Is this math problem 3rd grade appropriate?

[luv2sleep]

If you read the standards and look at your child's work thoroughly it's really not bad at all. I recommend people thoroughly study up on the CC standards and work with their child before getting upset. Again, mine is in first and we are doing ok.

 

[luv2sleep]

Your son can write multiple sentences in the beginning of first grade?

Yup. They started that in kindergarten. He's in public school. In kindergarten not all of the words were correctly spelled but he did it. He just had to do this kind of thing recently. He had to write 6 sentences telling a story and he can do it.

 

[jodifla]

If you read the standards and look at your child's work thoroughly it's really not bad at all. I recommend people thoroughly study up on the CC standards and work with their child before getting upset. Again, mine is in first and we are doing ok.

I'm upset, like the OP, because the stuff his math class is doing is a nightmare. It doesn't matter how much I read the standards, because I can see they focus on a conversational verbal ability that my son doesn't have. Language disabilities are one of the most common special needs, and Common Core basically tells all these kids: Sucks to be you!

Again, all these parents I quote are real life living parents with kids who are hating themselves and school and calling themselves stupid.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

Thank you.



Exactly. My point is it wasn't firmed up.

Then it is your job to make sure your son understands the concept. You are also your child's teacher.

 

[luv2sleep]

I'm not saying it's easy. We work super hard at it all. Believe me, not easy. I'm just saying he can do it.

 

[sam_gordon]

And the letters and comments keep pouring in:
Oct. 18
http://dianeravitch.net/category/common-core/

Dear Diane,

Until September of this year, I only had a fleeting knowledge of what the Common Core was all about because I didn’t have a school aged child. This year we eagerly put our oldest son in kindergarten in our upstate, rural New York district. The uneasy feeling in my stomach started on the first day when the parents were ushered into the auditorium and the principal started preparing us that we would find stressed out teachers. Parents with older children began asking questions about why the kindergartners needed to participate in the dreaded testing. Upon returning to my son’s classroom, I did indeed find a stressed out teacher, saying things like, “we are all going to have to work together if we are going to get through this curriculum.” This is when I first encountered the word “module” as well, as I looked at my five year old’s schedule and noticed that he would be doing ELA from 10:45-12:25 every day. He is in full day kindergarten, and the day is packed with Fundations, Writing, ELA, ELA modules, and Math modules. To say alarm bells went off would be an understatement, but we continued thinking, “how bad can kindergarten get?”

Back to school night was a presentation by all five kindergarten teachers, which quickly turned into, “we know this sounds awful, but we promise are going to remember that your children are little.” Within a month of school starting, we were told that they needed to do away with the children’s rest period because there simply wasn’t enough time for it with the curriculum. The more I heard these comments from school, the deeper I dug into the EngageNY modules and started following your blog.

I’m sure you get letters like this every day. I listened to your Town Hall phone call the other night (thank you for not interrupting the questions like Commissioner King in Poughkeepsie) and heard lots of sound advice about what parents and teachers can do to fight back against these ridiculous standards. My question is more basic: Do I send my son to this school tomorrow? ...

This is a PRIME example of what I'm talking about. This letter writer is blaming the Common Core STANDARDS because of how the school is implementing the program.

As luv2sleep (among others) has told you... these things CAN and DO work. Maybe not in your school, but if your school is having problems, that doesn't mean the standards are the problem.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm upset, like the OP, because the stuff his math class is doing is a nightmare. It doesn't matter how much I read the standards, because I can see they focus on a conversational verbal ability that my son doesn't have. Language disabilities are one of the most common special needs, and Common Core basically tells all these kids: Sucks to be you!

No it doesn't. Not ONE of the standards you posted for 1st grade math mention ANYTHING about "conversational verbal ability". Well, I guess "tell time" could be considered "conversational".

Again, all these parents I quote are real life living parents with kids who are hating themselves and school and calling themselves stupid.

And there are "real life living parents" on this thread who have kids (and schools) that are meeting the standards.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

This is WAY WAY beyond most 1st graders I know. (Probably not on the DISboards, but in the rest of the general world.)


