How is working above grade level in math handled in ES under 2.0?

[Anonymous]

First, this is not a shameless brag. I'm looking for information on how to handle things for my DD. I honestly do not know which way to go. I'm going to be emailing the teacher for some guidance, but wanted to ask here as well.

My DD is 6 and in 1st grade. The other day I posted about her wanting to learn multiplication. Today she tells me that she and one other child in the class get different math work than the rest of the class (however, her math homework is the same as everyone else). She said the math work she is doing in class is multiplication and solving for x (the teacher did mention solving for x at the PT conference but did not go in depth about it). Anyway, my DD gets worksheets. Sometimes the teacher spends time actually teaching her the material. Sometimes she said the worksheets just have instructions and examples and the teacher simply gives them to her to do. Now, there are 26 kids in the class, so I get that the dynamic of giving other work is more difficult and one on one is not possible but for a few times.

I plan to talk to the teacher about exactly what math work my child is doing (as in can I see a worksheet because they never come home). I want to be able to help my DD with math (as she asked) but can't if I don't know exactly what she is doing.

Meanwhile, I can see my DD wants to continue to progress at her own pace. I want to foster that. Do I just let well enough alone and let her continue getting worksheets with no other help? Do I work with her myself? Do I do something like Kumon to satisfy the rate at which my child is going with math? I say all of this knowing that I want to make sure her understanding is solid (so backtracking if it must be done).

Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

It's good that the teacher is giving her more challenging work than the other kids. This is not encouraged in the new MCPS math curriculum.

I would definitely encourage her, but be careful of teaching her your "old" methods. MCPS's new curriculum teaches math differently than we were taught. The idea is to make sure that the kids really get the solid number sense. My 4th grader is extremely strong at mental calculation, and I think some of that (besides his amazing memory) is because of the way of teaching. Many things are odd to us, but they do make sense to the kids.

I would ask the teacher how the teacher is handling the instruction to these two children. If teacher doesn't have time, can the kids get math specialist time?

I would not do Kumon, which is rote memorization and really doesn't teach number sense.

You might also want to consider some online math courses, if she's really self-motivated. There are courses through JHU (Hopkins) and through Stanford's EPGY program. These courses are geared specifically to kids who are far ahead.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the teacher is differentiating which is more than some teachers/schools are doing. I would follow your childs lead..teacher her multiply. If she loses interest drop it. Leave a few math workbook around and see if she enjoys them..or some math apps. If she still seems to need more ask her if she is interested in a "math club" like Kumon. Under the pre 2.0 world my DD's 1st grade class got a pizza party when everyone knew their times tables up to 10..so lots of kids can get it at that age (especially when pizza is involved)..though I think it was just a pet project of that teacher not actually part of the curriculum.

[Anonymous]

I think that the best place to start is to talk to the teacher.

Also, if she does want to do more, at home with you, then maybe consider Singapore Math. You can start with 1A/1B, and then go on from there as it works for both of you.

BUT! The only thing that doesn't make sense, in my opinion, is to supplement math at home, and then, when she gets ahead, complain that MCPS isn't challenging her in math. I'm not saying that you would do this! But I think that there are people who do this. One of the consequences of supplementing math at home is that the math she does in school may not be challenging.

[Anonymous]

Tell the teacher "thank you"!
My DS has been doing multiplication on his own since first grade (not with us, but truly on his own) and only now is he allowed to really do it at school, in third grade, and then only very simple problems. That's great that your child's teacher is trying to reach her this way.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for the replies. They have been very helpful. This is why I have been reluctant to just go ahead and teach her. I want to make sure I'm doing it the way she is being taught at school. I'm not crazy about doing things outside to get far ahead, BUT she is already ahead and keeps asking for more. FWIW, she is like this in reading and word study as well. Math, right now though, seems to be where her focus is. This is just her personality I guess. I'm honestly just feeling my way through this. It's new to me as my older child is SN and the focus has been so completely all encompassing and different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell the teacher "thank you"!
My DS has been doing multiplication on his own since first grade (not with us, but truly on his own) and only now is he allowed to really do it at school, in third grade, and then only very simple problems. That's great that your child's teacher is trying to reach her this way.

