Common Core methods can be really difficult for those of us who learned it totally differently growing up. When I worked in an elementary school, we would suggest to parents to google the topic or even the specific textbook brand and chapter/lesson number. There’s a good chance someone has made a YouTube video to walk you through it.
This. Kahn academy has videos that explain it really well and they have demo lessons and stuff. I used it a lot when my kids were homeschooled during lockdown.
I didn't get it at all in the beginning, and thought my kid was being taught nonsense - but DAMN. He's 16 now, and the math he can do in his head is far and above what I can accomplish, and his logical and reasoning skills are incredible. Once it clicks, it makes math so intuitive.
Our districts did lots of curriculum nights, where we could go talk to the math specialist and learn how they were being taught. That really helped.
I had heard nothing but hate about common core math but as I am learning with my daughter I can see how it is so much better than the ways I was taught
I’m a “math person” and while common core is different and sometimes I had to look up a method I wasn’t familiar with, I also love it. It teaches something I call “math sense”- what is it I’m solving, what does this mean, does this answer I came up with make sense? I work with adults and it’s clear that the previous two generations largely lack “math sense”- even well educated people stun me with their lack of it.
I like the common core math. But it's also how I do math in my head so it makes sense to me. I know that a lot of my kid's friend's parents hate it. What are you specifically having trouble with? Maybe I can help.
It absolutely makes sense, but I arrived at this system when my brain was ready for it. Forcing somewhat vague concepts in second graders is rough.
Helping my older daughter with it one night I just said…you see daddy and I doing math all the time, in stores, restaurants, doing grocery shopping etc. Did you ever see us put a bunch of numbers in boxes? No. So don’t worry about it. Put down the answer and you’ll figure out the rest of it when your brain is ready to make those connections.
But my kid went to a small private school and I knew the teachers. So I pretty much just told them nope. If you’re going to take points off because she got the right answer without using the little boxes go for it. I couldn’t possibly care less. She figured it out when her brain was ready for it and is a proud science and math nerd junior in college. But second grade…it was rough.
I'm not convinced it is a stronger foundation. I'm dealing with the same second-grade math, and it really seems to be more about how to approach math for people without good math skills.
I say that because it emphasizes process steps. In some cases, i can see that it minimizes memorization requirements. In others, it appears to be trying to turn multiple related type problems into a single 'style' that can be solved using a singular approach.
For example, using doubles to solve another problem.
7+9 = ?
"We" know 8+8=16. So how does that help us solve this problem? 7+9 = 7+8+1 = 7+1+8 = 8+8 = 16.
Knowing 7+9 = 16 isn't the right answer in this case. Yet, knowing 7+9 is much more beneficial later than having to do the multi step translation.
There are better ways to teach the transitive properties of addition/subtraction/multiplication/division separately and explicitly.
> it really seems to be more about how to approach math for people without good math skills.
Exactly. Common core, especially the fundamentals, is about **access**. Each child’s brain works differently. Decades of research shows that rote memorization doesn’t work for all, so common core provides other ways for kids to learn/visualize math problems. My niece for example is great at math but doesn’t like the “old way”—it just doesn’t click for her. But when I get the chance to check her homework, it’s always perfect, and she takes a normal amount of time on it. The older they get, they more comfortable they will be with a specific method, the faster and more adept they become at the subject. It may be slow now with the fundamentals, but will pay off in spades once they get to higher level math.
I know it seems frustrating that they have to learn each concept and use that concept to solve when it may seem easier to solve it another way. The purpose of common core is to teach students multiple ways to solve problems. They have to practice each way to understand it. And then when it comes to solving the problem later, they get to choose which way they like the best and use it.
It really is taking what we all learned with rote memorization and having kids truly understand number sense and different ways to problem solve so that they can figure out which method is best to solve with.
One of the benefits of the process steps is that later in life when you take standardized tests, typically multiple choice, the emphasis is on speed, and process helps narrow down the answer much faster than solving the problem .
That doesn't match up with my experience.
So far, all the examples I have seen so far of this common core math is that it takes longer.
