Practical Help with Common Core Math

I email the teachers when this happens. If they respond in time for us to try again, we do. If not, I do not expect my child to be marked down. If my kids can't do what they were taught in school on their own, I bet the majority of kids also did not grasp the concept.

So asking the teacher for help and to host a parent's math night are both excellent suggestions.

If private school and/or home schooling is a problem, it may not be worth the price or effort.

If she were in public school it is less likely it would be a multi level class. Maybe it is time to rethink that private school.

And I am a big supporter of homeschooling.

I teach math. There are actually many moms on here that are math teachers or just very good at math. You could always try posting one of the problems here. You never know, we might be able to help.

You might be surprised at the number of times someone has posted a math problem from their child's homework and received some excellent responses with, not only the correct answer, but pretty good explanations.

ETA - I also agree with those who say tell the teacher. The teacher should know this!

Also, did you try asking your daughter to explain it to you? I had a horrible geometry teacher and basically had to teach myself. Every time I got stuck I asked my dad for help. He would ask me some questions and get me to explain things to him. Somewhere in my explanations I always answered my own question. Years later my dad admitted that he really had no idea what I was doing, but asking me questions got me to think about it and figure it out.

If your daughter gets stuck on a problem, have her tell you how she did the previous problems. It might help her figure out what she needs to do. If it doesn't work, at least she's had a chance to explain what she's done so far, and you can send a note letting the teacher know what she was and was not able to do.

Our teachers have been very specific - if your child doesn't understand how to do his math homework, have him bring it back in blank with a note that he tried, but didn't know how to do it. Because if he doesn't understand, then there are probably other kids who don't understand, and she needs to reteach the lesson. It's better in the long run for her to have to reteach until the kids get it than it is to have a completed homework sheet.

As for practical help - the common core is a set of standards, it's not a curriculum. My child's school uses the Math in Focus curriculum, so I am familiar with that curriculum. But your school may use a different one, so I'm not sure how to help you beyond taking to the teacher. Sorry.

This web site will tell you what the standard is. How the standard is taught depends on the curriculum the school is using. Common Core is not a curriculum. Schools choose the curriculum that they will use to teach students the standards in the common core.

http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/1/OA/#CCSS.Math...

The example you used (CC.1.oa.6) is common core, 1st grade, operations and algebraic thinking, standard #6--Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as .....

The "such as" part is where the school curriculum comes in. The standard you used in your example basically means that students need to know more than one way to subtract numbers and add numbers together. They need to be able to find answers up to 20 and know the basic facts up to 10 "at lightening speed."

If you want to know how the school is teaching it, ask if you can see the curriculum. Some schools have been having "how to" nights for parents. The teacher will be your best resource.

Like I've said in other responses to questions about CC math, I taught a math curriculum 7 years ago (long before CC) that expected kids to do math "this new way." Even 15 years ago I was teaching kids "tricks" that are now a part of most math curriculums.

CC is a standard, not a methodology or curriculum. You're probably not going to find the answers by looking at the standard. For example, with the standard that you listed, students have to demonstrate that they can add and subtract to 20, using familiarity with 10 to help.

It's your child's job to do her homework and if she can't do it, the teacher needs to know that. Send it back, again and again, with a note that your child needs more clarification. Honestly, you're not the one who needs to understand the methodology (e.g. I still don't get "lattice" multiplication despite having 4 kids learn and use it), she is. If the school is using a lousy curriculum that makes it hard for teachers to teach, kids to learn and parents to help, they need to know that and improve on it. Our school system has used Everyday Math for 10+ years and each chapter comes with a "Family Letter" that explains the concepts, shows examples, and gives answers to the homework for the rest of the chapter. If the materials your school is using don't have that kind of helpful instruction, perhaps they need to reconsider what's being used.

Anyway...put a note on it and send it back.

Homework is not to determine how well a child's parent can do the work, it's to figure out if the child is learning how to do the work that was taught in the classroom. Please don't "do" your child's work or try to teach what you do not know.

