elementary schools using common core (magnet school, college, statistics)

[fvncresident04]

We are in Wake county and I am assuming since NC adopted common core the rest of the state is doing this also?

My daughter is in 5th grade. She is extremely good in math. Is anyone else outraged by the new method of teaching math? Base 10 blocks --grids--number lines? no more standard algorithm?

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by fvncresident04

My daughter is in 5th grade. She is extremely good in math. Is anyone else outraged by the new method of teaching math? Base 10 blocks --grids--number lines? no more standard algorithm?

I don't have a child in school so I can't be outraged.

If they are using the base 10 blocks in 5th grade, it seems like they have dumbed-down the teaching. A smart kid should be able to handle more than that- like base 8 and based 16 number systems.

I hope your daughter has a chance at a better magnet school.

[poppydog]

My kid is in 4th grade and as far as I know they don't use base 10 blocks or number lines. Not sure what you mean about grids. I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with base ten blocks, though, depending on what they're doing with them. You can use them to teach more advanced concepts like exponential notation as well as simple addition and subtraction, multiplication and division. There's a lot you can do besides the basics.

I wouldn't necessarily blame the teaching on Common Core. It's a set of standards. The teaching itself is going to be first the teacher's responsibility and then the principal's. We've done Common Core for two years now and the main change I'm seeing in Math is more literacy — more word problems and a written explanation of how they arrived at their answer.

[fvncresident04]

we had to use this video to do homework a few weeks ago.


ES 5 Math Add and Subtract Decimals w Base Ten Blocks - YouTube

[LLN]

Ok, though I am sick and tired of addressing common core math issues, here goes one more time.

First of all my eighth graders are bamboozled on much of our eighth content,

The link below is to the common core navigator for fourth grade math. As you will see, the base 10 stuff is one of many concepts taught. I just glanced but looks like pretty good stuff. OBTW most of my 8th graders are out of luck when it comes to scientific notation.

If you are interested Learnzillion is an awesome site. Click on the folders and you will see lessons that are aligned to common core. There is a six minute for mat and standards are rigid. It is a great resource for parents, teachers,ans of curse students.

Common Core Navigator, Math4 | LearnZillion

[fvncresident04]

thanks LLZ. I will look at the site. Hopefully it helps with homework. So far I am not happy with the direction math is going for my child, at least in her class. She can look at a problem and most of the time figure it out in her head or on paper using standard algorithm. She scored a 4 last year (95th percentile). Now her teacher is telling her she is wrong for using standard algorithm and not using these other methods. I'm just a little frustrated. thanks for the link

[zthatzmanz28]

Common core is designed to teach to the test.

[LRoyal10900]

With common core, they no longer want them to be able to go straight to the answer. They must be able to explain the concepts and "whys" and "hows" in deriving their answers. We were told last year in professional development that previously we were teaching math "an inch deep and a mile wide." So, now we're covering less in a year (at least at the lower levels) and going more indepth with it, making sure they understand the concepts.

But wait until next year--6th grade--statistics & probability. My oldest is a senior in HS and she hasn't had some of what's now in the 6th grade math content. *I* didn't have it until I took a statistics course in college, what's in the 6th grade curriculum is more than I had in that class! When I was working with 6th graders last year doing 6th math remediation, I had teach that material to myself 1st!

[LLN]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

Common core is designed to teach to the test.

I totally disagree. It is impossible to read the 8th grade math common core objectives or whatever they are called and draw that conclusion. I am stunned.

[Stagemomma]

Originally Posted by LLN

I totally disagree. It is impossible to read the 8th grade math common core objectives or whatever they are called and draw that conclusion. I am stunned.

I disagree also...you can develop a test to measure whatever curriculum you are using. The test came second. That doesn't mean that our focus on testing is right. but the point of common core is that we have unified curriculum goals across the country. The fact that we are testing kids to death to demonstrate achievement would still happen regardless of Common Core.