How does your child feel about MCPS math in second or third grade?

[Anonymous]

How has your child felt about second or third grade math in MCPS this year?
Have they been relatively engaged and happy? Lukewarm? Angry or frustrated? Do they complain about it to you often or does it rarely come up in conversation?

I ask especially of the parents of kids who are doing pretty well but fairly “regular” and not particularly way out there outliers. But all thoughts are welcome.
Please note, though, if your child is somehow unusual or if they do a lot of additional math outside school. I am trying to get a sense of my kid’s deep unhappiness in math class, despite generally liking math. Thx.

[Anonymous]

My son started hating math around that time. He hated to write and that's when students started to have to write a paragraph about how they solved the problem. I switched him to private school in MS and he likes math a bit more now.

[Anonymous]

My kid is in the 90s percentile wise -- both high and low - on the MAP test (high in the fall; lower in spring). We do no outside enrichment beyond occasionally talking about a math concept or problem at home. She's really lost interest in math over the last year. There is no challenge (beyond keeping handwriting in neat lines for large computations). I'm frustrated. She used to be also but has now just lost interest.

[Anonymous]

This is just so sad. Kids shouldn’t be at the point of hating a subject when they’re so young.

[Anonymous]

My other child also lost interest around this time because he struggled with reading and writing. For kids who struggle with reading and writing but are good at math, the writing required in connection with math was horrible. Fortunately, a couple years later, the reading and writing caught up and he's back on track. But he lost out on compacted math because of the reading and writing.

[Anonymous]

Mine was VERY bored in math, and she said many others were too. The pace was too slow and the work was too easy.

[Anonymous]

My 3rd grader feels fine about math. He gets "enrichment" at school, is in the low 90s on MAP and was selected for compacted math. He hates the writing and the "explain your answer" questions but generally still likes math. We don't do outside enrichment other than talking about math as it comes up in real world situations and making up little math challenges as we go (like cooking, talking about how long it will take to get somewhere, calculating tip, etc).

[Anonymous]

My 3rd grader thinks math is ridiculously easy (and it is, I can't believe they just asked the kids to TELL TIME as homework. I mean, c'mon!). She's getting 'math enrichment' in school and sometimes brings home a page assignment that has 'challenge' written on it. I've also noticed that she used to be more excited about math in earlier grades.. I hope compacted 4/5 will somehow remedy the situation just by being fast-paced, otherwise, I don't know.

I just feel my child is capable of so much more in math! We do provide a bit of outside enrichment by having her do math Olympiad problems (she's pretty good at them!) but school math looks more and more disappointing in upper elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine was VERY bored in math, and she said many others were too. The pace was too slow and the work was too easy.

This, we are in 3rd and they are not even doing double digit multiplication. We supplement at home when we can. Homework does not relate to school work and is a huge waste of time. I'd prefer no homework and supplement at home instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grader feels fine about math. He gets "enrichment" at school, is in the low 90s on MAP and was selected for compacted math. He hates the writing and the "explain your answer" questions but generally still likes math. We don't do outside enrichment other than talking about math as it comes up in real world situations and making up little math challenges as we go (like cooking, talking about how long it will take to get somewhere, calculating tip, etc).

PP, how do you know your child was selected? Did your child's teacher tell you? We haven't heard anything so far, and I'm wondering how the school is going to announce their decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grader thinks math is ridiculously easy (and it is, I can't believe they just asked the kids to TELL TIME as homework. I mean, c'mon!). She's getting 'math enrichment' in school and sometimes brings home a page assignment that has 'challenge' written on it. I've also noticed that she used to be more excited about math in earlier grades.. I hope compacted 4/5 will somehow remedy the situation just by being fast-paced, otherwise, I don't know.

I just feel my child is capable of so much more in math! We do provide a bit of outside enrichment by having her do math Olympiad problems (she's pretty good at them!) but school math looks more and more disappointing in upper elementary.

Is she upset or angry about it? Or simply feels like it is a breeze, no problem? Does she like the challenges they give her?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grader thinks math is ridiculously easy (and it is, I can't believe they just asked the kids to TELL TIME as homework. I mean, c'mon!). She's getting 'math enrichment' in school and sometimes brings home a page assignment that has 'challenge' written on it. I've also noticed that she used to be more excited about math in earlier grades.. I hope compacted 4/5 will somehow remedy the situation just by being fast-paced, otherwise, I don't know.

I just feel my child is capable of so much more in math! We do provide a bit of outside enrichment by having her do math Olympiad problems (she's pretty good at them!) but school math looks more and more disappointing in upper elementary.

Is she upset or angry about it? Or simply feels like it is a breeze, no problem? Does she like the challenges they give her?

PP here. I have a pretty easy-going child, so I don't think she's angry. Just bored. Yes, she does like the challenges (I saw one the other day, it was a pretty interesting geometry problem!).

Sometimes I wish they still let kids skip a grade in certain subjects, I think 4th grade math would be more appropriate for DD.

[Anonymous]

Second grade DD has always had the "enriched math" thing, which means an occasional extra worksheet with her group, and just asks us to teach extra math at home - she suggests the topics that trip her up on her MAP-P. Ex: in the winter, she got a 226 and couldn't answer the fractions and divisions questions, so she asked us to explain those, and then got a 236 in the spring. We don't work ahead during the year, but are planning to do more formal math work this summer.

[Anonymous]

Boring and repetitive and low level.
For our DS, we dealt with 2nd and 3rd, and then moved to magnet in 4th. He does not supplement at home but he has a brain wired for Math. Going to HS next year. Been in MCPS MS magnet and only slightly challenged. Unfortunately Math Team is not something he wants to do. I am waiting to see if Functions will kicks his ass or not.

[Anonymous]

In second grade, dd HATED math because she kept getting I's. I didn't really understand the I's-- she almost always got the correct final answer, but wasn't doing the math the way the worksheet asked. First day of third grade, she filled out a survey for the new teacher where she said she loved every subject except HATED math.

Fast forward 9 months (end of third grade) and she LOVES math. She told me the other night it is her favorite subject. Her MAP scores also increased hugely (percentile-wise).

I'm not really sure of the difference--her second grade teacher was great, but challenging (and gave her lots of I's). Her third grade teacher gives her As.

I don't know if her math improved so that she is now 'earning' a higher grade or of the third grade teacher is more liberal with A's. Or if third grade moves away from a strict grading of 'how' they undertook the problem. Or if she's just matured (she is among the youngest in her grade) But whatever it is, it worked!