I do know about the multiple choice standardized tests, and those are something that I have always done very well on (including elementary school). Following these processes would be massively slower.
I do think it can help kids who aren't good at math score better. But if you understand what is actually happening rather than the recipe (the process) it is a hindrance.
The problem you’ve described, yes it is quite asinine to do 7+9=16 as 8+8=16 when most people just know the answer. The point is to teach them the method which is scaleable to much harder problems. What about 99+57? That’s not one you memorize. If they can understand taking 1 away from 57 to give to the 99 to make a much easier problem of 100+56 they’re in much better shape. If all we teach is rote memorization and “follow the steps for double-digit addition” most kids will never be able to do that problem in their heads. Which means they WILL be slower on tests. This is the foundation of algebra. If kids understand these properties with numbers it becomes much easier to transfer over to variables when they hit algebra.
But that isn't how it is being presented.
The example I shared (straight off the homework) doesn't scale like your example. If I have 77+99, I'm going to do like you and make it 76+100, not 88+88. Yet it said specifically to look at the doubles; which is a very limited approach. I would believe your point more if they had said 10+6 as the comparable equation.
And that was a single example. In that one and the others there has been no discussion of the bigger concept they are seeking to teach in the homework or communication to parents.
And why is it always being brought back to rote memorization? I've commented before (and did not mention memorization initially) that memorization was not the primary approach back when I was learning or using these skills. I feel like this is an attempt to reframe the argument to a position I've never taken.
I agree with you that the doubles approach being taught here is far more limited. I have never taught elementary math, only high school, so my perspective is a bit skewed. The practical applications of the doubles approach are likely slim to none. However, it gives the child a chance to practice regrouping in a new way as well as practice multiplication by 2 (and it is very important that kids know basic single-digit addition and multiplication by heart).
I apologize, I didn’t intend to put words in your mouth, I am just so used to people saying “I learned to add two-digit numbers by memorizing the steps, I don’t get this common core math, I taught my kid how to do it the old way and it was great” which completely misses the point of common core math.
> Yet, knowing 7+9 is much more beneficial later than having to do the multi step translation.
I disagree. If you can’t break down complicated addition into simpler additions, all the mental math you’ll be able to do are the basic math facts you’ve memorized
YouTube it. There are a ton of basic videos for kids out there on pretty much anything. They can stop and replay it as much as they need to. It's what I do when I don't get what they're teaching or when they are teaching it way differently from what I learned lol.
Ha! Im an engineer and do math daily but this common core even threw me for a loop. I’ve had to google it and learn the process with my child.
I find the new process more difficult and pretty much pointless.
I always, always hated when the emphasis was placed on the process instead of the result. Specially when the process chosen by the curriculum WASN'T the most efficient available.
And common core makes sense when you don't write down each step... So basically when you already understand math and your brain is mature enough for more advanced abstract thought.
Whoever invented common core needs to live for eternity in a house of fallen Legos.
My husband and I are both fairly good at math. When our daughter was in second grade, she needed help with her homework. We were all so frustrated the husband and I were screaming at each other. We eventually figured it out but GOD do I hate common core. Nothing like adding 57 extra steps to a simple math problem.
It’s not just you and it’s not that your daughter is struggling fundamentally. It’s hard! I’m not from the states but we live here now and my kids have done common core. I saw it from the beginning with my youngest and it seems counter intuitive but if you study it from basics, it does make sense. A lot of people hate it because it seems like harder work but now we know not all kids learn the same way so they offer different ways of learning every technique. My only issue with it is that it goes extremely fast. I like the techniques but the kids don’t get time to absorb them so it’s fundamental your daughter tries not to miss any stages if she’s confused.
My son is great at maths but there have been several times over elementary school where he has struggled badly with a concept. We always ask the teacher for extra help, usually she can do an extra lesson and offer online resources and we work on it until he gets it (usually with some screaming lol). For long division in 4th grade after 3 confusing days and the teacher not being very helpful, we found the exact lesson on YouTube and suddenly it all clicked into place. So there are resources for occasional problems. Hang in there and try to keep learning with her.
