probably only did about a third of the EDM curriculum. He is in 5th now and hasn't learned much of anything new. He left Beauvoir able to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators, multiply and divide fractions, compute the area of complex shapes, convert fractions to decimals, do long division and multiplication, and do some basic algebra. There was also a ton of differentiation. Certainly, not every kid left able to do what my son could. (Math is his specialty.)

NCS uses EDM for about 2/3 of what they do in the lower school, but they supplement a lot too. It's not a particularly challenging program, but there seems to be at least a little differentiation, and it starts to really pick up in sixth grade. It was good for my daughter because she wasn't terribly confident in her math skills. Fourth grade helped a lot, and fifth was pretty good. Sixth was challenging (which was good), but it was also very, very traditional (which wasn't great).

[Anonymous]

I am glad to hear Beauvoir and NCS are supplementing EDM with other curriculums. I was a bit worried about the mathematics program; your response has eased my mind. Thank - you for the first hand information.

[Anonymous]

I am the PP does anyone know the exact curriculum Beauvoir supplements EDM with? Just curious I am trying to research the different products they use.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

The best thing is to call the school to inquire. The more parents that do that, the more that they will realize that we are thinking.

[Anonymous]

Have Cathedral schools and other area independent schools started to rethink their math curriculums. If this is such a concern for parents I would think schools would begin to make changes considering parents are paying over 20,000 for tuition. How are curriculum concerns addressed in Independent Schools?

[Anonymous]

Beauvoir makes frequent use of Marilyn Burns substitution units and the Heinemann/Fosnot Contexts for Learning Mathematics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have Cathedral schools and other area independent schools started to rethink their math curriculums. If this is such a concern for parents I would think schools would begin to make changes considering parents are paying over 20,000 for tuition. How are curriculum concerns addressed in Independent Schools?

Agree totally.

[Anonymous]

Try the British School.

[Anonymous]

The British School of Washington does not use it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The British School of Washington does not use it.

Does anyone happen to know whether WIS uses it or not?

[Anonymous]

bump. Just interested in hearing more about different approaches to math in the private schools....