1st grade writing standards:


CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.3 Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

This is what those things might look like in our 1st grade classrooms.

Opinion Piece

I red Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. It is a fune dok. The pigeon said plez plez plez. He jumped up and down. You shud rede it to.

Informative Piece

All About Puppies

Puppies are babe dogs. (imagine a picture on each page for each line)

Puppies like to play wif bals.

Puppies nede leshs and colrs.

Puppies eat puppy fud.

Puppies are a gud pet for yur kid.

Narrative piece

Me and my Gradma wnt to the zoo. First, we saw zebras and giraffes. My Grandma sed he is so tal! Thn my Grndma bot me a toy panda bare. I was smiling. Last, we wnt home.

 

[jodifla]

http://dianeravitch.net/2013/10/17/a-mother-writes-to-the-new-york-board-of-regents/

A mother writes to the New York Board of Regents (Oct. 17):

"Tonight this fight became very, very personal.

My ten year old daughter asked me what it would take for me to let her stay home from school forever.

Forever. Not tomorrow& not this week. Forever.

Isabella is very well spoken; very bright. She describes herself as a feminist, and loves to debate adults about the inequity of womens pay for equal work. She is committed to calling out bullies in school and helping those people she sees that need a little boost. She can carry on conversations about interesting points and people in American history most kids have never heard of. She can tell you all about the Womens Suffrage Movement. However, Bella doesnt learn some things as quickly as other kids do. She struggles with reading at grade level, and has difficulty memorizing math facts. Math word problems are confusing to her, and take her longer than her peers. She has to work really hard to be successful academically. And she does work very hard.

But tonight Isabella decided she has had enough. School is too hard now. She said. Im too stupid to do this math. I can assure you we do not use the word stupid in our home to describe anything, especially not people. But in the one hour conversation we had in which she was begging me to let her quit school, Isabella used that word- stupid- to describe how she felt about herself more than 10 times.

So, now I have had enough.

No matter the intent, good or bad, in creating and implementing these Common Core standards& if they are hurting children, causing them to give up on themselves at ten years old, there is a problem no one can deny. This problem is bigger than the left wing  right wing debate over states rights and Federal overreach. This problem is bigger than corporations spending billions to influence education policy. This problem is bigger than data mining and privacy. This problem is bigger than Bill Gates, Arne Duncan and Commissioner John King.

Because when a child is broken in spirit, when they have lost their self worth and confidence, that damage is not erased easily. When children hate school to the point that they attempt to avoid it at all costs, there will be no desire to be college or career ready.

Now, before you say I just want my child to succeed no matter what, and I must be one of those everyone gets a trophy for participating parents, let me say this: I want my children to be challenged. I want them to have to work to be successful. I want them to sweat it out occasionally, and have to ask questions to clarify. I want their curiosity to lead them down paths Ive never imagined. I want them to want to know more& about everything.

But when they have no confidence, they will not try. They will not raise their hand to ask a question. They will fear homework, quizzes and exams& and the voice they hear in their heads telling them they cant, will create a self fulfilling prophecy& so they wont succeed.

If these insane policies pushing developmentally inappropriate curriculum on our children are allowed to stay in place, what will the future hold for those students who do not fit in this one size fits all approach? What will happen when the precious data doesnt show the growth these education reformers want to see because so many kids just give up? How many kids have to be hurt before we stop? How many kids have to use that word to describe themselves before we realize the damage that is being done?

Tomorrow morning I will bring Isabella to school. I will tell her that I know this is hard, but she has to just try her best. I will tell her I know how smart she is, and so does her teacher. I will kiss her head and whisper I love you with a smile.

And after she walks down the long school hallway, I will use very ounce of passion and compassion I have to call on my elected representatives to stop the abuse. I will contact every media outlet and offer my story- Isabellas story. I will call, write, tweet, and email the Board of Regents and NYSED Commissioner. I will request meetings with policy makers. I will rally friends and family to do the same. I cannot, no I will not sit back and wait for someone else to get this done.

