I had this issue with my daughter's 7th grade Algebra.. Several of the issues were not covered by the text book due to Common Core realignment. I just bought several study aid books and ran them past her teacher to use as back up. I also used the Sal Kahn site to figure out how to do functions. Wolfram Alpha has a great problem generator function $2.99 a month that is also useful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sick of my kids not getting to see color illustrations/photos of science and social studies stuff. They just have bad black and white xeroxes they tape into a notebook.

+1 I HATE these black and white copies that you really can't even make things out on anyway. In this day and age, with all this technology, THIS is how we're teaching our kids? It's pathetic.

I cannot stand the horrible black and white copies. Such crap.

worse yet when the print is not crisp but fuzzy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ex-math teacher here. I preferred not to use a textbook when I was teaching. IMO, textbooks are a poor substitute for a good teacher. Over-reliance on textbooks is common and a sign of a bad teacher.

But, as a parent now, I can see what people are concerned about. Still, I think reinforcement at home is about getting the child to explain to YOU what the work is and how to do it. If they can't do that, they haven't understood it and they need to go back to the teacher and ask for more help.

Saying that, if I wanted to help my kid at home more, I'd just email the teacher and ask them to send you some materials or sit with you for a few minutes to explain the approaches.

But I am sure that you understand that there are bad teachers. And bad teachers with no textbook is a bad combination. Parents pitch in when they see that there is a weak teacher, that is when we need a book. Anyway, Singapore math was created because they knew that there were bad teachers and they wanted a highly scripted idiot proof program. You can't be so naive that you don't look at the worst case scenario. Also, some students don't connect with even the best teachers, that is where a good textbook comes in.

I didn't teach in the US. Where I taught, we didn't have an issue of inadequate teachers. Anyway, you might want to look beyond your narrow view and consider the perils of creating a system of teaching and learning that relies on textbooks.

where is the dreamyvplace that has no bad teachers?

Anonymous wrote:I'm sick of my kids not getting to see color illustrations/photos of science and social studies stuff. They just have bad black and white xeroxes they tape into a notebook.

+1 I HATE these black and white copies that you really can't even make things out on anyway. In this day and age, with all this technology, THIS is how we're teaching our kids? It's pathetic.

I cannot stand the horrible black and white copies. Such crap.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ex-math teacher here. I preferred not to use a textbook when I was teaching. IMO, textbooks are a poor substitute for a good teacher. Over-reliance on textbooks is common and a sign of a bad teacher.

But, as a parent now, I can see what people are concerned about. Still, I think reinforcement at home is about getting the child to explain to YOU what the work is and how to do it. If they can't do that, they haven't understood it and they need to go back to the teacher and ask for more help.

Saying that, if I wanted to help my kid at home more, I'd just email the teacher and ask them to send you some materials or sit with you for a few minutes to explain the approaches.

But I am sure that you understand that there are bad teachers. And bad teachers with no textbook is a bad combination. Parents pitch in when they see that there is a weak teacher, that is when we need a book. Anyway, Singapore math was created because they knew that there were bad teachers and they wanted a highly scripted idiot proof program. You can't be so naive that you don't look at the worst case scenario. Also, some students don't connect with even the best teachers, that is where a good textbook comes in.

I didn't teach in the US. Where I taught, we didn't have an issue of inadequate teachers. Anyway, you might want to look beyond your narrow view and consider the perils of creating a system of teaching and learning that relies on textbooks.

Anonymous wrote:Ex-math teacher here. I preferred not to use a textbook when I was teaching. IMO, textbooks are a poor substitute for a good teacher. Over-reliance on textbooks is common and a sign of a bad teacher.

But, as a parent now, I can see what people are concerned about. Still, I think reinforcement at home is about getting the child to explain to YOU what the work is and how to do it. If they can't do that, they haven't understood it and they need to go back to the teacher and ask for more help.

Saying that, if I wanted to help my kid at home more, I'd just email the teacher and ask them to send you some materials or sit with you for a few minutes to explain the approaches.

But I am sure that you understand that there are bad teachers. And bad teachers with no textbook is a bad combination. Parents pitch in when they see that there is a weak teacher, that is when we need a book. Anyway, Singapore math was created because they knew that there were bad teachers and they wanted a highly scripted idiot proof program. You can't be so naive that you don't look at the worst case scenario. Also, some students don't connect with even the best teachers, that is where a good textbook comes in.

Ex-math teacher here. I preferred not to use a textbook when I was teaching. IMO, textbooks are a poor substitute for a good teacher. Over-reliance on textbooks is common and a sign of a bad teacher.

But, as a parent now, I can see what people are concerned about. Still, I think reinforcement at home is about getting the child to explain to YOU what the work is and how to do it. If they can't do that, they haven't understood it and they need to go back to the teacher and ask for more help.

Saying that, if I wanted to help my kid at home more, I'd just email the teacher and ask them to send you some materials or sit with you for a few minutes to explain the approaches.

I don't like it either, but it is what it is. what we do is email the teacher, who is very good about sending links and pushing to websites that teach the methods they are employing. Google has to be your friend these days.

I don't know what the solution is, but the current situation just isn't working. It's impossible to help a student when none of their work comes home. Whatever makes it easier on the teachers to send work home and easiest for parents to follow their child's progress, I'm all for.

It is not just about math.
I wanted to help my child with a foreign language and there were 5 different websites that the teacher suggested. We spent one night on each website to figure out what worked best. We did not like any and it is too frustrating to log into all these places.

The only reason I knew what the strategies were was b/c I volunteered in my son's class one day during that unit and I saw the posters for the multiple strategies. If it were in a textbook that was sent home, that would've been much more helpful. Or even a handout with a little intro blurb about the strategies. I'd love access to the textbook online.

If teachers teach multiple strategies, that's bad.

If teachers don't teach multiple strategies, that's also bad.

I'm not sure how a textbook would help solve this problem.