Arghh MCPS Math!

[Anonymous]

We just came back from Arkansas. My kids' cousins are doing about a year ahead in elementary school math in a public Arkansas school. Arkansas. SIL is a teacher. I showed her some of our kids' work and she was shocked at how remedial it was for a system that is supposed to be one of the better school systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just came back from Arkansas. My kids' cousins are doing about a year ahead in elementary school math in a public Arkansas school. Arkansas. SIL is a teacher. I showed her some of our kids' work and she was shocked at how remedial it was for a system that is supposed to be one of the better school systems.

What grades are your children in? What grade does your SIL teach? What grades are your children's cousins in? Does your kids' cousins' public Arkansas school system get students to AP Calculus senior year as the grade-level option?

[Anonymous]

I also want to know what grade you are talking about. I am teaching Math 5 2.0 and it is definitely more than the old curriculum's Math 5. The expectations are higher and they are preparing for Algebra in 8th. I truly wouldn't WANT my own children going faster than that unless they were truly gifted.

All that being said, my child in first feels that math is very easy- but I am okay with him building his skills so that he will be ready for the higher math classes. If he is really good at math, compacted will be an option and that will put him in Algebra in 7th. Truly, there is no need to go faster than that.

[Anonymous]

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.

[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.

How can the curriculum be both a mile wide and an inch deep AND progress extremely slowly? One or the other makes sense to me, but not both at the same time.

[Anonymous]

AR is following CC standards, correct? Each grade is supposed to follow the standards. So, is AR going above CC standards for math? I'm curious as to what grade level we're talking about, too.

Are they learning by rote? How are they learning the math?

[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.

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.

[Anonymous]

My 3rd grader is good in math but she has never done any addition or subtraction drills and I see her counting on her hands. My older child, in 5/6 compacted, did have math drills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grader is good in math but she has never done any addition or subtraction drills and I see her counting on her hands. My older child, in 5/6 compacted, did have math drills.

Not so in my dc's case. Did multiplication drills in 3rd last year. Teacher sent home flash cards to practice at home. They did these multiplication games in class where you had to be quick to answer to win the game, basically, math drills. My 1st grader does addition and subtraction worksheets, and each week they take a little quiz on these worksheets. Dc doesn't use fingers. Hasn't done that since K. I'm thinking your 3rd grader is not as good in math as you think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grader is good in math but she has never done any addition or subtraction drills and I see her counting on her hands. My older child, in 5/6 compacted, did have math drills.

Have you considered some home flash card time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grader is good in math but she has never done any addition or subtraction drills and I see her counting on her hands. My older child, in 5/6 compacted, did have math drills.

Not so in my dc's case. Did multiplication drills in 3rd last year. Teacher sent home flash cards to practice at home. They did these multiplication games in class where you had to be quick to answer to win the game, basically, math drills. My 1st grader does addition and subtraction worksheets, and each week they take a little quiz on these worksheets. Dc doesn't use fingers. Hasn't done that since K. I'm thinking your 3rd grader is not as good in math as you think.

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

what district in Arkansas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grader is good in math but she has never done any addition or subtraction drills and I see her counting on her hands. My older child, in 5/6 compacted, did have math drills.

Not so in my dc's case. Did multiplication drills in 3rd last year. Teacher sent home flash cards to practice at home. They did these multiplication games in class where you had to be quick to answer to win the game, basically, math drills. My 1st grader does addition and subtraction worksheets, and each week they take a little quiz on these worksheets. Dc doesn't use fingers. Hasn't done that since K. I'm thinking your 3rd grader is not as good in math as you think.

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.

Then there's something wrong with your kid's adding/subtracting skills if she is still using her fingers. A 3rd grader shouldn't be using fingers to add even if the kid has never done math drills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You're comparing the math curriculum in one school district to schools in two continents, of which one is very large and very heterogenous.