kitchen table math, the sequel: Kindergarten Math in the Twilight Zone

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Kindergarten Math in the Twilight Zone

My kindergartener received her report card yesterday. So, what do they grade a five year old on in math these days? Just take a look at the expectation for January:

Applies Understanding of Number Concepts and Basic Operations
Uses one to one correspondence to count objects
Identifies numerals 0-20
Writes numeral 0-20
Counts 0-70
Counts backward 10-0

Applies Mathematical Thinking and Reasoning
Sorts and classifies objects
Recognizes, reproduces and extends patterns
Understands estimation
Performs data collection and creates simple graphs

This is NOT the expectation for January:

  • Counts 0-115
  • Counts backward 20-0
  • Understands the meaning of addition
  • Understand the meaning of subtraction
  • Recognizes penny, nickel, dime and quarter
  • Tells time to the hour

Students aren't expected to know that until June.

This is life in the world of Everyday Math. It's like another plane of reality where it's more important for a five year old to learn how to estimate, collect data, and create graphs than it is to learn how to add, subtract, count coins, tell time or count backward. Actually, the expectation isn't even that these kindergarteners will enter first grade actually adding and subtracting, it's enough that they "understand the meaning" of adding and subtracting.

Yes folks, the problem with Everyday Math begins as early as kindergarten and will haunt your children each step of the way.

Then they wonder why parents get upset.

Cross posted at Mindless Math Mutterings.

11 comments:

Independent George said...

Moreover, most people won't have any idea that anything is wrong until 7th or 8th grade, when everything can be blamed on the parents/kids.

concernedCTparent said...

Did I mention that they practice skip counting using a calculator? It brings into question if any of the skills graded are even closely related to what a parent's expectation actually is. It's great that my child can count backwards, for example, but is that with or without some type of manipulative?

concernedCTparent said...

I know, for example, that she can count backwards from 100, add, and subtract without manipulatives or charts, but has the school figured it out yet or are they too busy estimating, collecting data and creating graphs?

Catherine Johnson said...

IG - ditto that.

Middle school kids make good targets. No one loves a middle school kid.

Catherine Johnson said...

Or a middle school parent, for that matter.

Catherine Johnson said...

estimate, collect data, and create graphs

My friend A. said her 7th grade son was just taught mean, median, and mode AGAIN.

Instructivist said...

[My friend A. said her 7th grade son was just taught mean, median, and mode AGAIN.]

Yes, mean, median, and mode and stem and leaf, mean, median, and mode and stem and leaf, mean, median, and mode and stem and leaf,mean, median, and mode and stem and leaf,.. from now until doomsday.

It's the educationist pretext to be able to claim pretentiously that they are teaching "statistics". Why bother with lowly arithmetic if you are teaching high-falutin'-sounding "statistics"?

Catherine Johnson said...

This is our situation with Earth Science. It's CONCEPTUAL. It requires INFERENTIAL THINKING. Only a child performing in the top 20% OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY can handle it.

If your child is having a problem that is proof positive he's not intellectually up to the challenge.

VickyS said...

What *is* it with those stem and leaf plots, anyway? I was a declared math major in college, took plenty of statistics, studied economics, geography and physical science...and never met a stem and leaf plot along the way.

Has anyone ever seen these goofy things in use beyond the confines of a middle school math program??

Anonymous said...

I finaly found a good blog dealing with math.

I'm a kindergarten teacher in Dallas and have been printing off all kinds of worksheets from this Kindergarten Math site. It's fantastic:

Kindergarten Math

Just thought I would share.

Catherine Johnson said...

THANK YOU!

I'VE GOT THE LINK - !