<p>@californiaaa</p>
<p>Really??? You don’t allow group play in Kindergarden? That is what group problem solving looks like at that age.</p>
<p>Group play in kindergarten is great.</p>
<p>How can a kindergartener teach another kindergartener math - I don’t know.</p>
<p>They don’t “teach each other” in the form of instruction. They learn through playing games that have been created with learning built into the game. Think of Bingo for learning number recognition. Or Dominos. Imagine a large plastic number line laid out on the floor that the kids can walk on to count forward (adding) and backward(subtracting), guided by a teacher or aide. There are hundreds of games that teach math concepts that are simple enough for 5 year-olds to play in groups.<br>
I didn’t see anything in the standards that says the kids are teaching the concepts.</p>
<p>"Think of Bingo for learning number recognition. Or Dominos. Imagine a large plastic number line laid out on the floor that the kids can walk on to count forward (adding) and backward(subtracting), guided by a teacher or aide. There are hundreds of games that teach math concepts that are simple enough for 5 year-olds to play in groups. "</p>
<p>Our preschool has it already. There is less than 45 minutes of math instruction per day in kindergarten and I wish it would be INSTRUCTION, not another play.</p>
<p>So, teachers are supposed to lecture to 5 year olds? </p>
<p>Having kids add and subtract on a number line, with the guidance of a teacher or aide, is instruction. A child stands on the number three and walks forward two spaces." What number are you on now? What sign do we use to show that we have moved forward two spaces?"
Kids at this age learn through play, but, the play must be structured to cover the concepts you’re trying to teach. In fact, play is the most effective method of teaching kids at this age. Ask any kindergarten teacher.</p>
<p>We have 35 kids in Kindergarten. 45 minutes per math lesson</p>
<p>"Imagine a large plastic number line laid out on the floor that the kids can walk on to count forward (adding) and backward(subtracting), guided by a teacher or aide. "</p>
<p>Just one game per day :(((</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Somehow, I doubt that any US state’s minimum math standards are “approximately at the level of the top international standards.” If they were, every high school student would be graduating with knowledge of calculus.</p>
<p>Prior to the Common Core, there was a push in California to get every 8th grader into algebra 1 (normally a 9th grade course in the US). Perhaps the intent was to eliminate the differences in placement that may have had less to do with academic ability than such things as SES status, race, and other things that could prejudice teachers and administrators making placement decisions. But it was not very successful, with many students failing and having to repeat the course in 9th grade, and many middle schools in practice offered “algebra 1 lite” courses for those whom they felt were not ready.</p>
<p>[California</a> abandons algebra requirement for eighth-graders - San Jose Mercury News](<a href=“California abandons algebra requirement for eighth-graders – The Mercury News”>California abandons algebra requirement for eighth-graders – The Mercury News)</p>
<p>It appears that, with the Common Core, California’s standards will align with actual practice, with a regular (Common Core) track with “algebra 1 lite” in 8th grade, and an advanced track with algebra 1 in 8th grade.</p>
<h1>66-I guess I don’t see what the problem is. Only one game? Maybe they will do the number line for 15 minutes, and then create a word problem with one of the equations they made during that exercise. They can come up with the problem as a group and then draw a picture to illustrate it. 20 minutes. Then they can break up into smaller groups and play a board game designed to use the concepts of inequalities, or number value, or anything else that is on the agenda for the day. 10 minutes.</h1>
<p>Don’t think having 35 kids means you can’t teach concepts creatively. Ideally, you’ll have an aide or a parent in the classroom to help with the size of your groups. If not, it will be noisy. And you do need to switch activities often. It’s all in the teacher’s imagination and ability to match the skills and concepts to the activities provided. That’s what their training is for.</p>
<p>“They can come up with the problem as a group and then draw a picture to illustrate it. 20 minutes.”
Let me clarify that the creation of the word problem would be guided by the teacher with suggestions from the students, and then the kids would go back to their tables and draw their own illustrations for the problems. I’ve done this exercise dozens of times, and the kids love it.
By first grade, the students are writing their own word problems and illustrating them. This is a chance for the kids who are more advanced students to stretch themselves.</p>
<p>Nice quote from the Hoosier but barking up the wrong tree if anyone on here thinks Indiana is ahead of the game…I beg to differ. Our school’s AP pass rate is…ta-da…0. I understand AP isn’t the end-all, be-all, just putting a standardized frame of reference out there. We are one of the lowest states in terms of post-secondary educational attainment.</p>
<p>Indiana now requires four years of HS math. Our school’s highest class is calc. So if one does pre-calc as a jr, then decides not to move on to calc, what do they take? Business math. Indiana also requires Algebra II to graduate. That has both caused some problems and dumbed it down for the kids who would have been originally taking Alg II.</p>
<p>We are over-standardized and legislated in every industry in this county. That isn’t a political statement because it happens no matter which party is in control. It’s a runaway train :(</p>
<p>“Let me clarify that the creation of the word problem would be guided by the teacher with suggestions from the students, and then the kids would go back to their tables and draw their own illustrations for the problems. I’ve done this exercise dozens of times, and the kids love it.”</p>
<p>You describe pre-Common Core era. I am not sure whether it will stay the same way in future.</p>
<p>"It appears that, with the Common Core, California’s standards will align with actual practice, with a regular (Common Core) track with “algebra 1 lite” in 8th grade, and an advanced track with algebra 1 in 8th grade. "</p>
<p>It was not a common practice in every school district. We used to have Algebra one in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.</p>
<p>"“They can come up with the problem as a group and then draw a picture to illustrate it. 20 minutes.” </p>
<p>My kindergartener would never move beyond drawing pictures. She would make pictures and stories instead of math. </p>
<p>It’s like giving soup and candy and asking kid to choose what he wants to eat.</p>
<p>Pictures and stories are math at the K level. </p>
<p>Your problem is that your school found a way to tweak the previous system to work for your community and you don’t have any consideration for the other districts that weren’t able to improve on the previous system. </p>
<p>CC doesn’t prevent schools from going beyond their guidelines just like the previous system. Also just like the previous system, your school will figure out how to implement the system so that the needs of your community are met.</p>
<p>"Also just like the previous system, your school will figure out how to implement the system so that the needs of your community are met. "</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it will takes several years before the school district will figure out how to go around Common Core. I have 3 young kids, I don’t have a luxury of waiting a couple of years.</p>
<p>I don’t think that education of kids in my school district should be sacrificed for “the common good”.</p>
<p>I agree with californiaaa, the children now don’t have the luxury of waiting for the system to figure out how to implement Common Core. We were told at the last PTA meeting at the local high school that it would take about 6 years to fully adapt to Common Core. I don’t want my son floundering for 6 years while they try to figure out whether this will work.</p>
<p>[Can</a> We Rescue the Common Core Standards From the Testing Machine? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher](<a href=“http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/11/can_we_rescue_the_common_core_.html]Can”>Can We Rescue the Common Core Standards From the Testing Machine? (Opinion))</p>
<p>I hope this is an okay link — EdWeek’s weekly column is about Common Core, and why it is inextricably linked to testing.</p>
<p>Why can’t they leave successful schools alone and experiment with underperforming schools only? </p>
<p>Why they rush a US-wide experiment, instead of implementing it in just several school districts, first?</p>
<p>It isn’t “going around the common core.” </p>
<p>If, as you say, your district was 2-3 years ahead, they can still do everything almost exactly they same way. The common core is a minimum not a maximum.</p>
<p>So ANNE1389 is unhappy because they are slowly integrating the CC and californiaaa is unhappy because they are rushing it in.</p>
<p>No wonder nothing can get done in this country.</p>