There are different activities going on. I haven't been there too much this year. Part of the time the kids are on the rug with the teacher, using the Promethean board learning something. sometimes there are centers for a hands on activity, sometimes they are on the computer, sometimes there are worksheets.

Anonymous wrote:Please verify the 10 minute figure with the teacher. I think my kids have a 1.5 hour block for math. It is not all in small groups but it is not 1.5 hours of work sheets.

Can you explain how it works in your kid's classroom? And what grade your DC is in?

Anonymous wrote:To 19:28 - I disagree. It's been dumbed down so everyone can earn the mediocre P. So we are forced to supplement at home. Not to mention the fact that kids only receive 15 mins of math instruction (then their group is rotated back to their desks to work independently).

PS - I learned multiplication facts in first and second grade. I also had vocabulary and grammar taught as separate classes. And handwriting...we even had books! Catholic school was so hardcore that it made college and law school a breeze. Sadly, I think my kids will be in for a rude awakening down the road since mcps is little more than glorified daycare with some academic stuff thrown in.

In that case, I think it's your obligation as a parent to take your kids out of MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:Please verify the 10 minute figure with the teacher. I think my kids have a 1.5 hour block for math. It is not all in small groups but it is not 1.5 hours of work sheets.

I've been in the classroom pretty often and have talked to my kid (who is a pretty reliable reporter). My kid is in one of the 'higher' math groups and the teacher definitely spends more time with the kids who need extra help.

There are 4 math groups in her class. If each group averages about 15 minutes with the teacher, that is 1 hour. Plus the 10 or so minutes with the whole class. It's necessary for the teacher to spend more time with certain groups, which results in about 10 minutes with my DD.

YMMV

Anonymous wrote:

My K DS in MCPS is learning the foundations of multiplication now. They are learning to subitize (know the number if items in a set without counting each one). So my some can look at something and say " that's 3 rows of 2 so that's 6" or "5 rows of 3 so that's 15."

Bwah!!!! Ha! Ha! My 18 month old is learning the fundamentals of geometry. She's picking up plastic shapes and fitting them into the holes that only fit those shapes. Oooh, I'm ready for 2.0.

Well, yes, she is learning some fundamentals of geometry. Just as the PP's child is learning some fundamentals of multiplication, in kindergarten. I don't understand why this is a bad thing. In fact, I think it's a good thing.

Anonymous wrote:The math block is an hour or so. The teacher has to meet with a handful of groups of kids to teach them math...because they are grouped by ability and (theoretically) working on different levels. So she spends 15 mins with one group, then moves onto the next group. This wasn't the case years ago when they grouped all the kids in the grade by ability then switched classrooms for math. So your kid gets 15 mins with the teacher, then works independently or with a group of kids. Ditto for reading. Groovy, right?

I did this in elementary school in the 1970s. It's not a brand-new revolutionary idea.

The math block is an hour or so. The teacher has to meet with a handful of groups of kids to teach them math...because they are grouped by ability and (theoretically) working on different levels. So she spends 15 mins with one group, then moves onto the next group. This wasn't the case years ago when they grouped all the kids in the grade by ability then switched classrooms for math. So your kid gets 15 mins with the teacher, then works independently or with a group of kids. Ditto for reading. Groovy, right?

Anonymous wrote:They are only spending 10 minutes on math...how is that possible in a 6 hour day?

I'm the PP. My kid is only in 1st grade, so maybe it changes?

I meant that they only get 10 minutes with the teacher in small groups to do math. She will do a lesson in front of the whole class for about 10 minutes also. The rest of the time is 'math centers' which is self-directed learning. Honestly, I think at this age, they would benefit more from actual interaction with the teacher.

Please verify the 10 minute figure with the teacher. I think my kids have a 1.5 hour block for math. It is not all in small groups but it is not 1.5 hours of work sheets.

They are only spending 10 minutes on math...how is that possible in a 6 hour day?

Anonymous wrote:To 19:28 - I disagree. It's been dumbed down so everyone can earn the mediocre P. So we are forced to supplement at home. Not to mention the fact that kids only receive 15 mins of math instruction (then their group is rotated back to their desks to work independently).

This is the problem right here. How do they have time to teach anything in math?? It's so ridiculous. My kid does math with her teacher for 10 minutes a day (if she is lucky and her math group actually meets). Otherwise, it's independently done worksheets that never even get checked by the teacher. (I do go through them with her at home...)

Anonymous wrote:Ha! The 4th grade teacher told the parents to do flashcards at home. I couldn't believe it. She said she didn't have time to teach it! We moved here then. Don't know what they taught before that (but they did do the fact family thing in 4th grade since they repeat all topics year after year--it just wasn't enough drill to memorize anything) and my kid was one of the best in the class because he had learned it at home previously. Dadsworksheets.com helped. Clearly MCPS does not do a good job. Don't count on them. It's very disappointing.

Same here. My son's 4th grade teacher said to practice the facts at home. This was at the Open House in early Sept.

To 19:28 - I disagree. It's been dumbed down so everyone can earn the mediocre P. So we are forced to supplement at home. Not to mention the fact that kids only receive 15 mins of math instruction (then their group is rotated back to their desks to work independently).

PS - I learned multiplication facts in first and second grade. I also had vocabulary and grammar taught as separate classes. And handwriting...we even had books! Catholic school was so hardcore that it made college and law school a breeze. Sadly, I think my kids will be in for a rude awakening down the road since mcps is little more than glorified daycare with some academic stuff thrown in.

Anonymous wrote:

My K DS in MCPS is learning the foundations of multiplication now. They are learning to subitize (know the number if items in a set without counting each one). So my some can look at something and say " that's 3 rows of 2 so that's 6" or "5 rows of 3 so that's 15."

Bwah!!!! Ha! Ha! My 18 month old is learning the fundamentals of geometry. She's picking up plastic shapes and fitting them into the holes that only fit those shapes. Oooh, I'm ready for 2.0.

Listen, I'm not trying to be an asshole, I was legitimately impressed and pleasantly surprised that his teacher is laying the groundwork for multiplication in Kindergarten. What's your point?

My K DS in MCPS is learning the foundations of multiplication now. They are learning to subitize (know the number if items in a set without counting each one). So my some can look at something and say " that's 3 rows of 2 so that's 6" or "5 rows of 3 so that's 15."

Bwah!!!! Ha! Ha! My 18 month old is learning the fundamentals of geometry. She's picking up plastic shapes and fitting them into the holes that only fit those shapes. Oooh, I'm ready for 2.0.