As a result of the recent effort in mathematics teaching
to include understanding in the teaching of math, from basic through advanced
levels, the picture of your child's math class may, indeed, look different
from what you remember when you were in school. For instance:
Children will be expected to
know their math facts: Children will be learning their math facts
with an understanding of how facts relate to each other.
Children will be doing more
than arithmetic: Children will be seeing that math is much more
than arithmetic (knowing the facts and number operations); it involves
estimation, geometry, probability, statistics, and more.
Children will be striving
to achieve high goals: Children will be achieving high standards
of understanding, complexity, and accuracy set for them by their parents,
teachers, schools, and states.
Children will be actively
involved in the study of mathematics: Children will be doing tasks
that involve investigations. They will be talking and writing explanations
for their thinking.
Children will be working with
one another: Children will be collaborating to make discoveries,
draw conclusions, and discuss math.
Children will be evaluated
in a variety of ways: Teachers will use many different ways to determine
if children know and understand math concepts. Some of these will include
writing samples, projects, or written tests. Not all evaluation will
be the same for every classroom or every child.
Children will be using calculators
to solve problems: They will be using calculators not as crutches
but as tools to solve more complex problems with bigger numbers than
they could do otherwise. Children with good knowledge of math facts,
number sense, and reasoning about math will be able to use the calculator
most effectively.
Children will be using computers:
They will be developing databases, spreadsheets and computer graphics,
while solving problems.
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