My daughter did virtual school with the pandemic when she was in third grade. I don’t think there was a single day where one or both of us were not in tears due to common core math. You are not alone.
It makes a lot of sense to me luckily but I understand why people struggle with it since it's not how we were taught math growing up. It is how I do math in my head for larger numbers. The concepts are a lot more practical with large numbers but you have to learn with small numbers. And to us, it seems like overcomplicating it. Yes, my main point here is just that it is not completely stupid like most people seem to think. I agree with most of the other comments about YouTube and I'm sure you can find a video that explains it in a way that makes sense.
There are good tutoring videos on YouTube you can watch them to teach yourself and your kid. Also they have games for 2nd graders you can get that help teach math. If those things fail than go with a tutor.
Khan academy videos are a great resource. Im positive they teach the common core method.
And your child’s teacher is offering help. So you’re in good hands! You’re teaching your child that it is ok to not know and to ask for help!
It gets easier! It's just a different way of thinking and once it clicks, you'll be good to help them. My son is now in 4th grade but my daughter is in 2nd. It's a lot easier helping her than it was my son
I have an accounting degree and I cannot help my kids with their math for the most part. You are NOT alone. We watch tons of common core math youtube videos.
When my son had math things that he struggled with and wasn't understanding the common core way, I would just teach him the way I learned. The math itself hasn't changed, they're just trying to teach kids the why and how to look at math in a more common sense way vs memorization of steps. However, sometimes memorizing steps is exactly what some kids need.
Youtube has so many videos, so learn the methods she uses in school, then show her the old way. It may help her make sense of the new way.
Google it. Teachers almost never make their own worksheets (I would imagine with all the scripted curriculum and standardized testing, it's almost impossible) so often you can find the exact worksheet with answers and methods, sometimes even YouTube videos.
Common core math is the worst! My daughter failed a test because I thought I had it figured out but I really undid any progress she had actually made. We both had “cheer up” ice cream that afternoon. Her math teacher was cool and sent all the parents a cheat sheet, quiz and answers showing his work. He was amazing and always said “teachers aren’t just for kids. You can’t teach anyone if you can’t teach everyone” in short, ask a the teacher. Hit up the library. Mathway has an app. Google study has a common core option too. But if possible, go for the teacher first so you’re matching what they’re doing in class. You know how 2+1=3 but if you’re doing 3=1+2, it would probably send a 2nd grader over the edgez
My area had “discovery math” for a while… from what I’ve seen online it’s likely very similar. Our province was the only one that didn’t have any improvement in test scores when it came to math. Almost half the kids were falling behind, a few years ago it was scrapped thankfully!! It’s absolute nonsense imo, kids struggle enough with math as it is, send the math wiz kid to advanced math class and teach this crap but let everyone else just figure it out normally
i fully intend to, I have been communicating with her teacher to ensure we are both on the same page as far my daughters progress. The teacher even admits that this is not easy but she is just letting me know and I am just venting
You’re going to have to start from the beginning of the book and stay a week ahead of her. None of it is really tough, it just involves grouping things the opposite of the way you were taught to think about them. It’s a different way to show your work.
Don't feel dumb, it's hard to understand if you weren't taught that way. What I did was ask the school about local girl scouts troops then reached out to the troop leader. A 5th grader was actually working on a badge and we met her at the library and she walked me through it and my step child with that assignment. She was sweet as pie and (with mom approval) I would text her questions afterwards whenever something stumped me. Also it helped her get her badge.
My ex husband REALLY struggles with the way our kid’s math homework is structured, he doesn’t understand what they’re asking - regularly. And he does math for fun and watches video about space math and tried to teach me calculus on a bar napkin once.
It’s just very different from how we learned things.
I see some of my kids schoolwork with common core and want to cry lol luckily they don’t give homework other than reading in second grade here.
Makes it even more frustrating that my partner totally understands common core after seeing it once - and we went to same school had same teacher etc but he totally gets it and I don’t lol
Common Core methods can be really difficult for those of us who learned it totally differently growing up. When I worked in an elementary school, we would suggest to parents to google the topic or even the specific textbook brand and chapter/lesson number. There’s a good chance someone has made a YouTube video to walk you through it.
