Eureka Math - I am SO ANGRY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In 3rd we get the homework helper sheet. Overall it seems much better than last year. Can you ask the teacher to send home the guidance sheet?

I took issue with the kindergarten sheet that asks kids to identify the "same" objects and then also state why the "same" objects were different. This makes no sense- If they are the same they can't be different!

I would use the word "similar" rather than different. 5 crayons are similar. They have different colors, making them different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You should not need to help your kid with homework in 4th grade. If she doesn’t get it, teach her to talk to the teacher to get help.


Are you in MCPS??

My kids’ homework is never checked for accuracy. Only completion.

This X1000. While I prefer Singapore math, Eureka is not bad. It is far better than the mess that MCPS created. I agree that Khan academy is a good resource.

Math in MCPS is so screwed up that you really need to not trust it. I know so many people that left for private or moved to another county or state and were shocked when their advanced straight A MCPS math students bombed their placement tests and needed tutoring to catch up. The only kids that are solid in math within MCPS are the ones supplementing through outside or on line programs.

Math requires conceptual understanding AND pragmatic skills. MCPS is producing some kids that understand the concepts but they can't rely apply it because the questions and assessments under 2.0 were so easy. Smart kids would immediately figure out the answer in their head through some other mechanism and then regurgitate whatever nonsense the teacher expected them to write for their "explanation". The methods that MCPS chooses to teach are so laborious that few kids would ever actually use them to find the answer. Kids that were not supplementing would come up with others ways to solve the problem in their head and never learned methods to deal with more difficult problems.

I love when people make statements like this as if they are gospel truth.

Right - like you really know.

[Anonymous]

Just coming back to say that a really nice letter came home explaining the new approach to math. The school also provided a notebook with helper sheets, etc. I don't know how the new curriculum will turn out, but I'm very relieved that the school is making an effort. I also heard that the PTA will sponsor an information session for parents. Clearly I should have been more patient! Thanks again to everyone for their feedback. I learned some good lessons here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP,

You're not going to accomplish anything with this misplaced anger.

Here's the truth:
Parents who scream and rant because the math methods change are people who never understood the point of math in the first place. Math is not about blindly applying a formula or method. For primary math, you should be able to look at the question, figure out the answer, look at the sheet, and work backward from there to explain to your child what the teacher wants. It's easy.

Here's another truth:
Explain YOUR method to your child. As well as the teacher's method. As many methods as you know! Teach your child that mathematics is a beautiful language that accommodates many different paths. Many silly elementary teachers will caution you not to do this, because they are barely qualified themselves and don't want to hear students say: "Well my parent taught me to do this way". Too bad, you're working for your child, not the teacher, aren't you?

It's elementary school math, for goodness' sake. You don't even an average IQ to figure it out.
Insulting teachers in your "advice" was completely unnecessary and makes you sound like an insecure asshole.

[Anonymous]

You have to teach your child the old style math facts. They will not do it in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 3rd we get the homework helper sheet. Overall it seems much better than last year. Can you ask the teacher to send home the guidance sheet?

I took issue with the kindergarten sheet that asks kids to identify the "same" objects and then also state why the "same" objects were different. This makes no sense- If they are the same they can't be different!

I would use the word "similar" rather than different. 5 crayons are similar. They have different colors, making them different.

Exactly. I find it odd that an official math curriculum would present it this way.

[Anonymous]

This X1000. While I prefer Singapore math, Eureka is not bad. It is far better than the mess that MCPS created. I agree that Khan academy is a good resource.

Math in MCPS is so screwed up that you really need to not trust it. I know so many people that left for private or moved to another county or state and were shocked when their advanced straight A MCPS math students bombed their placement tests and needed tutoring to catch up. The only kids that are solid in math within MCPS are the ones supplementing through outside or on line programs.

Math requires conceptual understanding AND pragmatic skills. MCPS is producing some kids that understand the concepts but they can't rely apply it because the questions and assessments under 2.0 were so easy. Smart kids would immediately figure out the answer in their head through some other mechanism and then regurgitate whatever nonsense the teacher expected them to write for their "explanation". The methods that MCPS chooses to teach are so laborious that few kids would ever actually use them to find the answer. Kids that were not supplementing would come up with others ways to solve the problem in their head and never learned methods to deal with more difficult problems.



I think you need to look at this about Singapore Math. Singapore Mathnis Designed for 30-40 students in a classroom. No way is the teacher differentiating. In fact, it’s coming for students in Asian countries to have tutors and outside enrichment, the same as here. http://wildaboutmath.com/2011/08/13/taking-a-deep-hard-look-at-singapore-mathematics/

[Anonymous]

Reddit also has threads on thoughts about Singapore Math and Eureka Math for those interested in researching or reviewing those threads.

[Anonymous]

whats envision math?

[Anonymous]

As as teacher who had taught eureka, I think it is the worst math curriculum I’ve ever seen! The majority of other teachers feel the same. It’s too hard to not only teach, but the kids are being left behind because they can’t understand it at all! Go back to basics and quit trying to reinvent teaching math!

[Anonymous]

Classic MCPS. They repeatedly make these grave errors because of corruption. The curriculum office had to be swept a few years ago due to scandal involving Discovery Education.

MCPS needs independent IG like Fairfax County. No other multi-billion org (MCPS has annnual budget rivaling an Eastern European defense budget) floats along in the world like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As as teacher who had taught eureka, I think it is the worst math curriculum I’ve ever seen! The majority of other teachers feel the same. It’s too hard to not only teach, but the kids are being left behind because they can’t understand it at all! Go back to basics and quit trying to reinvent teaching math!

Not where I work. Nothing is perfect, but Eureka is the most foundational curriculum I've ever used, and consensus around my school is that students who have been in this program since K are doing well with number sense in upper grades. It really does teach a strong sense of what numbers actually look like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As as teacher who had taught eureka, I think it is the worst math curriculum I’ve ever seen! The majority of other teachers feel the same. It’s too hard to not only teach, but the kids are being left behind because they can’t understand it at all! Go back to basics and quit trying to reinvent teaching math!

Eureka assumes that all kids are visual learners and forces them to use these silly models that for me just make something easy hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As as teacher who had taught eureka, I think it is the worst math curriculum I’ve ever seen! The majority of other teachers feel the same. It’s too hard to not only teach, but the kids are being left behind because they can’t understand it at all! Go back to basics and quit trying to reinvent teaching math!

Eureka assumes that all kids are visual learners and forces them to use these silly models that for me just make something easy hard.

You're close. MCPS knows that the top kids are better at abstract thinking and the kids on the lower end are more often visual learners. So this was done for equity. Raise the bottom and lower the top.

[Anonymous]

Not clear to me why they use Eureka in ES and Illustrative Mathematics/Curriculum 2.0 in secondary. Seems like it would be better to have the same curriculum throughout.