Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Our district used Everyday Math at the elementary schools. I have heard from people who both love it and hate it. What I would like to find is information that spells out what exactly this curriculum is, how it works, examples of lessons. I'm not really interested in hearing opinions about it, just the nuts and bolts of it. Is there anywhere online where I can find this?
Also, I think our district uses Connected Math, maybe at the middle school level. Does anyone have similar information on this curriculum? Thanks!
I've been teaching with the EDM program for 8 years now. If you have any questions that I can answer from a teacher's point of view, feel free to ask. Try this site for basic information. Everyday Mathematics
Go to you tube. There are many videos pro and con regarding EM. I went to my library to look at the textbook for my son's grade. I couldn't check it out, but was able to sit there and peruse it.
I hated EDM. I'm an engineer and stand with engineers and mathematicians across the country against the program. One issue is multiple algorithms that are not conducive to higher learning of mathematics. While there are many "tricks" to get an answer, not all lead to higher level learning later. Also some of their methods become very cumbersome when solving longer problems. They teach them with short problems then assume the student can use it for long ones too.
Here's a good article detailing the many methods of EDM.
As an engineer and now a teacher, I hate this program. So much so that I chose to send my children to a charter school 17 miles away rather than have them attend the school across the street when it was adopted. Fortunately, $4000 spent at Sylvan and 4 years in a new school later, my kids are doing fine.
I only know of one school district that uses this program with any success and they, heavily, supplement it and have a bridge program in place in middled school to get kids off of EDM and onto a standard math track in high school. Personally, I believe it wouldn't matter which program you started with as long as you took an objective look at it, kept what worked and fixed what didn't. That's what this district does. Unfortunately, when districts pick up the program, they are years away from doing the kind of supplementing that would be needed and don't know what to throw out yet (like the egyptian method of multiplication for one - see the article on the metods in EDM).
The school district I'm in adopted EDM 6 years ago and is now struggling to repair the damage. They are finding, as predicted, that their students aren't equipped to go on to algebra. When you pull down material, as they did in EDM, without adding to the length of the school day or year, something has to be thrown out for everything you pull down. Unfortunately, it appears to be the things that helping prepare the kids who were ready for algebra get ready for algebra. IMO, programs like Singapore math (also cheaper) are much better.
FTR, my husband and I spent two years fighting this program and working with the curriculum committee before moving our kids to a different school that used Singapore math. I know more about EDM and the history of EDM than I care to. Mathematically correct is an organization that has, successfully, fought this program and other fuzzy math programs. While old, because they're done fighting while others are just now picking up the fight, there is a lot of good information on their site.
Just wanted to add that spiraling did not work for my daughter. When she didn't get things the first time, I was told "Don't worry, we'll sprial back to it" as if her not getting it didn't matter. Unfortunately, she didn't get it the second or third time either. The message she got when they said "Don't worry, we'll spiral back to it" was that it wasn't important for her to get it in any one spiral. When you convince a kid it's not important they get something, them not getting it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Looking at the program, I understood why she didn't get it. I wouldn't have either. There is no way I could have learned math this way and gone on in math. I would have hated math as my daughter did. Here we are 4 years after leaving the district and both of my daughters test years ahead in math. My older daughter tested a year behind in math when she transferred schools.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 07-12-2009 at 06:42 AM..
Our school used EDM for a couple of years, just long enough to see the DIVE in standardized math test scores. Math isn't supposed to be warm and fuzzy. My .02~
Our school used EDM for a couple of years, just long enough to see the DIVE in standardized math test scores. Math isn't supposed to be warm and fuzzy. My .02~
Because so many parents sent their kids in for tutoring or tutored them at home themselves, our school saw a sharp increase in scores. Until the first group to have EDM for multiple years hit middle school. Then they fell right off the table.
Unfortunately, this happens a lot and the school thinks it's the program that's working when it's the parents tutoring their kids. When that happens, it can take several years for the school board to figure out they have a problem.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 07-12-2009 at 12:02 PM..
Unfortunately, this happens a lot and the school thinks it's the program that's working when it's the parents tutoring their kids. When that happens, it can take several years for the school board to figure out they have a problem
I couldn't agree more. My son, who is very good at math, had EM all through 2nd grade. When I brought up the validity of EM and how it was evaluated as one of the worst math programs at curriculum night, the teacher became hostile and defensive. I then started giving my son extra math practice at home with non-fuzzy materials--lots of problems, etc. In comparison, the EM homework was mostly math games, with one or two problems thrown in. His math score on the ISAT placed him in the top 1% of the school district-which the school will use to show EM is working.
I'm sending my son to a private school next year that doesn't use EM, and also has a better curriculum in general.
Because so many parents sent their kids in for tutoring or tutored them at home themselves, our school saw a sharp increase in scores. Until the first group to have EDM for multiple years hit middle school. Then they fell right off the table.
Unfortunately, this happens a lot and the school thinks it's the program that's working when it's the parents tutoring their kids. When that happens, it can take several years for the school board to figure out they have a problem.
Agree, agree agree! Going on my 7th year with EDM - personally know many people who tutor their kids or pay someone else to tutor them.
Just wanted to add that spiraling did not work for my daughter. When she didn't get things the first time, I was told "Don't worry, we'll sprial back to it" as if her not getting it didn't matter. Unfortunately, she didn't get it the second or third time either. The message she got when they said "Don't worry, we'll spiral back to it" was that it wasn't important for her to get it in any one spiral. When you convince a kid it's not important they get something, them not getting it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
DS going into 6th grade still not getting how to add fractions accurately each and every time, and is still off by one, two, ten or more when trying to divide. The more he practices, the more he gets it. Unfortunately, there isn't enough basic practice to solidify concepts in this curriculum IMHO.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Going on my 7th year with EDM - personally know many people who tutor their kids or pay someone else to tutor them.