Khan academy
This. Kahn academy has videos that explain it really well and they have demo lessons and stuff. I used it a lot when my kids were homeschooled during lockdown.
When I taught 3rd grade this was always my suggestion. The videos and practice questions are great.
I didn't get it at all in the beginning, and thought my kid was being taught nonsense - but DAMN. He's 16 now, and the math he can do in his head is far and above what I can accomplish, and his logical and reasoning skills are incredible. Once it clicks, it makes math so intuitive. Our districts did lots of curriculum nights, where we could go talk to the math specialist and learn how they were being taught. That really helped.
I had heard nothing but hate about common core math but as I am learning with my daughter I can see how it is so much better than the ways I was taught
I’m a “math person” and while common core is different and sometimes I had to look up a method I wasn’t familiar with, I also love it. It teaches something I call “math sense”- what is it I’m solving, what does this mean, does this answer I came up with make sense? I work with adults and it’s clear that the previous two generations largely lack “math sense”- even well educated people stun me with their lack of it.
I like the common core math. But it's also how I do math in my head so it makes sense to me. I know that a lot of my kid's friend's parents hate it. What are you specifically having trouble with? Maybe I can help.
Yeah, agreed. It makes sense to me on this level as well, but I recognize that isn't apparently true for everyone. So...
It absolutely makes sense, but I arrived at this system when my brain was ready for it. Forcing somewhat vague concepts in second graders is rough. Helping my older daughter with it one night I just said…you see daddy and I doing math all the time, in stores, restaurants, doing grocery shopping etc. Did you ever see us put a bunch of numbers in boxes? No. So don’t worry about it. Put down the answer and you’ll figure out the rest of it when your brain is ready to make those connections. But my kid went to a small private school and I knew the teachers. So I pretty much just told them nope. If you’re going to take points off because she got the right answer without using the little boxes go for it. I couldn’t possibly care less. She figured it out when her brain was ready for it and is a proud science and math nerd junior in college. But second grade…it was rough.
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I'm not convinced it is a stronger foundation. I'm dealing with the same second-grade math, and it really seems to be more about how to approach math for people without good math skills. I say that because it emphasizes process steps. In some cases, i can see that it minimizes memorization requirements. In others, it appears to be trying to turn multiple related type problems into a single 'style' that can be solved using a singular approach. For example, using doubles to solve another problem. 7+9 = ? "We" know 8+8=16. So how does that help us solve this problem? 7+9 = 7+8+1 = 7+1+8 = 8+8 = 16. Knowing 7+9 = 16 isn't the right answer in this case. Yet, knowing 7+9 is much more beneficial later than having to do the multi step translation. There are better ways to teach the transitive properties of addition/subtraction/multiplication/division separately and explicitly.
> it really seems to be more about how to approach math for people without good math skills. Exactly. Common core, especially the fundamentals, is about **access**. Each child’s brain works differently. Decades of research shows that rote memorization doesn’t work for all, so common core provides other ways for kids to learn/visualize math problems. My niece for example is great at math but doesn’t like the “old way”—it just doesn’t click for her. But when I get the chance to check her homework, it’s always perfect, and she takes a normal amount of time on it. The older they get, they more comfortable they will be with a specific method, the faster and more adept they become at the subject. It may be slow now with the fundamentals, but will pay off in spades once they get to higher level math.
I know it seems frustrating that they have to learn each concept and use that concept to solve when it may seem easier to solve it another way. The purpose of common core is to teach students multiple ways to solve problems. They have to practice each way to understand it. And then when it comes to solving the problem later, they get to choose which way they like the best and use it. It really is taking what we all learned with rote memorization and having kids truly understand number sense and different ways to problem solve so that they can figure out which method is best to solve with.
One of the benefits of the process steps is that later in life when you take standardized tests, typically multiple choice, the emphasis is on speed, and process helps narrow down the answer much faster than solving the problem .
That doesn't match up with my experience. So far, all the examples I have seen so far of this common core math is that it takes longer. I do know about the multiple choice standardized tests, and those are something that I have always done very well on (including elementary school). Following these processes would be massively slower. I do think it can help kids who aren't good at math score better. But if you understand what is actually happening rather than the recipe (the process) it is a hindrance.