If your child does not know how to do their homework (and I guarantee that the teacher went over it in class), after a reasonable amount of time allowing your child to try to work it out, I would simply write a little note on it that says "Though we have provided a supportive environment in order to be able to complete this work, Taylor does not know how to do this math. I think s/he needs some further guidance." And send it back with him/her the next day. The teacher needs to know.

The first thing you should do is STOP. First grade homework (which IMO should not even exist) if for the teacher to determine whether she is teaching effectively during the school day. She needs to know that children aren't getting it when they are not getting it. If he doesn't know how to do it, the teacher needs to see that so she can help him learn. This is exactly what my son's first grade teacher explained to all of the parents during curriculum night. She also told us that if the kids were spending more than 5-10 minutes on the homework to STOP - it meant they weren't getting it and she needed to spend the time with them during class.

Homeschool and get away from CC as fast as you can. Shame on the private schools for embracing such hogwash. If children from every school, at every grade level, in every city, across the nation (and adults also) are having these same problems...shouldn't we realize that it is the system (the curriculum) and not the kids? People need to stand up and say NO! Ha, even math scholars can't figure it out! Do we even realize the mental anguish this places on all these incoccent kids? These kids are still babies! This isn't education, It's abusive bullying.

They are trying to force a child to think abstractly, before he is ready to do so. How about teaching the child HOW to PERFORM computation, rather that how to THINK about how to perform it ...and even that( the way they are doing it) is not logical.

I used to go straight to the teacher with our child and have her/him explain whatever the concept was to both of us.

Soon our daughter learned to ask, because she knew the teacher "would not get mad" our daughters words, and sometimes the teacher had different ways of explaining the concept.

I'm not sure how it works for you, but at our school they specifically told the parents that homework is meant to reinforce existing, semi-mastered skills. New skills are supposed to be worked on in class. I suspect the teacher would prefer it if the homework that your kiddo can't do on their own remains unfinished. That way he/she knows what to emphasize in the lesson or maybe work on separately with your child.

That said, I would probably email the teacher to see if there is something you should be helping your child with at home. If yes, ask her what method should be used for solving the problems. As you've noticed, they teach it differently these days.

Ask the teacher if she can do a parents math night.

I agree to send it back with a note of explanation. Your child couldn't do the work, you and your husband and the babysitter tried to help and couldn't figure it out, either.

The teacher needs to know that there is a problem with the student(s)'s understanding of the material. Either because she needs to give more explanation, or whatever reason.

When my daughter and I don't have a clue what they're talking about in Common Core speak, I just write a note back to the teacher on the problem saying I don't know what they want. I got tired of trying to figure out what in the world they're trying to do to basic math.

Check out khanacademy.org for grade appropriate topics, tutorials and videos.

Two suggestions for you...

A few teachers have suggested YouTube videos about common core math. Maybe you just need to spend a little more time looking for appropriate videos? They should be able to help you.

I would also suggest asking the teacher if the school will offer a "common core parent night" to teach the new methods. I know our school has done that in the past. Unfortunately due to low attendance they have stopped.

Good luck with this! I tutor first, second and third grade math, have my master's degree and still have no idea what they are looking for half the time. Google is my friend!

I would have a talk with the teacher. Ask her if she is aware of the research that has shown homework not to be helpful on any level. It does not increase test scores, nor has it been proven to increase mastery of the topic. The fact that a first grader is coming home with a fair amount of homework would indicate to me that not much is getting done in class, which would be a concern (especially since you're paying tuition). The fact that the homework is completely incomprehensible to well-educated adults is also a concern. If we, with our mastery of all math up to and including calculus can't understand it, why in the world are they teaching these methods to 6 year olds? Just because something is more complicated doesn't make it better.

In my opinion, the whole point of paying for a private school is so you can avoid the common core nonsense and have your child taught using proven methods instead. I'd meet with the teacher and discuss all of this. If nothing changes, consider meeting with the principal or visiting other schools to see if another school would be a better fit for your family.

