Common Core Curriculum

[strigori]

I like the idea of a certain set of standards being national. I do not like Common Core. Particularly when it comes to math. The garbage that they are teaching is not really math. I would probably slap someone who told me to use a 'number line' to solve a math problem.

[krc1995]

krc....

 

I am really interested in how schools are handling Common Core. Please expand more on how your curriculum pertains now to Common Core and how it has changed.

 

I ask this because opponents to CC have said that schools will now just teach "down" to the test standards and they won't go above and beyond to actually be better.

 

Thoughts?

Think of Common Core as a system of roads and the vehicle you drive as an instrument to use the roads. Everyone has different ideas as to what is the best the vehicle.

 

As far as how my current state is addressing Common Core, they have chosen to use the Engage New York curriculum designed by among others, Bill Gates. The Math is an absolute nightmare. Flash cards and automatic calculating skills are out, teaching algebraic and geometry skills to 2nd graders is in. I'm not kidding. A student can no longer add in the traditional sense. Now it's methods like ten boxes, number lines, and the "arrow up" method (don't ask me). Here is an example. A problem on my son's homework was 60 - 29. He knew the answer, but if he just said the answer it was wrong. The Engage New York curriculum teachers the student to add one more to 29 and then add one more to 60. So the new and "quicker" way to solve is 61-31. I get the methodology, for an older student. They are also figuring perimeter of squares and triangles.

 

As far as reading, I'm not sure yet. We are a smidgeon away from enrolling our son in private school, save for the fact he is in a really cool French Immersion program. French is taught 60% of the day (Math, Social Studies, Science) and the then English is taught for Reading and ELA. After year 3, he is about half way to verbal fluency. Student's are expected to be fully fluent after the 4th grade. It is really a neat program that is almost like paying for a private school but within the public school and of course, for free. The Immersion kids are kept almost completely separate from the other students and the program itself demands higher standards and attracts more academically inclined kids. Of course learning to read in English and in French is a bit trying but he's doing it and doing it well.

 

I'm not sure if Common Core is a concern or it's the curriculum, but as a Diagnostician I can report that within the last year, Special Education referrals have significantly increased. There was literally no transition from the old way of teaching to the new Engage New York way. I think it has been particularly hard for students in 3-6th grade. If you are a parent of an Engage New York student, my advice to you is -Flash Cards, Flash Cards, Flash Cards. They will not get any at school.

[BigRedBuster]

That's all very interesting. It sounds to me you are either describing bad curriculum or very bad implementation of the curriculum.

 

I would love my kids to be involved in the program you are in. American students are missing the boat by not being bilingual. However, my kids will have 4 years of Spanish. Problem is, the old traditional way of teaching Spanish does NOT actually teach them to be fluent in the language. My oldest actually had a hispanic kid in her Spanish class who was bilingual and he was flunking the class. Yeaa....let's think about this for a minute. A kid who is already bilingual and complete fluent in Spanish is having to take the class and was flunking. What does that tell you?

[Moiraine]

That's all very interesting. It sounds to me you are either describing bad curriculum or very bad implementation of the curriculum.

 

Both? The main problem with NCLB (if I haven't mentioned it already) is that it caters to the lowest common denominator. They want everyone to pass, not the intelligent kids to excel. Well, of course they want both but they're focused on the former.

[strigori]

 

krc....

 

I am really interested in how schools are handling Common Core. Please expand more on how your curriculum pertains now to Common Core and how it has changed.

 

I ask this because opponents to CC have said that schools will now just teach "down" to the test standards and they won't go above and beyond to actually be better.

 

Thoughts?

Think of Common Core as a system of roads and the vehicle you drive as an instrument to use the roads. Everyone has different ideas as to what is the best the vehicle.