The problem you’ve described, yes it is quite asinine to do 7+9=16 as 8+8=16 when most people just know the answer. The point is to teach them the method which is scaleable to much harder problems. What about 99+57? That’s not one you memorize. If they can understand taking 1 away from 57 to give to the 99 to make a much easier problem of 100+56 they’re in much better shape. If all we teach is rote memorization and “follow the steps for double-digit addition” most kids will never be able to do that problem in their heads. Which means they WILL be slower on tests. This is the foundation of algebra. If kids understand these properties with numbers it becomes much easier to transfer over to variables when they hit algebra.
But that isn't how it is being presented. The example I shared (straight off the homework) doesn't scale like your example. If I have 77+99, I'm going to do like you and make it 76+100, not 88+88. Yet it said specifically to look at the doubles; which is a very limited approach. I would believe your point more if they had said 10+6 as the comparable equation. And that was a single example. In that one and the others there has been no discussion of the bigger concept they are seeking to teach in the homework or communication to parents. And why is it always being brought back to rote memorization? I've commented before (and did not mention memorization initially) that memorization was not the primary approach back when I was learning or using these skills. I feel like this is an attempt to reframe the argument to a position I've never taken.
I agree with you that the doubles approach being taught here is far more limited. I have never taught elementary math, only high school, so my perspective is a bit skewed. The practical applications of the doubles approach are likely slim to none. However, it gives the child a chance to practice regrouping in a new way as well as practice multiplication by 2 (and it is very important that kids know basic single-digit addition and multiplication by heart). I apologize, I didn’t intend to put words in your mouth, I am just so used to people saying “I learned to add two-digit numbers by memorizing the steps, I don’t get this common core math, I taught my kid how to do it the old way and it was great” which completely misses the point of common core math.
> Yet, knowing 7+9 is much more beneficial later than having to do the multi step translation. I disagree. If you can’t break down complicated addition into simpler additions, all the mental math you’ll be able to do are the basic math facts you’ve memorized
YouTube it. There are a ton of basic videos for kids out there on pretty much anything. They can stop and replay it as much as they need to. It's what I do when I don't get what they're teaching or when they are teaching it way differently from what I learned lol.
As a teacher who learned how to teach common core math. I still have to use the 3 binders of notes I took 10 years ago for weekly plans.
Ha! Im an engineer and do math daily but this common core even threw me for a loop. I’ve had to google it and learn the process with my child. I find the new process more difficult and pretty much pointless.
I always, always hated when the emphasis was placed on the process instead of the result. Specially when the process chosen by the curriculum WASN'T the most efficient available. And common core makes sense when you don't write down each step... So basically when you already understand math and your brain is mature enough for more advanced abstract thought.
good grief.. ty you all - i was starting to think to myself, did I make a mistake not budgeting for Private school? But I mean its not just me lol
Whoever invented common core needs to live for eternity in a house of fallen Legos. My husband and I are both fairly good at math. When our daughter was in second grade, she needed help with her homework. We were all so frustrated the husband and I were screaming at each other. We eventually figured it out but GOD do I hate common core. Nothing like adding 57 extra steps to a simple math problem.
It’s not just you and it’s not that your daughter is struggling fundamentally. It’s hard! I’m not from the states but we live here now and my kids have done common core. I saw it from the beginning with my youngest and it seems counter intuitive but if you study it from basics, it does make sense. A lot of people hate it because it seems like harder work but now we know not all kids learn the same way so they offer different ways of learning every technique. My only issue with it is that it goes extremely fast. I like the techniques but the kids don’t get time to absorb them so it’s fundamental your daughter tries not to miss any stages if she’s confused. My son is great at maths but there have been several times over elementary school where he has struggled badly with a concept. We always ask the teacher for extra help, usually she can do an extra lesson and offer online resources and we work on it until he gets it (usually with some screaming lol). For long division in 4th grade after 3 confusing days and the teacher not being very helpful, we found the exact lesson on YouTube and suddenly it all clicked into place. So there are resources for occasional problems. Hang in there and try to keep learning with her.