I would say that this teacher is taking on too much. You say she teaches more than one grade and because she's so busy with the other grades she sends their school work home with him.

Are you sure this school is the right one for your child?

I have read a lot of research that says giving kids homework doesn't help them learn but in fact causes them to not learn the material. This example is perfect for that.

It seems to me that this teacher is not using her time to teach the kids to do something so basic as math and doing something else in the classroom. I'd certainly just send it back with a note that he tried and no one could help him.

I find it stupid that parents would need to take a class to help their first grader with math. Obviously that math is not on the level of this child or an adult would be able to figure it out. Obviously if he was in a higher grade and the parent couldn't help that would seem more believable to me.

But 1st grade? And an adult with a doctorate can't help him with it? Seriously? I'd be pulling my child out and putting them in regular school to learn basics so fast....

I think it's completely understandable to send a note back with the homework explaining that your child does not understand the assignment. I think the teacher would want to hear this so that she can possibly adjust her instruction accordingly.
What we have also done is ask that assignments completed in the classroom be sent home so that we can review what is being taught. Sometimes it makes a lot of sense in class where the child can ask a teacher- doing it at home is a different story. You can often relate the homework assignment to what has already been done and it bridges that gap.
If all else fails- set up a conference with the teacher so that she can go over the methods being taught.

I purchased the Southwestern Advantage books this summer to have as references as my kids go through school. They are like encyclopedias for everything standard being taught in schools. They give all the methods. The math book (big and heavy!!) "Math 1-1200, Foundations of Mathematics, Numbers and Operations, Measurement, Geometry" explains the core math principles being taught as well as all other standard techniques being taught in grades 1-12. Google Southwestern Advantage to check them out.

The CCSS tell what students need to be able to do and understand. They don't dictate the specific assignments a teacher will give.

The standard you're talking about says "Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14); decomposing a number leading to a ten (e.g., 13 - 4 = 13 - 3 - 1 = 10 - 1 = 9); using the relationship between addition and subtraction (e.g., knowing that 8 + 4 = 12, one knows 12 - 8 = 4); and creating equivalent but easier or known sums (e.g., adding 6 + 7 by creating the known equivalent 6 + 6 + 1 = 12 + 1 = 13)"

So depending on what exactly the worksheet is asking, your daughter is probably expected to think about ways to REthink the written expression to make it more mentally computable.

If there aren't directions on the worksheet, that's not a practical common core issue, that's an issue with the materials this teacher/school is sending home. They need to be producing assignments with clear directions so that students and parents know what is expected.

My freshman has an IEP in place and does ALL her math homework in Strategies class, which is an elective to help kids who need it.

My 6th grader technically has math homework, but when I met with the teachers, I flat out told them I have NO idea how to help him so it's pointless to bring it home. If he can't do it on his own or if I can't help him than that defeats the purpose of practice at home. They actually agreed with me and they don't send math homework anymore.

so far kids and i are being able to keep up with common core, but good lord, what a mess. my kids seem to enjoy this new approach to math, so i try to hide my eye rolling from them. but if you have difficulties helping your daughter, email the teacher.

If you hear other parents complaining that they too cannot fathom their kids' homework problems, you parents as a group should ask to meet with the teacher. Some schools now are offering "common core math for parents" types of seminars -- I just read about it the other day. Parents come to a session where the teacher explains things. This may or may not work in your setting where the one teacher has multiple levels of kids, since she or he would have to do several different sessions, several times a year, and that's asking a lot. It's just something to consider asking for because frankly in a private school you might actually get it, whereas in a public school we might not.

Also, as someone noted below -- common core is not an instructional guide but a set of standards (in other words, it's about what the kids should be learning and not precisely about how they learn it). The issue may not be common core at all but the teacher's methods. Time for a talk, I think. The teacher may be doing "stretch" assignments that she does not want the kids getting help with anyway, so she can gauge how they work when the material is new and difficult. Ask.