No doing well with Common Core, but we'll with Singapore math

[Anonymous]

I supplement my first grader's math at home. We use Singapore math with a bit of Kumon worksheets to reinforce the material.

At home DD is doing well, a bit above her grade level.

At school they follow Common Core and her grades started to go down. I'm very puzzled. I think a lot of the time she doesn't understand the instructions which can be very confusing. Sometimes I read CC worksheets and think "wtf?"

Do you have any advice what to do?

[Anonymous]

Common Core is a set of standards, not a curriculum. Your problem is with the school's curriculum and worksheets they're using.

I'd ask her teacher what additional work s/he recommends, and possibly see if there's a workshop for parents you can take on the teaching methods being used, so you can help her at home.

[Anonymous]

Curriculum 2.0 in MCPS is based on Singapore math. But perhaps you are teaching different techniques & creating confusion. Or helping more than you realize.

[Anonymous]

Singapore math is as Common Core as any other CCSS aligned math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I supplement my first grader's math at home. We use Singapore math with a bit of Kumon worksheets to reinforce the material.

At home DD is doing well, a bit above her grade level.

At school they follow Common Core and her grades started to go down. I'm very puzzled. I think a lot of the time she doesn't understand the instructions which can be very confusing. Sometimes I read CC worksheets and think "wtf?"

Do you have any advice what to do?

1. Ask your teacher what curriculum they're using.
2. Ask your teacher for suggestions for help.
3. Read up on the curriculum they're using.

There is no such thing as "Common Core math". The Common Core is standards -- for example, here is a Common Core math standard for first grade, meaning that students who are on grade level should be able to do this by the end of first grade:

CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.C.6
Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 - 4 = 13 - 3 - 1 = 10 - 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 - 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13).

The curriculum is what teachers/schools use to teach the students so that they meet those standards. There are a lot of math curricula that say that they are aligned to the Common Core standards. Some of those curricula are good. Some of them are not so good.

[Anonymous]

Can you give examples of the kinds of problems your first grader has been given? My first grader is currently doing math mountains and word problems, not complex stuff for a parent to figure out at all.

Regardless of the answer to that, though, you need to talk to the teacher and get a better understanding of the math curriculum so you can help your daughter. When your daughter has tests at school, the tests will be the same format as her homework problems so if she doesn't understand those, she won't understand the test either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I supplement my first grader's math at home. We use Singapore math with a bit of Kumon worksheets to reinforce the material.

At home DD is doing well, a bit above her grade level.

At school they follow Common Core and her grades started to go down. I'm very puzzled. I think a lot of the time she doesn't understand the instructions which can be very confusing. Sometimes I read CC worksheets and think "wtf?"

Do you have any advice what to do?

She is doing well with a rote method, but poorly with a critical thinking approach. You need to keep plugging on her math reasoning skills. There are workbooks that work on math reasoning. "Math for the Gifted ____ Grader" is a great series to work on math reasoning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I supplement my first grader's math at home. We use Singapore math with a bit of Kumon worksheets to reinforce the material.

At home DD is doing well, a bit above her grade level.

At school they follow Common Core and her grades started to go down. I'm very puzzled. I think a lot of the time she doesn't understand the instructions which can be very confusing. Sometimes I read CC worksheets and think "wtf?"

Do you have any advice what to do?

She is doing well with a rote method, but poorly with a critical thinking approach. You need to keep plugging on her math reasoning skills. There are workbooks that work on math reasoning. "Math for the Gifted ____ Grader" is a great series to work on math reasoning.

If she's doing well with Singapore Math at home, I don't think that's a likely explanation.

[Anonymous]

My DC, 2nd grade, sometimes has problems understanding the instructions on the worksheet. DC is receiving "acceleration" in class. I have told DC to slow down reading the instructions; read carefully, re-read, break the instruction down. The teacher has a policy of "ask two other people, then ask the teacher" if you don't get it.

Do you get CW worksheets sent home? When my DC brings them home, and if DC gets something wrong, I ask DC what DC was supposed to do on them. If DC still doesn't understand, I go over it with DC, help DC understand the instructions. Once DC understands, DC can do the problem quickly.

