AAP 3rd grade Math : do you teach/help your DC?

[Anonymous]

As has been said, it's easier after third grade AAP, where they're covering two years worth of math content. All of my kids "get" math easily, but they had moments of needing me to go over things in third grade.

The math teacher poster, while a bit dismissive of the teaching ability, experience, and knowledge of parents, did make a good point. Remember that the kids are being presented some concepts in a different way than you were taught. (I've lost track of how many versions of "new math" I've survived, as an oldster.) Have your child show you what the teacher taught them, and how he/she wants them to do the math, and keep it in mind when you're working with them. You want to work with the teacher is doing.

That said, there are elementary school teachers who might be good in other areas, but have their own problems with math, and don't teach it well.

[Anonymous]

I think a book club is very different to teaching your kid math. I don't understand the fear of consulting with the teacher and tapping into their knowledge and skills. It's not about political correctness. It's about making sure all the kid's teachers/coaches are on the same page when it comes to curriculum and techniques. What's with this 'them and us' attitude?! The teacher wants to work with the kid and with the parents. Why are some parents so against that? Do you think the teacher has some hidden agenda??

I once overheard a School Principal tell an elementary school math teacher who coached the school's math olympiaid not to allow a 3rd grader to join the club even though the precocious and brilliant 3rd grader was sitting in the same advanced math classroom as the 5th graders for the entire school year. I was shocked. The principal did not know another parent was in an adjoining room and knew the brilliant student referred to.

The student joined the math olympiaid program at another neighboring elementary school to avoid political correctness and bureaucratic agendas though his parents never revealed why their child was doing so. Why would anyone consult the school math department with attitudes like that.

There is no reason to consult an incompetent math teacher about teaching mathematics. Absolutely none.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think a book club is very different to teaching your kid math. I don't understand the fear of consulting with the teacher and tapping into their knowledge and skills. It's not about political correctness. It's about making sure all the kid's teachers/coaches are on the same page when it comes to curriculum and techniques. What's with this 'them and us' attitude?! The teacher wants to work with the kid and with the parents. Why are some parents so against that? Do you think the teacher has some hidden agenda??

I once overheard a School Principal tell an elementary school math teacher who coached the school's math olympiaid not to allow a 3rd grader to join the club even though the precocious and brilliant 3rd grader was sitting in the same advanced math classroom as the 5th graders for the entire school year. I was shocked. The principal did not know another parent was in an adjoining room and knew the brilliant student referred to.

The student joined the math olympiaid program at another neighboring elementary school to avoid political correctness and bureaucratic agendas though his parents never revealed why their child was doing so. Why would anyone consult the school math department with attitudes like that.

There is no reason to consult an incompetent math teacher about teaching mathematics. Absolutely none.

?? You're not going to consult with your kid's math teacher because the Principal told a math teacher not to accept another kid into a club? Wow ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No offense taken (I feel confident I'm a better math teacher than the parents of my kids!). Of course, many parents are good at math and science - but they haven't studied the pedagogy of it. I would encourage any parent who wants to teach their kid to learn the pedagogy of each subject. If you don't have time for that, work with the teacher and get as much from that valuable resource as you can. It shouldn't be 'them or us'!!!

I quite sure you are. I, too, am confident I am a better math teacher than the math teachers of my elementary school kids. This is why I'm glad my wife asked me to intervene and take over the controls regarding their primary education in math. Some of my children's teachers were very capable in other disciplines and we acknowledge that and let them drive the bus. Unfortunately, in math, this was not the case.

Work as a team! I can see both sides of this argument. In this area where a lot of parents are highly educated, it is easy to become frustrated over the shortcomings of the curriculum (which are all too often ascribed to shortcomings of the teacher). Let's face it, even in the "advanced classes", public and some private curriculae here are really not up to the best international standards, hence parents taking matters into their own hands. I agree that if methods do not dovetail nicely, this can lead to even more confusion and frustration. While I have never yet needed to ask the teacher to review something with my son, I would not hesitate to do so. I have also explained in detail the optional and more challenging math problem he has been set for homework, because I know the teacher often does not have time to go over it in detail during class, and introduced my son to more advanced concepts and more rigorous ways to answer certain questions using algebra.

[Anonymous]

Why are they going over more than 1 year of math in 3rd grade? Isn't accelerated math supposed to be available to each kindergartener? By 2nd grade, you'd think all the AAP students would be at a 3rd grade level for math or at least most of them would.

[Anonymous]

As has been said, it's easier after third grade AAP, where they're covering two years worth of math content. All of my kids "get" math easily, but they had moments of needing me to go over things in third grade.

The math teacher poster, while a bit dismissive of the teaching ability, experience, and knowledge of parents, did make a good point. Remember that the kids are being presented some concepts in a different way than you were taught. (I've lost track of how many versions of "new math" I've survived, as an oldster.) Have your child show you what the teacher taught them, and how he/she wants them to do the math, and keep it in mind when you're working with them. You want to work with the teacher is doing.

That said, there are elementary school teachers who might be good in other areas, but have their own problems with math, and don't teach it well.

Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Prealgebra, Number Theory, Probability and statistics have not changed in 50 years. And when teachers are bastardizing these basic concepts and confusing kids I have wisely counseled my own children to ignore the math teacher and substituted methods they have readily grasped and gone on to excel with. Young children who learn mathematical problem solving in the manner espoused by AoPS are on the right tract ( I have no conflicts to declare and I was taught in a similar vein/method many decades ago). I'll go with this tried and true method over any new fuzzy math pedagogy. Believe me, I have seen them all come and go.

