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Old 01-26-2016, 06:25 AM
 
Location: The analog world
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Used Kumon for the kids as a supplement in elementary school and happy we did. Really helped. Common Core concepts that are difficult for parents to wrap their heads around can be reviewed at Khan Academy. It's come a long way since we started using the website years ago. Much more user friendly and aligned with current math standards. And it's FREE.
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Old 01-27-2016, 06:43 AM
 
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Originally Posted by pkbab5 View Post
I'm a big fan of common core, but I know exactly what you are talking about with the weird, age inappropriate concepts that make no sense. And those really are curriculum based.


For example, here's an excerpt from the common core 1st grade math standards:


"Students develop strategies for adding and subtracting whole numbers based on their prior work with small numbers. They use a variety of models, including discrete objects and length-based models (e.g., cubes connected to form lengths), to model add-to, take-from, put-together, take-apart, and compare situations to develop meaning for the operations of addition and subtraction, and to develop strategies to solve arithmetic problems with these operations. "


In the common core math curriculum that I picked out, purchased, and use with my children at home (Singapore Math), we do this by getting blocks that link together. Then we go through addition and subtraction problems by modeling them with the blocks. For example, for 2+3, we get 2 yellow blocks, then 3 red blocks, and link them together, and count 5. Yay! And then, we can draw a picture of the same thing. 2 yellow squares, and 3 red squares, and count 5. Yay! Then after that they get the problem 2+3=? and they answer 5. Yay!


The different common core math curriculum that they use at school (Every Day Math) has a box, with an arrow from the box to a bubble, with another box off to the side, where they want you to put 2 in the first box, 3 in the bubble, and 5 in the last box. To demonstrate something they call "add-to". But if you put the 3 in the first box and the 2 in the bubble, then it's wrong. And then they ask you how you knew to put the 3 in the bubble, and make you write a sentence. I have no idea how you're supposed to know to put the 3 in the bubble, my kid always gets that one wrong. Lol. My kid's teacher is really really nice, and I love her, and my kid loves her, but she can't do math to save her life.


Anyhow, there are two methods I know to combat the crappy curriculum they use for common core at school. 1) get a better curriculum at home and teach it to your kids after school and 2) get a copy of the same curriculum they use at school, including a teacher's guide if necessary, and sit down with your kid and take the time to understand what they are *trying* to teach.


In fact, I'll probably be getting a copy of the everyday math workbook next year to go through at home, because the little handouts they send home are just worthless.
Singapore Math seems to be an appropriate and proven program that aligns to the tests. I'd open to our school system doing it, but a huge problem was the awful roll out. Some schools did it well, some did it horribly, most were rushed because of state deadlines.
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