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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DS and DD have always been in accelerated Math. DS has been chosen for compacted 4/5 for next year in HGC. DD is HS HGC with a accelerated and challenging curriculum.

[b]I may be the only parent who says this but for me it is more important that the Math concepts are taught in-depth as well as taught well. I feel more Math homework and projects needs to be given so that the foundation is rock solid. I am ok with the slower pace of curriculum 2.0 as long as what the kids learn, they learn well and there are no gaps in their knowledge.[/b]

There is no victory medals being awarded if your child gets to Calculus in 10th grade. What is important is that they fully absorb and internalize the concepts in Math and so when they reach higher math they are able to make sense of the abstract concepts.

I have no problem with curriculum 2.0 provided that 2.0 does a better job of laying the math foundation that our kids need.

[/quote]

PP - I think most parents would support a math program that teaches skills in-depth and is taught well.  What most parents who have experienced this 2.0 model is that it skips around in concepts and thus does not teach the kids core fundamental skills that they can build upon in higher level math.

For example, everyone would agree basic math facts are fundamental skills that all children should know by the end of 3rd grade.  Kids should also be able to use these skills to do long addition, long subtraction, long multiplication, and long division.  These skills were not soundly supported in 2.0.  They were introduce, taught for a unit, then the curriculum changed courses when the majority of the class was ready.  With young kids, if these skills are not consistently reinforced, they will learn the skills for the test then with time forget skills they are not continuing to use.  That was the main problem with the Everyday Math curriculum and is exacerbated in the 2.0 Curriculum.

I would support any math program that would allow for teachers to spend the first 5 minutes of class having the kids practice their basic math skills.  [b]A program like Mad Minutes works great and can be given on many levels.  One student can take level A and another level I so they are practicing where they are at the time.[/b]  Do this everyday with a class for a whole year, you will see a remarkable change in the functional abilities in the student population.  [/quote]

[b]DD second grade class did Mad Minutes this year under 2.0. It is not like it is somehow forbidden under the curriculum[/b].[/quote]

Maybe, again, it depends on the administration at our school.  Before 2.0, our school did Mad Minutes.  After 2.0, the teachers and administration said they could not continue with the program because they did not have the time built into the day under the 2.0 model.[/quote]

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