Anyones child using Everyday Math program?

[allicat]

This is the first year for Everyday Math (or Chicago Math) in our district. DD is in 3rd grade and last year she learned addition and subtraction the "old fashioned" way.
This new program seems to jump around with no rhyme or reason and there is no emphasis on memorizing facts. I dont see how a weaker student will be able to keep up with the class.Plus, the average time they spend on math is 2 hours per day.

I did a bit of research on the internet and I found so much negative info. on this program.
Anyone elses kid using this math and how do you like it?

 

[Lisa L from MI]

Our kids use it. They are in 2nd and 5th grade. I don't understand it much so really am not much help to them. At conferences last year for my older one, the teacher actually explained some things to me on the board....it "sorta" made sense....but it is hard to help them with division/multiplication etc when the kids think you are nuts using the old way.......

 

[Zurg]

Our kids are in the progam.

I hate it.

Too convoluted IMHO.

 

[Zurg]

Our kids are in the progam.

I hate it.

Too convoluted IMHO.

 

[house_of_princesses]

My dd's neurologist recommended my researching it for her use. (She has a difficult time putting things in long term memory from short term memory.) Seeing as I thought he was nuts, I'm not heeding his advice.

 

[disykat]

Our district is on it's 5th year with the program -both ds's started with it so it's all they've known. It takes a bit to get used to the circulating curiculum and not expecting mastery of all the skills taught. Be sure to save the parent letters that they send home at the beginning of each new unit - they may come in handy since they use different algorithms than we are used to. (When I substitute teach I always look at the math lesson plan first thing because it's a hard program to just try to "wing it" with!)

Our teachers discovered that they need to drill facts the old fashioned way in addition to teaching the program. The first year I think they were encouraged to embrace the program 100% and didn't supplement enough fact work. It really does seem to do a good job teaching concepts. My kids seem to be a bit ahead in their concepts and thinking skills, but behind in their computation skills from what I would expect (I taught 11 years ago).

 

[amid chaos]

My DS is the first class to have it all the way thru from Kindergarten..not very many parents or teachers like it...teachers do lots of supplementation to fill in the gaps.
DS is starting at a private school this year, 7th grade, and the math teacher says he has to reteach the kids coming out of this program every year.

It is a cylical program so if a kid misses something when it is first introduced it keeps coming back at a later time...again and again. this is great for some kids..but others never get it the way it is taught.

 

[rbuzzotta]

This will be my middle DD's 2nd year in it. She is one of the weaker students and I supplement the math curriculum with the Kumon math program. Kumon works on the concept of mastering the basic facts..............

My oldest DD in 7th grade didn't do "Everyday Math" and is doing well. I can say she is doing well because of the Kumon math program.............she has all her facts down pat!!!

My youngest, in kindergarten, just came home with a paper on "Everyday math"!!

I can' say if I like the program or not, but I do know that my girls definetly benefit from Kumon math..........

 

[piratesmate]

Our district started using it when DD was in 3rd (I think.) Most parents complain bitterly about it - their children don't understand & the parents can't help because it's so different. They do send the parent letters home, but we didn't find them to be terribly helpful the few times DD was having trouble & the full are in the textbook, which had to stay in school. (Only the journal/workbook came home.)

Having said that, we only ever had trouble a handful of times. DD is gifted in math & our district refuses to do anything for elem students in that situation. Using this program kept her from being too bored....but I feel really sorry for students who need things explained!

 

[DISshopkeeper]

DD had it all through elementary school. It started when DS was in 2nd grade. They are in High School now. They learned their Math. DS is better at it than DD. Our district had actual FREE CLASSES for parents. Guess what, my mental math skills improved after taking the class!

The concepts of everyday math make sense. We learned to add from the right to left:

798
+432

We would add that RIGHT column first. Why?? It's the least important part of the problem. My kids were taught to LOOK at the whole problem and ESTIMATE the answer before they began computation. Gee, what a concept! So we at LEAST know that if we are not in neighborhood of 1200 we would KNOW the answer was wrong.

We liked the program. Most parents did not. It's hard to teach and old dog new tricks. I'm still fascinated to hear DD do "mental" math out loud. IT's amazing how she comes up with the right answer! It's just another way of thinking.

The downside was that the "fact learning" was indeed left to the parents. But that was somewhat true in my day, too. I well remember my Mom and older brothers drilling me on times tables. And that is STILL as important as ever.

Give it some time and good luck!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I HATE it.
'nuff said.

Our teachers discovered that they need to drill facts the old fashioned way in addition to teaching the program.

I absolutely agree with that. In 2nd and 3rd grades our teachers were begging the parents to please please please drill the math facts at home because the program doesn't cover them.

Now in 4th grade we have a group of kids who are all over the place in what they have mastered. Meanwhile my son brought home a Homelink assignment last night that instructed him to:

Draw pictures of things in your home that remind you of line segments.

again --- 'nuff said.

I supplement with my own workbooks here at home. Actually, I have found that the Clue Finders Math game is working wonderfully this year. He's studying without even realizing it.