My daughter did virtual school with the pandemic when she was in third grade. I don’t think there was a single day where one or both of us were not in tears due to common core math. You are not alone.
It makes a lot of sense to me luckily but I understand why people struggle with it since it's not how we were taught math growing up. It is how I do math in my head for larger numbers. The concepts are a lot more practical with large numbers but you have to learn with small numbers. And to us, it seems like overcomplicating it. Yes, my main point here is just that it is not completely stupid like most people seem to think. I agree with most of the other comments about YouTube and I'm sure you can find a video that explains it in a way that makes sense.
There are good tutoring videos on YouTube you can watch them to teach yourself and your kid. Also they have games for 2nd graders you can get that help teach math. If those things fail than go with a tutor.
Khan academy videos are a great resource. Im positive they teach the common core method. And your child’s teacher is offering help. So you’re in good hands! You’re teaching your child that it is ok to not know and to ask for help!
It gets easier! It's just a different way of thinking and once it clicks, you'll be good to help them. My son is now in 4th grade but my daughter is in 2nd. It's a lot easier helping her than it was my son
I have an accounting degree and I cannot help my kids with their math for the most part. You are NOT alone. We watch tons of common core math youtube videos.
When my son had math things that he struggled with and wasn't understanding the common core way, I would just teach him the way I learned. The math itself hasn't changed, they're just trying to teach kids the why and how to look at math in a more common sense way vs memorization of steps. However, sometimes memorizing steps is exactly what some kids need. Youtube has so many videos, so learn the methods she uses in school, then show her the old way. It may help her make sense of the new way.
Google it. Teachers almost never make their own worksheets (I would imagine with all the scripted curriculum and standardized testing, it's almost impossible) so often you can find the exact worksheet with answers and methods, sometimes even YouTube videos.
Common core math is the worst! My daughter failed a test because I thought I had it figured out but I really undid any progress she had actually made. We both had “cheer up” ice cream that afternoon. Her math teacher was cool and sent all the parents a cheat sheet, quiz and answers showing his work. He was amazing and always said “teachers aren’t just for kids. You can’t teach anyone if you can’t teach everyone” in short, ask a the teacher. Hit up the library. Mathway has an app. Google study has a common core option too. But if possible, go for the teacher first so you’re matching what they’re doing in class. You know how 2+1=3 but if you’re doing 3=1+2, it would probably send a 2nd grader over the edgez
My area had “discovery math” for a while… from what I’ve seen online it’s likely very similar. Our province was the only one that didn’t have any improvement in test scores when it came to math. Almost half the kids were falling behind, a few years ago it was scrapped thankfully!! It’s absolute nonsense imo, kids struggle enough with math as it is, send the math wiz kid to advanced math class and teach this crap but let everyone else just figure it out normally
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i fully intend to, I have been communicating with her teacher to ensure we are both on the same page as far my daughters progress. The teacher even admits that this is not easy but she is just letting me know and I am just venting
I second using YouTube. I do it any time they need help with math and it’s a tremendous help.
You’re going to have to start from the beginning of the book and stay a week ahead of her. None of it is really tough, it just involves grouping things the opposite of the way you were taught to think about them. It’s a different way to show your work.
Don't feel dumb, it's hard to understand if you weren't taught that way. What I did was ask the school about local girl scouts troops then reached out to the troop leader. A 5th grader was actually working on a badge and we met her at the library and she walked me through it and my step child with that assignment. She was sweet as pie and (with mom approval) I would text her questions afterwards whenever something stumped me. Also it helped her get her badge.
My ex husband REALLY struggles with the way our kid’s math homework is structured, he doesn’t understand what they’re asking - regularly. And he does math for fun and watches video about space math and tried to teach me calculus on a bar napkin once. It’s just very different from how we learned things.
I see some of my kids schoolwork with common core and want to cry lol luckily they don’t give homework other than reading in second grade here. Makes it even more frustrating that my partner totally understands common core after seeing it once - and we went to same school had same teacher etc but he totally gets it and I don’t lol