 

As far as how my current state is addressing Common Core, they have chosen to use the Engage New York curriculum designed by among others, Bill Gates. The Math is an absolute nightmare. Flash cards and automatic calculating skills are out, teaching algebraic and geometry skills to 2nd graders is in. I'm not kidding. A student can no longer add in the traditional sense. Now it's methods like ten boxes, number lines, and the "arrow up" method (don't ask me). Here is an example. A problem on my son's homework was 60 - 29. He knew the answer, but if he just said the answer it was wrong. The Engage New York curriculum teachers the student to add one more to 29 and then add one more to 60. So the new and "quicker" way to solve is 61-31. I get the methodology, for an older student. They are also figuring perimeter of squares and triangles.

 

As far as reading, I'm not sure yet. We are a smidgeon away from enrolling our son in private school, save for the fact he is in a really cool French Immersion program. French is taught 60% of the day (Math, Social Studies, Science) and the then English is taught for Reading and ELA. After year 3, he is about half way to verbal fluency. Student's are expected to be fully fluent after the 4th grade. It is really a neat program that is almost like paying for a private school but within the public school and of course, for free. The Immersion kids are kept almost completely separate from the other students and the program itself demands higher standards and attracts more academically inclined kids. Of course learning to read in English and in French is a bit trying but he's doing it and doing it well.

 

I'm not sure if Common Core is a concern or it's the curriculum, but as a Diagnostician I can report that within the last year, Special Education referrals have significantly increased. There was literally no transition from the old way of teaching to the new Engage New York way. I think it has been particularly hard for students in 3-6th grade. If you are a parent of an Engage New York student, my advice to you is -Flash Cards, Flash Cards, Flash Cards. They will not get any at school.

 

There is nothing wrong with algebraic concepts being taught. But without the foundation its worthless. And there is zero reason to ever make things harder than they are. I have hated the any way I have seen math taught. They have always been big on some sort of 'method' and not the results. But there are many different ways to solve a math problem. Talk to a mathematician, they will tell you math is a language and should be taught as such. For the same reasoning I have always disliked flash cards, they promote rote memorization, not the underlying concepts.

[krc1995]

 

 

krc....

 

I am really interested in how schools are handling Common Core. Please expand more on how your curriculum pertains now to Common Core and how it has changed.

 

I ask this because opponents to CC have said that schools will now just teach "down" to the test standards and they won't go above and beyond to actually be better.

 

Thoughts?

Think of Common Core as a system of roads and the vehicle you drive as an instrument to use the roads. Everyone has different ideas as to what is the best the vehicle.

 

As far as how my current state is addressing Common Core, they have chosen to use the Engage New York curriculum designed by among others, Bill Gates. The Math is an absolute nightmare. Flash cards and automatic calculating skills are out, teaching algebraic and geometry skills to 2nd graders is in. I'm not kidding. A student can no longer add in the traditional sense. Now it's methods like ten boxes, number lines, and the "arrow up" method (don't ask me). Here is an example. A problem on my son's homework was 60 - 29. He knew the answer, but if he just said the answer it was wrong. The Engage New York curriculum teachers the student to add one more to 29 and then add one more to 60. So the new and "quicker" way to solve is 61-31. I get the methodology, for an older student. They are also figuring perimeter of squares and triangles.

 

As far as reading, I'm not sure yet. We are a smidgeon away from enrolling our son in private school, save for the fact he is in a really cool French Immersion program. French is taught 60% of the day (Math, Social Studies, Science) and the then English is taught for Reading and ELA. After year 3, he is about half way to verbal fluency. Student's are expected to be fully fluent after the 4th grade. It is really a neat program that is almost like paying for a private school but within the public school and of course, for free. The Immersion kids are kept almost completely separate from the other students and the program itself demands higher standards and attracts more academically inclined kids. Of course learning to read in English and in French is a bit trying but he's doing it and doing it well.

 

I'm not sure if Common Core is a concern or it's the curriculum, but as a Diagnostician I can report that within the last year, Special Education referrals have significantly increased. There was literally no transition from the old way of teaching to the new Engage New York way. I think it has been particularly hard for students in 3-6th grade. If you are a parent of an Engage New York student, my advice to you is -Flash Cards, Flash Cards, Flash Cards. They will not get any at school.

