Trying to Slip One Past Me

I pay scrupulous attention to what my daughter learns in school.  I keep tabs on textbooks, homework assignments, skills requirements, curricular objectives and the like.  The problem, I believe, is that my non-Mom brain is having trouble keeping my Mom brain in check.  In other words, I have a nine-year-old third grader in my non-Mom mind, but in my Mom-mind, she's still a wee one.

Several days ago, I read and followed the links in Michelle Malkin's piece on fuzzy math.  She's since updated it and added even more worthy links.  One from my home state caught my attention.  It led to a California university site on which you can download practice tests based upon the standards California has devised for its students.  Thanks to California and the ever-present trend of following it and then lagging behind when it abandons ship, we are currently stuck with fuzzy math.  California, however, has gone back to teaching actual math.

As all the synapses started firing together over the past week or so, I realized M1 is behind where I was when I was in 3rd grade.  I looked at the 3rd grade practice test on-line and realized she's also woefully behind the kids in California too.  I printed off the 2nd grade practice test and she was unable to complete the entire thing for two reasons:  1)  these children have not been taught their multiplication tables and 2) she has not had any instruction in fractions aside from the things we do at home.

What the hell?

I am sitting here, trying to study for finals, and instead, I'm livid about the state of my child's education at a private school.  I have already crafted an e-mail to her teacher which will certainly be followed by a meeting or five.  If I have to garner support for putting these children on track from other parents I can think of two immediately--one is a mom/aeronautical engineer and the other is a dad/astronaut.  I'm pretty sure they might be starting to wonder what's going on as far as math in our school too.  If not, it's time they start.  I know we are starting TODAY drilling times tables until she can do them backwards, forwards and in her sleep.  And, I'm investigating the best way to teach fractions without freaking a kid out.  Then, it's off to division.

I mean, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in the late-70's, early-80's in a rural school in Hodunk, Midwest I was further along in math than my own daughter is now some twenty years later in one of the best private schools in town!  I was never a brainiac in math, but I was certainly given the opportunity to learn it. 

It would be one thing if the opportunities had been properly presented and M1 either couldn't or wouldn't learn it.  We'd have ways of dealing with either pronto.  Now, however, I have a child who, at 9, reads and comprehends on a junior high/high school level  who doesn't understand that 8x5 is the same as 5x8 and that she should have those problems memorized rather than relying on hokey-pokey adding in one's head.  She also hasn't a clue why 5/5 = 1.

And her father scoffed at me when she turned 2 and I started investigating homeschooling!  It's still an option and a more tempting one every day.  As it stands, I'm looking at private school tuition plus the money to pay for something like Kumon or Sylvan all the while wondering why the heck I'm even wasting her time for six hours each week day?

Thank God the library is handing out free coffee during study time.  I certainly need it today! 

Comments

[airforcewife]

I'm already copying off curriculum for LMT and AWTM - would you like me to copy the math curriculum we use for you?

We use Alpha Omega - which is done to the same standards as what we did when we were in school. And what I really like about it - rather than the eight worthless worksheet pages my regular school students did daily that only encouraged the fuzziness, AO assigns ONE front and back worksheet daily, with drills during the week, and additional worksheets if necessary for comprehension.

Also out there - Saxon is good and so is Miquon, although I've heard Miquon is difficult to square up with a regular curriculum.

I hate to put forth the idea that M1 might do some extra work at home, though, to add to what I'm sure is already a large homework load...

[Guard Wife]

Yes, AFWife, please send whatever you have along to me.

I've already determined all this ridiculous busy-work BS will be going bye-bye if someone doesn't have decent answers as to why my child is wasting her time on it when she should be learning to multiply.

[Marine Wife]

so, it's not just me. I'm not happy with the state of my oldest's math skills either. She was able to do more last year while she was in a DoDDS school in Korea than now (in a DoDEA school also!). Plus, they don't teach spelling at this school. Her teacher actually told my husband when he was home on R&R that no one really needs spelling these days as everyone has spellcheck on their computer. WTF?

[Brian]

MW, are you KIDDING ME?! Last time I checked, spell check was far from fool-proof and it can't tell the difference b/w words like to, too, and two and there & their. Gimme a break! Sounds to me like b/c someone doesn't have spelling skills herself, she's not too concerned about the kids' skills.

[Guard Wife]

Oops, that's GW responding, not Hubs...I'm on his computer! LOL

[airforcewife]

GW, I'll have the stuff sent out to you as soon as I can get to a copier.

And for future progress checks, I can't recc'd enough the book called "The Educated Child" by William Bennett. It gives a year by year breakdown of the main subjects and what your child should know when, in addition to a most excellent reading list.

[Guard Wife]

Wm. Bennett is a name I remember fondly; I believe he was the Sec'y of Education when I was in 8th grade & I wrote to him as part of our project before going to D.C.
I will order that book ASAP. Merry Christmas to me!

[Some Soldier's Mom]

I agree... you can never be too aggressive in education. I can still remember standing and reciting the multilplication tables and the chart in the classroom with everyone's names and a check mark if you had completed the 2's, 3's, 4's... ugh. but I can still do those today.

multiplication and division and fractions: FLASHCARDS.... and workbooks (there are so many of them -- even in drugstores!)

once you start down this path, you will be saying that it isn't how much you remember that surprises you -- but just how much you forgot! (actually, that didn't start until we got to equations...)

[HomefrontSix]

One of the best ways to reinforce (and teach) fractions is cooking. Specifically baking but all kitchen activity involves fractions.

Not sure if you have the time to spend in the kitchen, teaching math but it's an option for fun reinforcement.

Princess Trouble is in 1st grade and is working on multiplication and fractions already. Along with algebra and geometry, which just blows my mind. But she gets it!

Good luck.

[dagamore]

I know by the time I hit Christmas break, at Catholic school, in 3rd grade, I was able to do up the multiplication tables up to 6 iirc. I know that up to 5 was the class goal, and I know I was a bit ahead don’t recall if I had my 7 down at that time. Hey it was 1983, and I don’t recall all of it.

But like others have stated, I was pushed from the home front. I still every now and then dream about the damn flash cards, but they worked, I learned my States, Math, spelling and periodic table via flash cards. I also had to make all my own flash cards for every spelling test/math/science and what not, and that helped me learn it a lot.

[dagamore]

PS dont know why my top section failed to post, but here it is.

Good thing I read to the end, I had a good rant about the problems of government schools and how any private school would be better, but I guess that is not always the case.

[Guard Wife]

Cooking is actually how I realized M1 had zero concept of fractions as well as no concept of weights & measures...good grief.

I can do this. It isn't an issue. She's bright and it will take all of a couple weeks to explain all this and have her on board. She's actually excited about it...excited about math? Must be her father's genes!

I already found her a great little tool I had as a kid & won the ebay auction so that will be coming momentarily. :)

I suppose I have to worry about me & my own, but I do worry about the kids whose parents don't/won't take the time. Sigh.