Arghh MCPS Math!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Whatever. She got a 99% on the quantitative section of InView, was assessed for compacted math and teacher said she will get in. She did do multiplication drills but has never done addition and subtraction drills.

If she's doing addition and subtraction on her fingers, that is a problem regardless of her Inview percentile and compacted math assessment.

[Anonymous]

What do you mean "there is something wrong with her addition and subtraction skills"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
First, MCPS teaching methods in elementary school is are ridiculous - it's the mile-wide, inch-deep curriculum which really doesn't help the children retain much.

Second, the math curriculum progressed extremely slowly in early elementary but speeds up later.

Third, teach your child the important stuff at home. It's the only way without paying for private. Some teachers don't like this, but... it's not their kid.

This is totally the opposite of what I have read on previous posts in the MD school forum, prior to 2.0. People were complaining that the math curriculum pre 2.0 was a mile wide and an inch deep. 2.0 math is supposed to be the opposite -- a mile deep and an inch wide, particularly for the early years.

I'm not comparing it to pre-2.0, which we did not experience, but to schools in Europe and Asia, where DH and I come from. Math here is a joke, and so is pretty much everything at the primary level. Not surprising, given the US academic ranking.

Yes, but most parents here don't force their ES kids to go to afterschool tutoring everyday for several hours, or to Saturday schools, like they do in a lot of the Asian countries.

And most of the Asian countries teach math by rote. In the long term, that's not the best way to learn math.

[Anonymous]

I have used the pre- 2.0 text books to teach Math. I actually ignore the Math that is being taught at school and teach my kids myself. They are ahead of the curve, I can give them the attention they need and they ace their magnet admissions tests and MAP-M.

If you do not like the MCPS Math, you do realize that you have the option to also teach them at home. 20-30 minutes is all that you need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean "there is something wrong with her addition and subtraction skills"?

If a 3rd grader is still using fingers to add/subtract, then that kid hasn't been taught or figured out how to do mental math. I suggest to you, or the PP that posted about the 3rd grader using fingers, to teach your kid the base 10 addition method. This is what they are teaching to 1st graders in my DC's MCPS class. This is how I figured out when I was young how to do math quickly in my head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean "there is something wrong with her addition and subtraction skills"?

If a 3rd grader is still using fingers to add/subtract, then that kid hasn't been taught or figured out how to do mental math. I suggest to you, or the PP that posted about the 3rd grader using fingers, to teach your kid the base 10 addition method. This is what they are teaching to 1st graders in my DC's MCPS class. This is how I figured out when I was young how to do math quickly in my head.

Memorizing addition and subtraction math facts is also useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Whatever. She got a 99% on the quantitative section of InView, was assessed for compacted math and teacher said she will get in. She did do multiplication drills but has never done addition and subtraction drills.

If she's doing addition and subtraction on her fingers, that is a problem regardless of her Inview percentile and compacted math assessment.

She is not always counting on her fingers but I've seen her do that on occassional and another parent mentioned to me the other day that her child (also a strong student) counts on her fingers. I don't think my kid needs remedial help but maybe flashcards are a good idea. I really was mentioning this because I remember my older child did do tons of worksheets and she never had. Instead her math usually required writen responses.

[Anonymous]

For heaven's sake! Kids in 3rd grade should be able to do simple addition and subtraction in their head. Also, PLEASE teach your kids their multiplication tables.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Whatever. She got a 99% on the quantitative section of InView, was assessed for compacted math and teacher said she will get in. She did do multiplication drills but has never done addition and subtraction drills.

If she's doing addition and subtraction on her fingers, that is a problem regardless of her Inview percentile and compacted math assessment.

She is not always counting on her fingers but I've seen her do that on occassional and another parent mentioned to me the other day that her child (also a strong student) counts on her fingers. I don't think my kid needs remedial help but maybe flashcards are a good idea. I really was mentioning this because I remember my older child did do tons of worksheets and she never had. Instead her math usually required writen responses.

I guess it's teacher dependent. My DCs' have done math worksheets as well as written response type questions. I think both of these types of math questions have their place. Why don't you buy a workbook for her to do at home? Just a few minutes everyday might help her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
First, MCPS teaching methods in elementary school is are ridiculous - it's the mile-wide, inch-deep curriculum which really doesn't help the children retain much.

Second, the math curriculum progressed extremely slowly in early elementary but speeds up later.

Third, teach your child the important stuff at home. It's the only way without paying for private. Some teachers don't like this, but... it's not their kid.

We have a 7th grader (who escaped this 2.0 phase in) and a 1st grader. My advice would be to go private until middle school.
Middle school and up are still allowed to do tracking, as well as the honors and eventual AP classes in HS. ES is just treading water awful. Home schools are told not to break student into ability groups or supplement.
Too many kids will be in for a rude awakening "once things finally pick up", not to mention have poor study skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We have a 7th grader (who escaped this 2.0 phase in) and a 1st grader. My advice would be to go private until middle school.
Middle school and up are still allowed to do tracking, as well as the honors and eventual AP classes in HS. ES is just treading water awful. Home schools are told not to break student into ability groups or supplement.Too many kids will be in for a rude awakening "once things finally pick up", not to mention have poor study skills.

How do you know this? My third-grader has been in math ability groups since first grade. Also there is a formal track (compacted math) beginning in fourth grade.

[Anonymous]

Ours stopped, teacher and principal told to not get so far ahead. Must wait for the rest of the county.

[Anonymous]

If all 3rd graders get "P" on their report cards, and if all of them will be slated to either do 4th grade Math or 4/5 compacted Math, then how do you explain the fact that the kids who get into HGC are heads and shoulders ahead of them? Even when they have got the same "P" on their report card?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a 7th grader (who escaped this 2.0 phase in) and a 1st grader. My advice would be to go private until middle school.
Middle school and up are still allowed to do tracking, as well as the honors and eventual AP classes in HS. ES is just treading water awful. Home schools are told not to break student into ability groups or supplement.Too many kids will be in for a rude awakening "once things finally pick up", not to mention have poor study skills.

How do you know this? My third-grader has been in math ability groups since first grade. Also there is a formal track (compacted math) beginning in fourth grade.

My DC in 1st grade is being given "acceleration". That could mean just harder worksheets, but it does indicate the acceleration in DC's report card. Same for my now 4th grade in compacted math when this DC was in 2nd/3rd. Acceleration was noted on the report card. But at 1st/2nd grade, I'm not sure how much acceleration most kids really need. 2.0 math in these grades is very different than pre 2.0, seems to me. It requires a lot more understanding of the math concepts, and the work requires the dreaded "explain your thinking", which can also include pictures, graphs, etc..

[Anonymous]

Kind of weird that people are suggesting that a 3rd grader at the top of her math class needs to be doing additional math work at home. Wouldn't the teacher have noticed a problem?