New Math – HELP !

Programs and curriculum in education are always changing . There are also a variety of preschool programs with varying degrees of academics being taught. We see more focus and funding for  ‘the first 5’ , realizing that preschool and early intervention affect student success. The methods for teaching math are currently  one  area that parents struggle with the most even in the Kindergarten curriculum. A simple way to help in preparing a child  or reinforcing Kindergarten concepts would be for  parents to use some math vocabulary at home. Instead of asking kids to clean up ,try using the words “SORT AND CLASSIFY”. This means putting items in groups and naming the group based on similar qualities – a perfect definition of cleaning up . Use the word FEWER when and if possible. Did you know that the opposite of greater is fewer, not less ? Less is the opposite of more. When answering math questions starting in Kindergarten, students are asked to loop and select and answer. Students are asked to explain, prove, discuss, demonstrate or draw how they got their answer. Math vocabulary is very unfamiliar to most Kindergarteners because parents  do not use these words frequently at home. This first year of practice in the classroom results in a lot of shoulder shrugging,and blank stares.  Parents , take  a look at your  child’s work when it comes home. Sit down and ask your child a few questions about what they did. You should be able to see if your child  understands the concept. Share about when you  were in school and then  ask for their help with this new math. Ask your child  to explain it. If there is a page that was skipped, it is likely because it was too hard for the majority of the class. This could be a good page to try together – let your child teach you. Make note of the concepts by looking at the work that comes home then try to find a way to practice at home using everyday activities or objects. Eg: getting ready for dinner, you could say to your child

“Count the forks in the drawer, let me know how many I have to wash in order to set the table.” (Addition) Or “ Count the forks in the drawer, after I set the table, how many will be left? (subtraction) . 

The common core /new math is full of word problems so…. remember  “practice makes improvement ” .