Have you every heard about Everyday Math? If you have kids between kindergarten and sixth grade you certainly have. Now when kids get to school they all learn this Everyday Math system. This was created in Chicago by some math people who decided that the old way in which we ourselves learned to do math in our youth was totally wrong and made us all grow up to be idiots that couldn't add 2 and 2 or divide properly. (I am not 100% positive that is why Everyday Math was invented but I think it may be the reason given.) This math is not at all the same as the math I did when I was a kid. I mean, I did math every day, but not Everyday Math. It doesn't seem to be the same at all. Whereas we added 2 of the same numbers, i.e., 2 + 2 = 4, Jack now does "Doubles Facts" which sounds more exciting and like a fun game but is still just adding 2 identical numbers together. They have "units" and "frames-and-arrows" and "number triangles". In this triangle there are 3 numbers and the biggest one is on the top and it has a little dot next to it. What? A little dot? They have "rules" that I am not quite sure of and haven't really investigated properly at all. Last week he had to make up "numbers stories" which was basically a word problem but with a different name. I'm so confused. And this is SECOND GRADE people! S-E-C-O-N-D G-R-A-D-E. The funny part is that Jack gets it. He understands completely what is going on with this math (I hope it stays that way!). He is explaining to me how to do his homework, rather than the other way around. I hear that once he gets past the 6th grade though they just abandon this Everyday Math and go back to regular math. Then he will have to re-learn, and I think I may be as equally useless because I have no recollection of math from that time frame either. Is that when you start geometry? I have a vague recollection of being good at that. Or was that algebra? I would say his father could help, but he is worse at math than I am. His senior year of high school his teacher actually gave him a D rather than an F just so that he would graduate and get the hell out of there.
Me
- Kirsten
- I'm a full time mom of 3 (ok, 2 kids, but I totally count my husband), maid, laundress, cook, etc etc and I also work as an administrative assistant part time. They used to be called secretaries but apparently secretaries didn't like that. I'm not sure why.
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6 comments:
The good news and the bad news is that math standards have changed dramatically since the 90s. Kids take Pre-Algebra and (unless they are behind) Algebra in middle school now, so once they get to high school they are basically way beyond math that we ever did. This is probably why I will never teach higher than 2nd grade!
Can't wait...ugg
Love the autumn blog decor, lovely!
I hate Math....and this very topic came up @ PTO last night, I had to laugh when I heard the principal start talking about it!
Hhaha....
Way to throw Denn under the bus....
NICE
I remember the lesson plans for Everyday Math being nothing but fun! Maybe it was because I had to do one for each level every night but ugh no fun for me!
You have me thoroughly confused. Excuse me while I go get some coffee and come back. :)
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