No textbook for kids in Montgomery County?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
My kids are in magnet schools in MCPS. In fact, in my circle of friends (and we are Asians - so go ahead and flame) most people have kids who are in magnet schools in MCPS. We were used to textbooks in our native country when we were growing up. So, I still research and buy highly ranked textbooks (in amazon) for most subjects in each grade for each child.

I am not holding my breath for a better curriculum or better trained teachers from MCPS or textbooks from MCPS. I have asked and figured out that MCPS is not a transparent system. These are formative years for my kids and I will not depend on the mercy of some benevolent MCPS God to gift them great teachers or actually help them reach their potential.

I feel that as parents, we have one job only - to help and support our kids to the best of our abilities; and to give them a conducive, peaceful, supportive family life - so that they can do their best, in all aspects of their life. In the end, what they make of the resources available to them - is entirely up to them.

If others do not feel that their kids need textbooks, good for them. I have no bone to pick with them. However, I cannot understand why MCPS teachers are not willing to give the names of the various textbooks and sources that they use or that the parents should use to supplement at home?

A set of parents found out the material/books for k and 1st grade math. The last year of preschool these type A parents taught their precious snowflake all the math material. Then they showed up at the start of K and proclaimed "my DC is brilliant, they already know all of your material, what special teaching will you provide for my snowflake? Can my snowflake skip 2 grades in math?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My kids are in magnet schools in MCPS. In fact, in my circle of friends (and we are Asians - so go ahead and flame) most people have kids who are in magnet schools in MCPS. We were used to textbooks in our native country when we were growing up. So, I still research and buy highly ranked textbooks (in amazon) for most subjects in each grade for each child.

I am not holding my breath for a better curriculum or better trained teachers from MCPS or textbooks from MCPS. I have asked and figured out that MCPS is not a transparent system. These are formative years for my kids and I will not depend on the mercy of some benevolent MCPS God to gift them great teachers or actually help them reach their potential.

I feel that as parents, we have one job only - to help and support our kids to the best of our abilities; and to give them a conducive, peaceful, supportive family life - so that they can do their best, in all aspects of their life. In the end, what they make of the resources available to them - is entirely up to them.

If others do not feel that their kids need textbooks, good for them. I have no bone to pick with them. However, I cannot understand why MCPS teachers are not willing to give the names of the various textbooks and sources that they use or that the parents should use to supplement at home?



Here is why:


A set of parents found out the material/books for k and 1st grade math. The last year of preschool these type A parents taught their precious snowflake all the math material. Then they showed up at the start of K and proclaimed "my DC is brilliant, they already know all of your material, what special teaching will you provide for my snowflake? Can my snowflake skip 2 grades in math?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ex-teacher here. The problem with textbooks is that they can lead to bad (and lazy) teaching. A good teacher does not need a textbook to teach. In fact, having a textbook can ruin the discovery-type lessons.

Textbooks are useful for countries in which teaching standards are poor - e.g. in developing countries where teachers often don't turn up to work.

Now, parents understanding how things are to be done is a different story. You should first ask your child to explain the methods to you (that will help them learn and make them feel great about it). If they don't know how to do it, you should ask the teacher for guidance. I'm sure s/he could point you in the right direction.

You should first ask your child to explain the methods to you (that will help them learn and make them feel great about it).


Okay so if your child is coming to you for help they obviously are asking for help.

If they don't know how to do it, you should ask the teacher for guidance. I'm sure s/he could point you in the right direction.

Please explain to me how this works, Monday night Johnny needs help with homework. So you email the teacher a question, she answers the next day, and Johnny now has another homework assignment Tuesday which uses a different method. He doesn't understand it so you email the teacher, she's out and but he brings home another completely different assignment on Wednesday. You don't have an answer from Tuesday, his sub did not explain the problem well on Wednesday...

so asking the teacher is better than having a reference textbook? This is assuming that the teacher responds to email, and is competent.

[Anonymous]

exactly, pp. Makes no sense whatsoever. Most private schools do adopt a textbook.

For one of the previous Pp who claims American textbooks are copied in other countries, that maybe true at the college level. But I would say other countries have better elementary math text books. Typically very small and streamlined, no hardship to carry around at all.