AboutPatricia Ireland-Williams Expertise I am a retired K-12 Public School Principal (8 years as a teacher and counselor) and 23 years as an administrator. I can help parents with questions about how the system works, provide ideas on how to solve school issues or assist teachers in coping with the plethera of stressors they face.
Experience I am currently an educational consultant and have served on the State of Arizona Solutions Team.
Question I apologize in advance that this is a little long. I am very disappointed with the math education that my daughter is receiving. She is currently in 5th grade. She switched from a Catholic school to a public school at the beginning of 4th grade, and since then her math abilities have gone downhill. Our state uses an ISTEP test that is required every year. This year my daughter almost failed the math portion of this test.
I think the trouble she is having is mostly due to the fact that my daughter came from a traditional math program at the Catholic school, and now her new school uses the Everyday Math program. I really don't like this program. It seems way more complicated to come up with your answers, especially for multiplication and division. I've tried getting her a once a week math tutor (another teacher at her school), but we are not seeing much improvement. I spoke with the school, and they are not concerned at this point because my daughter is doing well in everything else and reading at a 7th grade level. I know she is capable of so much more with math but I think the change from one style to another has her so confused now that she lacks the confidence and the motivation.
I work full-time, so homeschooling is not an option for us, and I can't afford a private school anymore. However, I am considering doing a homeschool program for math only that we could do together during the summer to hopefully catch her up to where she should be for the start of 6th grade. Do you think this could be beneficial for her, or would I probably only confuse her more? At this point, she will probably be invited although not required to attend summer school due to her ISTEP math score. We are looking at either doing summer school (which my daughter very much does not want to do) or continuing with the tutor over the summer. The cost of the tutor adds up quickly, so I got to thinking about how maybe I could do something with her instead.
I guess what I'm really searching for are an outsider's thoughts on this. Would it help for me to do some kind of math program or review or whatever you want to call it over the summer with her, and if so, where would you suggest I start? Should I look at homeschool math programs and use one of those as a guide for what we cover, or what else could I look at to help me out with this? I guess I'm looking for something to supplement and review what she should already be learning, as I know she is currently behind many of the students in her class. I'm inclined to go back to the more traditional way of doing math, but that's because that's what I'm comortable with. 6th grade is the last year for Everyday Math in our school system. Any suggestions on where to start?
Answer Leslie,
In spite of the difficulty your daughter is currently having in math, I would not recommend anything but Everyday Math in that if she is going to stay in public school, which is evaluated by ISTEP, know that the teachers choose curriculums that most closely match the standards of the state test (all states deal with the same issue). Also, when she goes to middle school and high school, the textbooks and curriculum will still be in line with what she has been taught in that there is a continuum of learning from one grade level to another.
I agree with you that the old math is easier but the new approaches better prepare students for the basic standards required by Universities: a minimum of 4 years of math beginning with Algebra and Geometry, ending in Applied Math or Calculus.
If you cannot continue the tutoring, I would suggest that you ask the teacher for a home study guide that you can use at home. You might also be able to secure a good one at any teacher supply store either in your city or on line. You might also request a copy of the curriculum guide or state standards as a reference.
It has been my experience that most kids really enjoy summer school...teachers are much more relaxed, usually only teaching one subject and many times take a more fun approach than during the regular school year.