No one has the right to implement policies that are downright abusive, no matter how lofty their goals. These policies have hurt my child- and that is unacceptable. Youve heard the phrase Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned&. that is nothing compared to that of a mother protecting her child.

~Ali Gordon"

 

[gottaluvPluto]

My second grader didn't get it. My fourth grader did. My second grader didn't understand that "domestically" <> "foreign". I'm sure if I changed the words around, she'd get it.

My niece knew the word foreign and deciphered what domestically meant.

 

[luv2sleep]

This is what those things might look like in our 1st grade classrooms. Opinion Piece I red Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. It is a fune dok. The pigeon said plez plez plez. He jumped up and down. You shud rede it to. Informative Piece All About Puppies Puppies are babe dogs. (imagine a picture on each page for each line) Puppies like to play wif bals. Puppies nede leshs and colrs. Puppies eat puppy fud. Puppies are a gud pet for yur kid. Narrative piece Me and my Gradma wnt to the zoo. First, we saw zebras and giraffes. My Grandma sed he is so tal! Thn my Grndma bot me a toy panda bare. I was smiling. Last, we wnt home.

Yep. That's exactly what it looks like. Really simple. So it could definitely be how the kids are being taught and what sources they are using for teaching. If the teacher isn't teaching it in a way that breaks it down and makes it simple for the kids then the kids aren't going to get it. Then at home you as the parent has to be able to explain things to them the way that your child learns. I've had to break out all kinds of creative way to make sure he gets whatever he might have an issue with. I had to read up ok the standards first to understand. I have friends whose kids are not struggling at all. They have no idea what this CC stuff is all about because they don't have to pay attention. Their kids are flying through it. I had to step back, educate myself, and make it work for him. Again it is not easy but he's actually learning and staying on track.

 

[jodifla]

No it doesn't. Not ONE of the standards you posted for 1st grade math mention ANYTHING about "conversational verbal ability". Well, I guess "tell time" could be considered "conversational".

And there are "real life living parents" on this thread who have kids (and schools) that are meeting the standards.

Again, very few people actually know that they are meeting the standards, as the curriculum has just been rolled out in most places full throttle.

And only two states worth of children have been tested on these standards, and 70 to 95 percent of them fail.

 

[sam_gordon]

So it could definitely be how the kids are being taught and what sources they are using for teaching. If the teacher isn't teaching it in a way that breaks it down and makes it simple for the kids then the kids aren't going to get it.

x1000

 

[nugov2]

Here is just one lesson using a ten frame that helps 1st grade students Reason abstractly and quantitatively: If you think there is something wrong with this lesson than you have had problems with education long before CC. We used this lesson when I student taught 1st grade a long time ago. Here is the link if you want to read it more detailed and this was just the first example I found when google searching lessons that teach reason abstractly and quantitatively to 1st graders. I can go through each standard you have listed, but really they all come down to something this basic when you break down the language.

http://maccss.ncdpi.**********.net/file/view/1stGradeUnit.pdf

I am sure there are tons more out there. It is really sill that people let a bunch of big words used when writing the standards scare them. It really is silly. All they really mean is that they want the kids to do something as simple as translate a word problem into a simple number sentence. They want them to simply communicate their thinking process and decide if their answer to the problem is reasonable. That is all.

