Supplementing math is becoming the norm now?

[Anonymous]

We're in public but I've always known it's up to me as the parent to is till the work ethic. Kids do the daily hw and I check into make sure it's correct and they understand what they did and they redo the incorrect parts. They turn it in fridays but my kids say not everyone turns in. I don't care, in my hour we do the homework and learn. The tests that come home are close to the homework so relevance is fine. We haven't supplemented formally but do a lot of math games at home for fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is another thing for OP to be aware of. The advanced math opportunities (and the parents encouraging it) are by and large in public schools, not private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

How much homework are they getting. My 10th grader in AP calc doesn’t even get homework. Everything gets done in class. I’m not saying elementary kids should get none, but how much are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Yes, not enough repetition. But also, not enough recall (in the form of tests and quizzes) because testing has fallen out of favor. Also no more textbooks, which makes it a struggle for a parent to help with homework and adds a layer of executive functioning stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're in public but I've always known it's up to me as the parent to is till the work ethic. Kids do the daily hw and I check into make sure it's correct and they understand what they did and they redo the incorrect parts. They turn it in fridays but my kids say not everyone turns in. I don't care, in my hour we do the homework and learn. The tests that come home are close to the homework so relevance is fine. We haven't supplemented formally but do a lot of math games at home for fun.

lol OK good luck when they transition to all online and no homework when they are no longer that young. Stop being so smug. My kid hasn’t had paper homework to do at home in years and years, and forget about tests coming home!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Why’s that boo?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're in public but I've always known it's up to me as the parent to is till the work ethic. Kids do the daily hw and I check into make sure it's correct and they understand what they did and they redo the incorrect parts. They turn it in fridays but my kids say not everyone turns in. I don't care, in my hour we do the homework and learn. The tests that come home are close to the homework so relevance is fine. We haven't supplemented formally but do a lot of math games at home for fun.

lol OK good luck when they transition to all online and no homework when they are no longer that young. Stop being so smug. My kid hasn’t had paper homework to do at home in years and years, and forget about tests coming home!

My kid went to public school for 6th grade. Not a single scrap of paper came home. No homework, no tests, no textbooks, nothing. All math work was done on Zearn and apps. Luckily my child already knew all the content and we left after that year, but if a kid did struggle it would very hard for a parent to see what is going on. There was nothing tangible to see. You’d have to start giving your kid your own worksheets to see what was going on

[Anonymous]

Check the grade level math curriculum on IXL. The teacher is probably not covering all of the material and giving students decent grades anyway.

The American math curriculum is typically one year behind the British math curriculum, and two years behind the East Asian math curriculums. We are doing badly even with such low expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is another thing for OP to be aware of. The advanced math opportunities (and the parents encouraging it) are by and large in public schools, not private.

Yes, and the few in private schools pushing math enrichment are usually immigrant families - Russian, Indian, Chinese. If you go to a wealthy, selective, white/black private, you're not going to see that kind of math push from families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

How much homework are they getting. My 10th grader in AP calc doesn’t even get homework. Everything gets done in class. I’m not saying elementary kids should get none, but how much are you talking about?

For us it depended on the grade. In 2nd they got a math worksheet, single sided, and sometimes English work. In 3rd the homework ramped up with daily math (20-25 problems every night), study guides for tests, spelling and vocab tests weekly, and projects like book dioramas. Add in a hobby (like mine does 30 minutes of music practice, Saturday activity, and a sport) and there isn't a whole lot of time. I don't see how I would be taking her to a 2 hour math class every week.

Every year after that it got more challenging in elementary, but the biggest jump was 2nd to 3rd. And of course sport and activity expectations ramp up as the kids get older. Instead of once a week practice for a sport, it might be 3-4x per week. I'm surprised that your 10th grader in Calc doesn't get homework. I always had homework in AP Calc because we needed the daily practice and we were always prepping for the AP exam. In class, we were reviewing and also learning new material, not doing practice problems.

[Anonymous]

^Adding that I COULD take her to a 2 hour math class, but that's more driving around and more time having her sit and work on academic work when I feel like she already does enough for her age. I'd rather she veg out and read a book than do another structured class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^Adding that I COULD take her to a 2 hour math class, but that's more driving around and more time having her sit and work on academic work when I feel like she already does enough for her age. I'd rather she veg out and read a book than do another structured class.

A 2 hour math class you are commuting to is a total waste. Seriously. You could teach an entire year’s math curriculum in 30 min per day. If you think your kid needs extra, just commit to 20 min per night every night. Or 2-3 week nights then maybe a bit longer on weekends

[Anonymous]

It’s always been. I did workbooks when mine were little. Now we use an online tutor. You can find them for $5-15 or so an hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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.

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.

How much homework are they getting. My 10th grader in AP calc doesn’t even get homework. Everything gets done in class. I’m not saying elementary kids should get none, but how much are you talking about?

It varies but teacher. Mine gets problem sets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^Adding that I COULD take her to a 2 hour math class, but that's more driving around and more time having her sit and work on academic work when I feel like she already does enough for her age. I'd rather she veg out and read a book than do another structured class.

A 2 hour math class you are commuting to is a total waste. Seriously. You could teach an entire year’s math curriculum in 30 min per day. If you think your kid needs extra, just commit to 20 min per night every night. Or 2-3 week nights then maybe a bit longer on weekends

But what is the point? Acceleration beyond grade level or what? DD is already doing 10 minutes of math a night through school.