Math 2.0 and parent resources

[Anonymous]

I have a 3rd grader and he is repeating 3rd grade math because of math 2.0 (his 2nd grade teacher taught her class 3rd grade math as they segmented the kids by ability half way through the year last year0. He came home telling me that he is in the "dumb" math group because everything is so easy and he learned everything already - not a great start for the new year. Anyway - I explained to him that there is a new math program and he has to show a full understanding of each subject before he can move on and all of his peers are in the same class - no differentiation.

That is where this question comes in - I looked at the MCPS site and it does not show a week to week - or month to month plan for us parents to pull which can we can use to help our child (homework) show the teacher he or she has a complete understanding of a problem - all I see is the UCARE stuff. I asked our principal and she admitted that the teachers have a link they go to for their lesson plans, but nothing for us (parents). That is frustrating!

I do not see an issue with kids having a deeper understanding of math; however, I am not clear on what the child should "know" exactly as sometimes the answer is the answer = how do you "show" that 109 + 300 = 409 other than computing the answer?

[Anonymous]

I'f love to know this. From what I can tell based on our experience with 2.0 math year there is no way to demonstrate "deeper" understanding and no matter what all the kids are given approximately the same work.

[Anonymous]

The math in curriculum 2.0 is nothing but smoke and mirrors (by Starr and MCPS). No metrics, no syllabus, no assessments, no transparency. Parents, students, teachers and administrators are all in the dark. The blind leading the blind. After 2 years simply more of the same this year.

[Anonymous]

I am the OP and I just want to vent. Last night when I picked my (3rd grade) son up from school, he was really upset because he felt that he is in a low level math group as the math is so easy. His exact words were "math is not challenging and I don't like math any more"! I am upset about this as he has always been very strong in math and in the past was engaged as he enjoyed learning new things.

I wrote a note to his teacher, but if this is what math 2.0 is going to look and feel like for my son, I am very disappointed.

[Anonymous]

OP, have you considered getting him into an outside math program? I think if he were with peers he'd love math again.

[Anonymous]

That is so sad! I think the current 3rd graders are feeling the brunt of this since they were accelerated and now basically have it taken away. Luckily my 2nd grader has never really been challenged so he is used to it. I try to tell him is better that things are too be easy than too hard.

Do kids really enjoy outside math programs? If so, any recommendations? I've been hesitant to go there since it seems a lot to schedule extra school-type work after a long day.

[Anonymous]

I also have a 3rd grader in MCPS and we are having the same experience. This 2.0 stuff really sucks-totally unchallenging, no differentiation. I don't understand why it's the response to some kids being accelerated too much. Aren't these high paid administrators in MCPS capable of determining a happy medium?

[Anonymous]

Serious question: if MCPS outright refuses to offer differentiation to students other than those at magnets or HGCs, do you think parents will organize and sue the county over this? I really don't want to take my kids to private-I think the county ought to be able to handle basic education needs.

[Anonymous]

Geez, OP and others - you are raising such spectacular kids. They are desperate for calculus at 8 years old! And they look down on their peers who are "only" on grade level in math as "dumb" and get hysterical on day 6 when math isn't challenging enough?

I have a 3rd grader in MCPS as well, and I really really hope he is not in class with any of your kids. Fwiw he also has found the first week of school's assignments easy even though I suppose he would qualify as "dumb" according to you and your lovely children. And fwiw, our teacher told parents that she will be working with all the kids to make sure they are given accelerated math work as needed.

[Anonymous]

pp, why so mad? no one is attacking anyone.

[Anonymous]

Geez, OP and others - you are raising such spectacular kids. They are desperate for calculus at 8 years old! And they look down on their peers who are "only" on grade level in math as "dumb" and get hysterical on day 6 when math isn't challenging enough?

I have a 3rd grader in MCPS as well, and I really really hope he is not in class with any of your kids. Fwiw he also has found the first week of school's assignments easy even though I suppose he would qualify as "dumb" according to you and your lovely children. And fwiw, our teacher told parents that she will be working with all the kids to make sure they are given accelerated math work as needed.

Chill out. Clearly, not all kids require challenges greater than curriculum 2.0. One curriculum size doesn't fit all. We all understnd this. Do you?

[Anonymous]

They have divided our 2nd grader MCPS student by math ability inside the classroom. Once his group shows they have mastered the lesson they move on. They also did this last year in 1st grade. For starters I would contact your teacher and see why your child was placed in the group that he was? Perhaps he calls it a waste of time but maybe he really didn't understand the material? Our DS was assessed early in the year last year and again this year - the math groups shift as the year goes on. So if he continues to be challenged by the higher level material he'll stay in the current group, if he starts to stall then they move them around. When we talked with our Principle she said that this is all new for everyone and that feedback was very important so the teachers, parents etc can lead a course that works best for the kids. I would talk with the teacher, administration etc.

[Anonymous]

It's possible that he is in the wrong math group. In my child's 3rd grade class they have divided into ability groups. Your child could be aware based on the other kids and the material that he is capable of doing harder work. The initial groupings are based on the 2nd grade assessments (the letter that was sent at the end of last year about gifted and talented and the standardized test scores). The placements were for the start of school only. There will probably be movement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They have divided our 2nd grader MCPS student by math ability inside the classroom. Once his group shows they have mastered the lesson they move on. They also did this last year in 1st grade. For starters I would contact your teacher and see why your child was placed in the group that he was? Perhaps he calls it a waste of time but maybe he really didn't understand the material? Our DS was assessed early in the year last year and again this year - the math groups shift as the year goes on. So if he continues to be challenged by the higher level material he'll stay in the current group, if he starts to stall then they move them around. When we talked with our Principle she said that this is all new for everyone and that feedback was very important so the teachers, parents etc can lead a course that works best for the kids. I would talk with the teacher, administration etc.

I emailed the teacher this morning and she responded that he is not in a lower level group - he was assessed and put in the "higher" group. The "enrichment" for this unit is 1,000 and 10,000 place values and that is what their class did this past week. He learned this concept early last year (this time last year in 2nd grade) which is why he is not feeling challenged. His homework required that he explain his answer, which is part of the new curriculum, and it looked like he did that as well.

My challenge is how to keep him engaged when he is already (2nd week of school) complaining that he does not like math. I've never heard him complain about math before - his only complaint about school in past years was not enough recess and lunch was too short.

My DD is in 2nd grade and I am not experiencing the same issues with her as her peer group moved to curriculum 2.0 in 1st grade, and only having Kindergarten under her belt, she did not "feel" the transition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's possible that he is in the wrong math group. In my child's 3rd grade class they have divided into ability groups. Your child could be aware based on the other kids and the material that he is capable of doing harder work. The initial groupings are based on the 2nd grade assessments (the letter that was sent at the end of last year about gifted and talented and the standardized test scores). The placements were for the start of school only. There will probably be movement.

I just responded to another email - he was assessed. Raven Raw Score = 51 and TN2 - scored between 94% - 99% in all areas. He is supposedly in the enriched math group, per his teacher's response.