OP here. Yes, I have been more than happy with her teacher this year. I feel like we got really lucky and DD is having a wonderful experience in 1st grade.

[Anonymous]

I would absolutely go where she is leading and keep giving her more if she asks for it. I was a kid who was always way ahead, and pushed my parents for more. They gave it. Didn't hurt me in school, especially if they DID teach t differently! It can be great to learn something two different ways! Keeps her from getting bored and challenges her toseecthe meta similarities between the two methods.
And, yes, thank the teacher and ask for advice for what to do at home.

[Anonymous]

First, hug your teacher. She is going rogue which is great for your daughter. Be prepared for this to stop next year and your child to be stuck with things she already knows. Teaching beyond the grade level is against MCPS policies.

I would strongly encourage you to supplement at home or enroll her in outside math enrichment. For math kids, doing the same thing over and over does make them eventually lose interest in the subject.

I had the same perspective as you did in terms of worrying about her being too bored if you let her accelerate at home. I held back on the enrichment for 1st and 2nd grade and then realized that DD was still incredibly in bored. She started losing interest altogether because it wasn't interesting. We signed her up for outside enrichment and now she thinks its cool and fun again. The other advantage of outside enrichment is that most programs require mastery of a level before a child can move forward. They come out with a better foundation than the skipping around and repeating things over and over again model in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Teaching beyond grade level does not seel to be against policy at our MoCo school - but they do still have to do the work that everyone else is doing. 2.0 does "go deeper" to understand the "why's" so, less rote, more explanation, which can get to be repetitive. She'll get some challenge problems, but its my understanding that she won't "really" be challenged until all the testing occurs in 3rd grade to see if she qualifies for compacted 4/5 math and then takes off from there. Even the HGC programs don't have separate math from the schools they are in (i.e. the math classes are not part of the HGC curriculum).

[Anonymous]

"seem" I meant "seem"

[Anonymous]

OP here again. I'm waiting to hear back from the teacher. Meanwhile, I was not aware of some of the things you all are talking about. I assumed the HGC's curriculum included math. What is 4/5 compacted math? What does the HGC curriculum include?

10:27, what outside math enrichment did your children do?

[Anonymous]

Since C 2.0 has already evolved from no math acceleration to compacted math after 3rd grade, I would guess there will be more changes made in the years before OP's child gets out of ES.

OP, cojmpacted math is new this year and allows certain students to do 3 years worth of math in 4th and 5th grade allowing them to take Algebra in 7th grade as opposed to 8th. It is done by test scoring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I'm waiting to hear back from the teacher. Meanwhile, I was not aware of some of the things you all are talking about. I assumed the HGC's curriculum included math. What is 4/5 compacted math? What does the HGC curriculum include?

Not Math and "specials" like music, art, P.E. - those are mixed with the school. Reading, Social Studies, etc. is in their own class, and the way that it is taught is different - no worksheets, project-based, child-led inquiry learning. Goes deeper and faster than many regular classrooms due to the a compacted range of abilities at the high end of the intelligence spectrum.


10:27, what outside math enrichment did your children do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I would strongly encourage you to supplement at home or enroll her in outside math enrichment. For math kids, doing the same thing over and over does make them eventually lose interest in the subject.

I had the same perspective as you did in terms of worrying about her being too bored if you let her accelerate at home. I held back on the enrichment for 1st and 2nd grade and then realized that DD was still incredibly in bored. She started losing interest altogether because it wasn't interesting. We signed her up for outside enrichment and now she thinks its cool and fun again. The other advantage of outside enrichment is that most programs require mastery of a level before a child can move forward. They come out with a better foundation than the skipping around and repeating things over and over again model in MCPS.

Can you elaborate on what kind of outside math enrichment you used? I'm not a 'math person', but my first grader is also very interested in math, and tested at a higher grade level.

What is out there for me to do with her? Do you mean something like Kumon?