Lesson 1.2: Ten Frames 11-19
Overview and Background Information
Mathematical
Goals
By the end of the lesson students will:
• Represent a given number (0 – 19) on a ten-frame and/or a double ten-frame
and relate the representation to the written numeral
• Given a number between 0 and 9, tell how many more are needed to make a
ten
• Given a number between 11 and 19, tell how many leftovers (ones) are in
addition to the group of ten
• Given a number between 0 and 19, tell how much one more or one less is
Common Core
State
Standards
Extend the counting sequence.
1.NBT.1 Count to 120, starting at any number less than 120. In this range, read and
write numerals and represent a number of objects with a written numeral.
Understand Place Value.
1.NBT.3 Compare two two-digit numbers based on meanings of the tens and ones
digits.
Emphasized
Standards for
Mathematical
Practice
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively
3. Use appropriate tools strategically
6. Attend to precision
7. Look for make use of structure
Prior
Knowledge
Needed
know number names and the count sequence, count up to 19 objects
Vocabulary place value, tens, ones, leftovers, less, more
Materials ten-frame mats, double ten-frame mats, 2-color counters, number cards (0-9),
spinner, paperclip, pencil, Splitting Up Teen Numbers
Activity Sheet
Resources Technology Link:
http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-1/counting-tens-and-ones-up-to-99
Tasks in the Lesson
Engage 5-10 minutes
Ten Frames 11-19
Give students ten frames and approximately 20 counters each. Ask the students to place ten counters
on the ten frame. Observe to make sure that each space has only one counter in it.
Tell students, “Grab another counter and place it next to your ten frame. How many counters do we
now have total? How many are on our ten frame? How many leftovers do we have outside of the ten
frame?”
Have the students grab another counter and ask them the questions above. Make sure to emphasize
that the number on the ten frame does not change and the number of leftovers changes. Now,
numbers are only said orally. Do not show the written numeral.
Continue this process until students have 15 counters.
Grade 1: Exploring Two-Digit Numbers
14
Explore 20-25 minutes
Building Teen Numbers
Write the number 16 on the board for students. Tell students to build it using the ten frame.
As students work observe:
Do they put one counter in each square?
Do they organize their leftovers in a way that is easy to count?
How do they orally count the number of counters that they have?”
Write the number 18 on the board for students and have them build that number using the ten frame.
Observe the same things as above. Once students have built 16 and 18 introduce the double ten
frame (copy attached). Tell students that double ten frame works just like one ten frame. Emphasize
the importance of filling up the entire top ten frame before filling in the bottom ten frame.
More or Less with Teen Numbers
Split students into pairs. Each pair receives a set of teen number cards and a spinner.
Model the activity for students.
Directions:
• Pull a number card from the deck.
• Build the number using your double ten frame.
• Record your number on the Activity Sheet.
• Spin the spinner.
• Adjust the ten frame based on what you have spun.
• Record your new number on the Activity Sheet.
Model this at least two times with students.
Ask them questions to make sure they understand:
• What is the first thing that you will do?
• After drawing a card what do we do?
• What do we do after we spin the spinner?
• As I walk around what will I see on your activity sheet?
As student play observe:
Do they correctly record the correct number?
How do they count the first number of counters?
When they change the number do they count all of the counters or count on from a different number?
Attached is a sheet for you to collect anecdotal notes. Make a note at the top of the chart about the
concepts to observe, such as accuracy, how students count, whether they count all or count on.
Explain 10 minutes
Bring students back together to discuss the activity. The purpose of this is to have students discuss the
idea of tens and leftovers as well as the ideas of changing numbers by counting on or counting back.
Discussing Counting On and Counting Back
Show students the number card 16. .
Either have a student model how to build and change the double ten frame or do it for the class as
students tell you what to do. Spin the spinner, but before changing the ten frame ask:
“How should we change our double ten frame?”
Follow up by asking: “How did you count when we had to change the number?”
Grade 1: Exploring Two-Digit Numbers
15
Possible student responses:
• “I started at 1 and counted all of the counters.”
• “I knew that I had one full ten frame so I started at 10 and then counted 11, 12…”
• “We started with 16 and the spinner said to add 2, so I counted 2 more, 17 then 18.”
Discussing the Idea of Tens and Leftovers
Show students a blank copy of the chart below. The first two rows are filled in to show you an
example.
Counters in first
ten frame
Leftovers in
second ten frame
Total
counters
Number sentence
10
6 16 10 + 6 = 16
10
7 17 10 + 7 = 17
Ask students questions as they help you fill out the table. For example, if you had built the number 16
on the ten frame.
“How many counters are in the first ten frame?”
“How many counters are in the second ten frame?”
“If we added the counters from both ten frames, how many would we have?”
“What would our number sentence if we added the counters in each of the ten frames?”
Repeat this with a few of the teen numbers.
This discussion is intended to help students understand that the teen numbers are composed of one
ten and some leftovers. For example, 15 is made up of a group of 10 and 5 leftovers which can be
shown as 10+5 = 15. This is a Kindergarten Common Core Standard, but needs to be revisited
frequently in First Grade.
Elaborate 10 minutes
Give students the Activity Sheet titled “Splitting Up Teen Numbers” for them to work on.
As students are working feel free to provide extra support to struggling students by revisiting the ideas
of tens and leftovers.
Evaluation of Student Performance
Formative: While students are working observe students.
Questions to assist student evaluation include:
1) Do students correctly represent a number on the ten frames?
2) How do students count after changing a number on the ten frames?
3) Can students accurately tell you how many tens and ones are in the numbers 0-19?
Summative: The activity sheet can be used for summative evaluation.
Plans for Individual Differences
Intervention: Struggling students will work with the numbers 0-10 on a ten-frame before moving onto
numbers 11-19. Small group instruction would be given to these students.
Extension: Students that have achieved the numbers 0 – 19 could begin exploring the numbers 21-29
during the Explore part of the lesson.