 

There is nothing wrong with algebraic concepts being taught. But without the foundation its worthless. And there is zero reason to ever make things harder than they are. I have hated the any way I have seen math taught. They have always been big on some sort of 'method' and not the results. But there are many different ways to solve a math problem. Talk to a mathematician, they will tell you math is a language and should be taught as such. For the same reasoning I have always disliked flash cards, they promote rote memorization, not the underlying concepts.

 

There is everything wrong with teaching 7 year old children algebra when they have not mastered simple math facts. The Engage New York Curriculum does not cover even the simplest of math facts. My guess is that the authors of Curriculum assume that if they teach math processes at a young age, students will develop basic math skills in order to solve the problem. That is not how the brain works. The ability to understand algebra is a developmental process that normally occurs around the 12th year. There is no way to speed up the hormonal process known as adolescence and therefore, children should be taught skills appropriate for their developmental age. I know zero mathematicians that teach elementary school.

[strigori]

 

 

 

krc....

 

I am really interested in how schools are handling Common Core. Please expand more on how your curriculum pertains now to Common Core and how it has changed.

 

I ask this because opponents to CC have said that schools will now just teach "down" to the test standards and they won't go above and beyond to actually be better.

 

Thoughts?

Think of Common Core as a system of roads and the vehicle you drive as an instrument to use the roads. Everyone has different ideas as to what is the best the vehicle.

 

As far as how my current state is addressing Common Core, they have chosen to use the Engage New York curriculum designed by among others, Bill Gates. The Math is an absolute nightmare. Flash cards and automatic calculating skills are out, teaching algebraic and geometry skills to 2nd graders is in. I'm not kidding. A student can no longer add in the traditional sense. Now it's methods like ten boxes, number lines, and the "arrow up" method (don't ask me). Here is an example. A problem on my son's homework was 60 - 29. He knew the answer, but if he just said the answer it was wrong. The Engage New York curriculum teachers the student to add one more to 29 and then add one more to 60. So the new and "quicker" way to solve is 61-31. I get the methodology, for an older student. They are also figuring perimeter of squares and triangles.

 

As far as reading, I'm not sure yet. We are a smidgeon away from enrolling our son in private school, save for the fact he is in a really cool French Immersion program. French is taught 60% of the day (Math, Social Studies, Science) and the then English is taught for Reading and ELA. After year 3, he is about half way to verbal fluency. Student's are expected to be fully fluent after the 4th grade. It is really a neat program that is almost like paying for a private school but within the public school and of course, for free. The Immersion kids are kept almost completely separate from the other students and the program itself demands higher standards and attracts more academically inclined kids. Of course learning to read in English and in French is a bit trying but he's doing it and doing it well.

 

I'm not sure if Common Core is a concern or it's the curriculum, but as a Diagnostician I can report that within the last year, Special Education referrals have significantly increased. There was literally no transition from the old way of teaching to the new Engage New York way. I think it has been particularly hard for students in 3-6th grade. If you are a parent of an Engage New York student, my advice to you is -Flash Cards, Flash Cards, Flash Cards. They will not get any at school.

 

There is nothing wrong with algebraic concepts being taught. But without the foundation its worthless. And there is zero reason to ever make things harder than they are. I have hated the any way I have seen math taught. They have always been big on some sort of 'method' and not the results. But there are many different ways to solve a math problem. Talk to a mathematician, they will tell you math is a language and should be taught as such. For the same reasoning I have always disliked flash cards, they promote rote memorization, not the underlying concepts.

 

There is everything wrong with teaching 7 year old children algebra when they have not mastered simple math facts. The Engage New York Curriculum does not cover even the simplest of math facts. My guess is that the authors of Curriculum assume that if they teach math processes at a young age, students will develop basic math skills in order to solve the problem. That is not how the brain works. The ability to understand algebra is a developmental process that normally occurs around the 12th year. There is no way to speed up the hormonal process known as adolescence and therefore, children should be taught skills appropriate for their developmental age. I know zero mathematicians that teach elementary school.

 

You missed my second sentence. Foundation = basic math skills.