Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Aim low, avoid disappointment

UCSMP: Everyday Mathematics:


"Helping children learn the basic facts is an important goal in the Everyday Mathematics Curriculum. Most children should have developed an automatic recall of the basic addition and subtraction facts by the end of the second grade. They should also know most of their 1, 2, 5, and 10 multiplication facts by this time. By the end of the fourth grade most students should have an automatic recall of all the basic multiplication facts and be familiar with the basic division facts. Multiplication and division facts are reinforced at the beginning of fifth grade.[emphasis mine]
Anchorage uses Everyday Math. This is what I have to look forward to... most (not all) children having automatic recall by the end of 4th grade (not 3rd grade).

I fully intend to start a parental revolution like that happening in Ridgewood, NJ, Washington state, and New York.

Plan of attack:

1. Start website
2. Letters to editor
3. Raise issue at PTA
4. Raise issue with school board

I know, I know, I promised to stay out of education reform, but it looks like so much fun.

5 comments:

Catherine Johnson said...

good deal!

Dennis Fermoyle said...

Rory, education reform discussions just wouldn't be the same without you. When does the big move take place?

TurbineGuy said...

I leave here August 10, arriving in Alaska August 23rd.

Anonymous said...

Take plenty of mosquito repellent.

Anonymous said...

One of the local districts using EDM doesn't ever teach multiplication facts, so I can't imagine how they expect students to learn them by the end of fourth grade.