 

[sam_gordon]

Again, very few people actually know that they are meeting the standards, as the curriculum has just been rolled out in most places full throttle.

It's just been rolled out, but we know it's not going to work?

And only two states worth of children have been tested on these standards, and 70 to 95 percent of them fail.

I'm sure tests could be written so 100% of students pass. But should that be the goal?

I've told this story before but DS's soccer team is undefeated in league play, but gets blown out in tournaments. Are they a good soccer team or not?

 

[jodifla]

Yep. That's exactly what it looks like. Really simple. So it could definitely be how the kids are being taught and what sources they are using for teaching. If the teacher isn't teaching it in a way that breaks it down and makes it simple for the kids then the kids aren't going to get it. Then at home you as the parent has to be able to explain things to them the way that your child learns. I've had to break out all kinds of creative way to make sure he gets whatever he might have an issue with. I had to read up ok the standards first to understand. I have friends whose kids are not struggling at all. They have no idea what this CC stuff is all about because they don't have to pay attention. Their kids are flying through it. I had to step back, educate myself, and make it work for him. Again it is not easy but he's actually learning and staying on track.

Yes, CC will be a breeze for many students. It is geared to the way they learn.

For other kids, it will be a disaster that will likely prevent them from getting an education at all. There are countless kids who have now decided they are stupid -- and that is really difficult to undo. When they take their state tests, they will also learn they are complete and utter failures.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

http://dianeravitch.net/2013/10/17/a-mother-writes-to-the-new-york-board-of-regents/

A mother writes to the New York Board of Regents (Oct. 17):

"Tonight this fight became very, very personal.

My ten year old daughter asked me what it would take for me to let her stay home from school forever.

Forever. Not tomorrow& not this week. Forever.

Isabella is very well spoken; very bright. She describes herself as a feminist, and loves to debate adults about the inequity of womens pay for equal work. She is committed to calling out bullies in school and helping those people she sees that need a little boost. She can carry on conversations about interesting points and people in American history most kids have never heard of. She can tell you all about the Womens Suffrage Movement. However, Bella doesnt learn some things as quickly as other kids do. She struggles with reading at grade level, and has difficulty memorizing math facts. Math word problems are confusing to her, and take her longer than her peers. She has to work really hard to be successful academically. And she does work very hard.

But tonight Isabella decided she has had enough. School is too hard now. She said. Im too stupid to do this math. I can assure you we do not use the word stupid in our home to describe anything, especially not people. But in the one hour conversation we had in which she was begging me to let her quit school, Isabella used that word- stupid- to describe how she felt about herself more than 10 times.

So, now I have had enough.

