I'm worried about my child. We had a play date, and I was ready to pull my hair out by the end. Granted, the other kid is a high-functioning autistic kid, and granted the other child's mother was all up in their business to make sure they played "right", but my normally sweet, biddable, easy to get along with girl was actually back-talking the other mom. I was shocked! Then I was wondering...is my child being poorly socialized? Does she need more unstructured play time to practice these skills? How much is enough? What do other parents do. Hence the poll.

This will only affect taking standardized tests when they quit making them multiple choice. Again, I don't see any tests that aren't multiple choice. I would think that you're right--they're going to offer study guides, because that makes them money. I took the weekend off. ;) These curricula are "aligned" in the same way that they were aligned to earlier standards. Very little of the content has actually changed. What they do is go through and treat the standards like a checklist: "Yep, we cover this on page 73. We cover that on page 82." and so on. Sometimes they'll pay $25/hr for a poor Ph.D. in a garret to write a chapter section, if something is missing. In the past, they rarely took stuff out, even if it wasn't mentioned in the standards, which is why school textbooks were huge. However, states couldn't take anything out of the Common Core, and they could only add 15% more material. So, some textbooks were stripped of non-complying material in order to hit that no-more-than-15%-additional-material. Those other reasons that CA didn't adopt the material say more about CA than Commore Core or Singapore Math. I find it very interesting that Harcourt's version of Singapore Math, Math in Focus, was adopted just fine. The relatively small publisher, Marshall Cavendish, somehow failed to meet the same standards with a different version of the same material. Reading the exerpt from Nart, it looks like Singapore Math didn't hit all the Common Core standards at the right grade level without adding in more than 15% of extra material. I don't think SM slows down in the 2nd half of the year: "In addition, major work should especially predominate in the first half of the year (e.g., in grade 3 this is necessary so that students have sufficient time to build understanding and fluency with multiplication). Note that an important subset of the major work in grades K–8 is the progression that leads toward Algebra I and Mathematics I (see Table 1, next page). Materials give especially careful treatment to these clusters and their interconnections." I would bet that they hit some stuff before CC math requires it: "In aligned materials there are no chapter tests, unit tests, or other assessment components that make students or teachers responsible for any topics before the grade in which they are introduced in the Standards. (One way to meet this criterion is for materials to omit these topics entirely prior to the indicated grades.) " My quick review of my daughter's SM book isn't definitive, but I don't see any where they call out concepts separately from applications or practice. "Conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts is thus distinct from applications or fluency work, and these three aspects of rigor must be balanced as indicated in the Standards." I would bet that the SM uses too many manipulatives (which are entirely developmentally appropriate!): "In grades K–6 materials should help students make steady progress throughout the year toward fluent (accurate and reasonably fast) computation, including knowing single-digit products and sums from memory (see, e.g., 2.OA.2 and 3.OA.7). The word “fluently†in particular as used in the Standards refers to fluency with a written or mental method, not a method using manipulatives or concrete representations." It also looks like CA didn't like the Singapore Math placement tests because they weren't prescriptive enough. It looks like California was looking for an assessment that would say that X, Y, and Z skills were lacking, so teachers should apply A, B, and C curriculum designed to get #th graders working on a lower grade level up to the Xth grade level by the end of the school year. "Unfinished learning from earlier grades is normal and prevalent; it should not be ignored nor used as an excuse for cancelling grade-level work and retreating to below-grade work. " They didn't appear to have foreign language editions, "enrichment" material, remedial material, and audio and/or Braille material. "Materials help English learners access challenging mathematics, learn content, and develop grade-level language. For example, materials might include annotations to help with comprehension of words, sentences and paragraphs, and give examples of the use of words in other situations. Modifications to language do not sacrifice the mathematics, nor do they put off necessary language development. " Materials should include content that is relevant to English learners, advanced learners, students below grade level in mathematical skills, and students with disabilities. I don't see these anywhere in my SM materials, but then again, I don't have a public school teacher's edition: "Not every form of assessment is appropriate for every student or every topic area, so a variety of assessment types need to be provided for formative assessment. Some of these could include (but is not limited to) graphic organizers, student observation, student interviews, journals and learning logs, exit ticket activities, mathematics portfolios, self- and peer-evaluations, short tests and quizzes, and performance tasks. And, it appears that there was not enough of a script to follow for the teachers. Clear, grade-appropriate explanations of mathematics concepts that teachers can easily adapt for instruction of all students, including English learners, advanced learners, students below grade level in mathematical skills, and students with disabilities. Different kinds of lessons and multiple ways in which to explain concepts, offering teachers choice and flexibility

Cool! My daughter is busily reading right now to earn a dino book! ;)

We have this one. It works well for us. I think their binocular version is the next one up. I took this photo of an onion skin with my phone the other night.

