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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP - I really think the issue is probably with the teacher and/or the worksheets, not the standards.  Have you ever read the actual standards?  They are actually pretty good, wordy, but good.  Someone posted a comparison of CC math standards to VA SOL standards, and it was quite similar.

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/10/when-teachers-need-help-in-math/381022/

"But many elementary and middle school teachers “don’t view themselves as experts,” said William Haver, a professor of mathematics at Virginia Commonwealth University who helped design his state’s math specialist program. Most undergraduate programs for teachers tend to emphasize language arts and give short shrift to mathematics, which means that teachers “often feel inadequate” even after years of teaching the subject, he said. Although most schools have offered their teachers some kind of professional development since the Common Core math goals were released in 2010, many teachers say they still feel unprepared. Pat Campbell, a University of Maryland math education researcher, said this uneasiness is not surprising. Research has repeatedly shown that short-term professional development just isn’t an effective way to make these kinds of major changes, she said."

In my DC's school, starting from 3rd grade, they have a separate teacher who focuses on math and science.  The 3rd grade math teacher that my DC had was excellent (DC is now in advanced math 5th grade).  DC still says this teacher is DC's favorite teacher.  But, this teacher has a background in science (undergrad was in science field not just "education").  I suspect many ES teachers teaching math don't have the background they need to teach math effectively under the new standards because it requires the teacher to grasp math at a different level, and not just be able to teach 1+1=2.[/quote]

I have no problem with standards at all.  I doubt that any parents have problem with standards.  What I have a problem is the way they teach kids, the methods, the curriculum.  My DD gets completely confused about what she's asked to do.  And she's not struggling with language.  She's ahead of class in language arts, she reads chapter books and understands them.

I don't think it's a brain science to explain to the first grader the basic arithmetic.  You just have to be consistent and clear.  If you're going to introduce 3 different ways to solve one problem at this age:
7+5=12   7+1+1+1+1+1 or  6+6 or 7+3+2, 
IMHO it's confusing to the kids because they don't know any methods yet.  They just need one to get started.  Which one should they practice?
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