No matter the intent, good or bad, in creating and implementing these Common Core standards& if they are hurting children, causing them to give up on themselves at ten years old, there is a problem no one can deny. This problem is bigger than the left wing  right wing debate over states rights and Federal overreach. This problem is bigger than corporations spending billions to influence education policy. This problem is bigger than data mining and privacy. This problem is bigger than Bill Gates, Arne Duncan and Commissioner John King.

Because when a child is broken in spirit, when they have lost their self worth and confidence, that damage is not erased easily. When children hate school to the point that they attempt to avoid it at all costs, there will be no desire to be college or career ready.

Now, before you say I just want my child to succeed no matter what, and I must be one of those everyone gets a trophy for participating parents, let me say this: I want my children to be challenged. I want them to have to work to be successful. I want them to sweat it out occasionally, and have to ask questions to clarify. I want their curiosity to lead them down paths Ive never imagined. I want them to want to know more& about everything.

But when they have no confidence, they will not try. They will not raise their hand to ask a question. They will fear homework, quizzes and exams& and the voice they hear in their heads telling them they cant, will create a self fulfilling prophecy& so they wont succeed.

If these insane policies pushing developmentally inappropriate curriculum on our children are allowed to stay in place, what will the future hold for those students who do not fit in this one size fits all approach? What will happen when the precious data doesnt show the growth these education reformers want to see because so many kids just give up? How many kids have to be hurt before we stop? How many kids have to use that word to describe themselves before we realize the damage that is being done?

Tomorrow morning I will bring Isabella to school. I will tell her that I know this is hard, but she has to just try her best. I will tell her I know how smart she is, and so does her teacher. I will kiss her head and whisper I love you with a smile.

And after she walks down the long school hallway, I will use very ounce of passion and compassion I have to call on my elected representatives to stop the abuse. I will contact every media outlet and offer my story- Isabellas story. I will call, write, tweet, and email the Board of Regents and NYSED Commissioner. I will request meetings with policy makers. I will rally friends and family to do the same. I cannot, no I will not sit back and wait for someone else to get this done.

No one has the right to implement policies that are downright abusive, no matter how lofty their goals. These policies have hurt my child- and that is unacceptable. Youve heard the phrase Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned&. that is nothing compared to that of a mother protecting her child.

~Ali Gordon"

My questions for Ali would be- What are you as a parent doing to help build her confidence in school and other social settings? Are you being her teacher at night and sitting with her while she does her homework, (guide her and help her understand)?

I know a few parents that spend about 3.5 hours a night helping and teaching their children while they do homework. These children struggle with concepts, but with the help of parents they are finding confidence and success.

 

[sam_gordon]

Here is just one lesson using a ten frame that helps 1st grade students Reason abstractly and quantitatively: If you think there is something wrong with this lesson than you have had problems with education long before CC. We used this lesson when I student taught 1st grade a long time ago. Here is the link if you want to read it more detailed and this was just the first example I found when google searching lessons that teach reason abstractly and quantitatively to 1st graders. I can go through each standard you have listed, but really they all come down to something this basic when you break down the language.

http://maccss.ncdpi.**********.net/file/view/1stGradeUnit.pdf

Your link got bit by the filters.

 

[sam_gordon]

Yes, CC will be a breeze for many students. It is geared to the way they learn.

For other kids, it will be a disaster that will likely prevent them from getting an education at all. There are countless kids who have now decided they are stupid -- and that is really difficult to undo. When they take their state tests, they will also learn they are complete and utter failures.

But then maybe this is an indication these other kids need more help. Whether that be tutoring by their teacher, 3rd party help, or whatever.

NO curriculum will satisfy ALL students.

 

[luv2sleep]

My questions for Ali would be- What are you as a parent doing to help build her confidence in school and other social settings? Are you being her teacher at night and sitting with her while she does her homework, (guide her and help her understand)? I know a few parents that spend about 3.5 hours a night helping and teaching their children while they do homework. These children struggle with concepts, but with the help of parents they are finding confidence and success.

That's us. We aren't at 3.5 hours yet but we are at half to one hour per night right now in first. It's not his homework that's causing that. It's me doing extra stuff with him to make sure he's getting it all.