We also have a singapore math workbook at home. For the most part, DC does it own DC's own. Then I just check it after DC is done. Are you helping your DC do the workbook at home? Are you finding you have to provide detail explanation of what to do, and maybe doing the first problem together? If so, then as a PP stated, perhaps you are providing way too much guidance at home. Your DC won't receive that much individualized attention in class unfortunately.

Learning to read the instructions can be tricky at times, as you noted, even by adults. If you are not sure either, you can either google it or write a note to the teacher, or, post the worksheet on this forum and I'm sure many will try to help you figure it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Common Core is a set of standards, not a curriculum. Your problem is with the school's curriculum and worksheets they're using.

Well, yes. It seems a special curriculum was developed for Common Core and all schools in our area have adopted it. So many people are unhappy about it. At times it's very confusing. It's in this style:

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you give examples of the kinds of problems your first grader has been given? My first grader is currently doing math mountains and word problems, not complex stuff for a parent to figure out at all.

Here are a couple of examples she gets from school. This is the kind where I go "what the f--- ?" On the bottom one I think they were told by the teacher to use only two numbers, not three. She wouldn't have thought of this herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Are you helping your DC do the workbook at home? Are you finding you have to provide detail explanation of what to do, and maybe doing the first problem together? If so, then as a PP stated, perhaps you are providing way too much guidance at home. Your DC won't receive that much individualized attention in class unfortunately.

I usually explain the material (book A), then she has to practice it (book B) without my supervision. Then we go over together over her mistakes.

Maybe I'm doing too much on explaining the instructions part. How do I teach comprehension of instructions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give examples of the kinds of problems your first grader has been given? My first grader is currently doing math mountains and word problems, not complex stuff for a parent to figure out at all.

Here are a couple of examples she gets from school. This is the kind where I go "what the f--- ?" On the bottom one I think they were told by the teacher to use only two numbers, not three. She wouldn't have thought of this herself.

What don't you understand about why your DC got these wrong? Do you yourself understand the nomenclature on the worksheet... "double facts", "count 1 facts"... my DC has learned these in school. I suspect your DC doesn't understand these math facts which is why she got them all wrong.


This one, I'm not sure about. Are you sure the teacher didn't read the problem below "For the Teacher" to the class or group? And does your DC understand what "grouping" means?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Are you helping your DC do the workbook at home? Are you finding you have to provide detail explanation of what to do, and maybe doing the first problem together? If so, then as a PP stated, perhaps you are providing way too much guidance at home. Your DC won't receive that much individualized attention in class unfortunately.

I usually explain the material (book A), then she has to practice it (book B) without my supervision. Then we go over together over her mistakes.

Maybe I'm doing too much on explaining the instructions part. How do I teach comprehension of instructions?

First off, does your DC know how to read? Obviously, your DC can't follow instructions if reading skills aren't there to read the instructions. At this age, I can't believe the teacher doesn't first go over what the kids are supposed to do on these worksheets. I would email the teacher and let her know that your DC doesn't seem to understand the instructions.

If your DC can read to the level of those instructions, then when she brings the work home, tell her to pretend to be the teacher and you the student, and ask your DC to explain what you are supposed to do on the worksheet. You might get a sense of how much she is comprehending. If she doesn't seem to understand, first make sure she understands the math concepts... "double facts", "grouping", etc... Then, have your DC read the first question. Stop. Have DC break it down. Do you understand what "double facts" are.. which are the double facts.. What does the instruction say to do with the double facts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I supplement my first grader's math at home. We use Singapore math with a bit of Kumon worksheets to reinforce the material.

At home DD is doing well, a bit above her grade level.

At school they follow Common Core and her grades started to go down. I'm very puzzled. I think a lot of the time she doesn't understand the instructions which can be very confusing. Sometimes I read CC worksheets and think "wtf?"

Do you have any advice what to do?

Yeah, maybe stop working a cross-purposes with the school. Support her, don't confuse her.