I would encourage her to get daily exercise. Exercise helps depression, and apathy. Also, this is indelicate, but does she snore? Or sleep badly? I can't have caffeine after 3pm or I'm up all night. Plus, I have sleep apnea that I was self-medicating with sugar and caffeine for years. There's nothing to induce apathy and depression like bone-deep tiredness. ;) It also wouldn't hurt to get a full blood workup, either. You never know what's going on in there.

I hate labeling kids, too. From then on,it's all about what they can't do, rather than what they can do. :(

I'm surprised no one else has brought this up, and I hate to be the one to say this, because I think it's terribly over-diagnosed....but, here goes: is there any chance he might be a tad autistic? IMHO, social anxiety and high-functioning autism run together like peanut butter and jelly. That whole thing about personal space and dignity and "off" social responses kind of make me go, "hmmm...." Social anxiety gets worse when you push them, because their terror level just goes through the roof. My child actually flatly refused to do piano lessons after her teacher mentioned as an enticement that there are recitals. The mere thought of a recital was enough to turn her off of piano lessons. And dance class. etc. It's the fight-or-flight response in high gear--their prefrontal cortex switches off, and that's why you get weird responses from their hindbrains. That said, my kid isn't "shy", either. She will happily play with another child in small groups, and be on teams, etc. She loves soccer and swimming and such like. Just the thought of being on display is too much for her. Maybe he felt like tae kwon do was a thing where he'd be on display?

The problem is the school can and will then refuse to place the student a college prep track in middle school because the student has not proved that they can handle the work. The unspoken explanation is also that they don't want to be bothered with a PITA parent.

Yep. All about the inquiry-based-learning, and "facilitation." In fact, I've had teaching jobs where my official title was "facilitator."

Remember what I said about that little extra push needed to bring those just-under-proficient-level students up to "proficiency" so that test scores go up? This is how you do it. The "good" students don't need teaching, the just-under-proficient students need a little extra help, and you put the slow kid in there so they can imitate the others. This way you don't lecture students, because teachers who lecture are bad. And, this way the students police their own behavior, because they need to work in order to get a grade. "You have to show them through directed teaching and modeling that once the lesson has been taught, the responsibility for learning shifts in total from you to them." This helps with classroom management--a principal who sees a quiet, studious class is a happy principal, regardless of the mechanism.

Boppies are the best thing since sliced bread, IMHO. :) That, and wireless keyboards. I don't have anything against public schools, either. I think that they serve an enormously important purpose in our country. I don't blame teachers, who are just trying to do their jobs. An adjunct friend of mine has a phrase I think is relevant here: #badmin :) I'm unhappy with an administration I voted for. ;)

:blushing: Thank you! Hanging out on the message boards is something I can do while nursing my two-month-old. You are all so knowledgeable yourselves that I'm flattered that I've found a little niche I can share some information in. :)

There are problems with charter schools though. questionable admissions practices questionable racial integration problems questionable performance questionable work with special education students questionable expulsion policies questionable financial management questionable oversight

Why don't you ask them what good consequences would be? Make a list, of say, 10, and have them order them from least bad to most bad. Then print it out and stick it on the fridge. Next time they're pains in your neck, point at the fridge and go, "You earned #1." Conversely, I would also ask them to create a list of rewards, from 1 to 10. Then I would try to catch them being good. FWIW, I would also ask them to come up with 5 rules. So you'd have 3 sheets of paper on the fridge.

Part of the implementation problem is the test score problem. If you're teaching, and you'll get fired/the entire faculty and staff will be laid off/the district will lose funding--unless all your kids get to mastery. You're going to work your hardest on those kids that need just a little edge to raise the average score for the class/school/district. The hopeless ones are the special educators' problems, and the top-notch ones just need to be babysat. The test becomes the alpha and the omega. CA Dept of Ed is just trying to get those kids who need a little extra edge the support they need to hit those test scores. The state, as a whole, will lose funding (see also: Washington state) unless they comply with RttT requirements. Remember, states now have to compete for funding with their students' test scores.