[Anonymous]

?? You're not going to consult with your kid's math teacher because the Principal told a math teacher not to accept another kid into a club? Wow ...

My child's math teacher is not a good teacher. My experience to date supports this thesis. Therefore, I will not consult her regarding my teaching methods. If she wishes to learn my methods I'd be happy to share. But, her methods are not working and mine are working superbly with my children. I will diplomatically not bring these issues to her attention as she does not have the maturity yet to deal with this and I do not wish her to take this revelation out on my young child. We have a plan outside of class that works beautifully. My job is not to train teachers in teaching math. My kids are my job.

Do you have a problem with this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

?? You're not going to consult with your kid's math teacher because the Principal told a math teacher not to accept another kid into a club? Wow ...

My child's math teacher is not a good teacher. My experience to date supports this thesis. Therefore, I will not consult her regarding my teaching methods. If she wishes to learn my methods I'd be happy to share. But, her methods are not working and mine are working superbly with my children. I will diplomatically not bring these issues to her attention as she does not have the maturity yet to deal with this and I do not wish her to take this revelation out on my young child. We have a plan outside of class that works beautifully. My job is not to train teachers in teaching math. My kids are my job.

Do you have a problem with this?

With your arrogance, perhaps. But kudos to you for sparing the teacher, though I'm thinking her maturity might surprise you. In this area teachers deal with your kind all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

?? You're not going to consult with your kid's math teacher because the Principal told a math teacher not to accept another kid into a club? Wow ...

My child's math teacher is not a good teacher. My experience to date supports this thesis. Therefore, I will not consult her regarding my teaching methods. If she wishes to learn my methods I'd be happy to share. But, her methods are not working and mine are working superbly with my children. I will diplomatically not bring these issues to her attention as she does not have the maturity yet to deal with this and I do not wish her to take this revelation out on my young child. We have a plan outside of class that works beautifully. My job is not to train teachers in teaching math. My kids are my job.

Do you have a problem with this?

With your arrogance, perhaps. But kudos to you for sparing the teacher, though I'm thinking her maturity might surprise you. In this area teachers deal with your kind all the time.

So true. I have friends who are teachers and the stories they can tell about dealing with some of the parents around here!

And I do wonder if the children of some parents have flattered them into essentially doing their homework for them. "Oh, Parent, I understand it soooo much better when you show me how to do it! Now, show me again how to do the next one, please?"

[Anonymous]

I have friends who are teachers and the stories they tell me about the incompetence in math in their ranks...

[Anonymous]

And I do wonder if the children of some parents have flattered them into essentially doing their homework for them. "Oh, Parent, I understand it soooo much better when you show me how to do it! Now, show me again how to do the next one, please?"[code]


The sniff test: the children who excel in math in high school and college are not the children who got this motivation, drive, and foundation from math teachers in elementary school ...certainly not in our County and Age. The prime drivers were not elementary school teachers but likely well-trained and educated parents in quantitative studies. This is the true litmus test. This is the unfortunate but certain truth. Very few children will ascribe their math abilities, achievement and performance to what they are taught in elementary school to today. Those pupils are in the minority. Just ask the students.

[Anonymous]

I have asked the students and you speak the truth. Some find the truth hard to swallow. Swallow they must if they can't take a simple poll.

Some current teachers would have everyone believe 3rd grade math is quantum mechanics even while begging retired mental stiffs in computer science, engineering, medicine and science to reenter the workforce as public school math teachers to shore up their ranks!!

[Anonymous]

I have asked the students and you speak the truth. Some find the truth hard to swallow. Swallow they must if they can't take a simple poll.

Some current teachers would have everyone believe 3rd grade math is quantum mechanics even while begging retired mental stiffs in computer science, engineering, medicine and science to reenter the workforce as public school math teachers to shore up their ranks!!

Now, that's arrogance.

[Anonymous]

And some here wish these quantitative stiffs, who are actively recruited as full and part time public school math teachers, to consult them before they consider teaching their own child mathematics. Sounds ludicrous to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And I do wonder if the children of some parents have flattered them into essentially doing their homework for them. "Oh, Parent, I understand it soooo much better when you show me how to do it! Now, show me again how to do the next one, please?"[code]


The sniff test: the children who excel in math in high school and college are not the children who got this motivation, drive, and foundation from math teachers in elementary school ...certainly not in our County and Age. The prime drivers were not elementary school teachers but likely well-trained and educated parents in quantitative studies. This is the true litmus test. This is the unfortunate but certain truth. Very few children will ascribe their math abilities, achievement and performance to what they are taught in elementary school to today. Those pupils are in the minority. Just ask the students.

Sorry, I know a number of excellent math students at TJ who were not re-taught at home each night. They do well in math because they really like it and enjoy it. These are the same kids who answered, "Math!" when asked in elementary school what subject they liked the most. One of the kids is mine, and we never had to help this child with homework or get paid tutors to help. This child does homework and does well in school and has time for outside activities, also. Most of this child's friends are also involved in outside activities while doing well at TJ, with no need for re-teaching at home.

Children are simply not yet at a place in life where they are able to reliably ascribe the source of their abilities, achievement, and performance in anything. They are too young to have a sense of perspective on their lives yet. Ask them again when they're about 50 or 60 and you might get a better answer.