I just want to note that this company exists: Preschool Prep

I would wonder about the test design. Did they change the format, or the style of test (from norm-referenced to criterion-referenced, for example)? FWIW, if it were my kid, I might also have her re-take it, just for kicks, and have it read aloud to her. PS students who are behind grade-level in reading can have all but the reading section read to them. If her scores change significantly, then you know it's difficulty accessing her educational environment, rather than a content area issue.

:iagree: They start off ahead, and stay ahead.

Oh, but they do expect that. Hence, the As. Part of the problem is the change in standards, and I don't mean Common Core. I'm assuming (and you know what they say about assumptions! ;) ) when you and I went to school, there was this expected material to learn. But it was also expected that not everyone would "get" it all. That was OK. The A students would get it pretty darn well, the B students got it above average, the C students got what one would normally expect, etc. It was fairly bell-curved. The material was ambitious, and that was OK, because it was a goal, not a floor. Students were compared to each other--Tom is a sharp cookie, and he got 95% of the concept, so he gets an A, etc. We call that "norm referencing." "Yeah, that's an A paper for a 10 year old with experience in paper writing." Now, the material is expected to be mastered at 100% by everyone. That's the equal outcome, and it's the standard. No, hold on, I'm serious. It doesn't matter if it's an unrealistic goal, but that's the expectation. When the schools will be labeled "failing" in Washington state this fall, it's because their students, even the dying ones, don't master the material at that standard. We have also switched the way we grade. Instead of comparing students to each other, or even using a teacher's experience, we grade on mastery, also known as "criterion referencing." It doesn't matter if Suzy studied 12 hours a day and Sally studied for 10 minutes, if Suzy is 5 and Sally is 7, or if Suzy is terminally ill and Sally is healthy as a horse. What matters is that they prove they can do X, Y, and Z identically. They have mastered the skill, according to the multiple choice test. If your students can do more, it's irrelevant. (AKA, no Singapore Math for CA students!) If they can't do it, it doesn't matter what they can do, all that matters is that they failed. I suppose it's good that we know for sure that students grade 3 can perform at X level on Y date according to Z test. But, it makes no allowances for individual differences, and it provides no incentive to go above and beyond. Employers hate that, I hear, that their young employees perform tasks like they're running down a checklist, and then when they're done, they feel free to sit on their behinds, because they performed to mastery. And then, imagine, they want a reward because they did what you told them to do--here's the checklist! If you want them to do something else, they'd be happy to, but you didn't ask! How are they supposed to know what to do if you don't tell them? See the problem here?

Don't forget pay. Teachers get excellent benefits in my state, but that's because we have a strong union. Our pay isn't awesome. I don't know very (any?) many mathematically inclined women who decided to become a teacher. Mostly they became statisticians, engineers, etc.

Yes, I just bought the Singapore Math books for my daughter for 1st grade. Those are more like workbooks. I'd've been just as happy with a reference text and cheap workbook. There's something to be said for buying reference books that you can re-use.We can't afford to paint the school bathrooms, or run activity buses, but we're buying consumable textbooks?

I have this issue too. I'd almost rather my DD wasn't artistic, because of that whole starving artist thing. But every time she picks up a writing implement, she draws (all over her math, her copywork, etc.) Her drawings are incredibly detailed and busy and tell a story. I mean, they're not totally life-like, but people tell me they're good. She had art instruction from an actual artist in preschool, and I don't know if that helped or hurt. I don't know enough about art to know if she's gifted at this or not. I did decide we're going to make time for actual art projects this year, using Art Lab, Discovering Great Art, CU Chicago, etc.

Ugh, I know right? They're like the rock stars of school districts. I tell you what ticks me off is buying consumable textbooks. Not workbooks, not e-books, not literature. Consumable textbooks. Who came up with that genius idea? And what genius approved it?!!

I think if you prepped well, it could be done. You could order your spines ahead of time, get some serious lesson planning in, know what books you want by week, and buy used editions ahead of time. There's a book swap site where I swapped many of my trashy romance novels for Lets-Read-And-Find-Out books for my daughter, for instance. You could swap out from year to year.

Because it would cost more. Instead of having 1 teacher per 25-40 students, you'd have to have 8 per 175-320, which amounts to an extra teacher's salary for the same number of students. Plus, math and science teachers are graduated at a rate of 1 science or math teacher to 20 social studies teachers. They've had open science and math positions for years at some high schools, because they simply can't find anyone certified to hire. I didn't have a certified science teacher for 9th, 11th, or 12th grades (earth science, chemistry, or physics). Imagine the competition to hire an elementary science teacher!