What is the Common Core?
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort that established a single set of clear educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts and mathematics that states voluntarily adopt. The standards are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to enter credit bearing courses in two or four year college programs or enter the workforce. The standards are clear and concise to ensure that parents, teachers, and students have a clear understanding of the expectations in reading, writing, speaking and listening, language and mathematics in school. The link below will bring you to the common core website. Here you will find details regarding what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
One of the best things you can do is simply ask your child. While your child is completing homework, ask questions. On this website you will find a Homework Help page. Also on this website you will find a K-5 Math Curriculum page. There are letters for home for every grade and chapter that explain what is being taught and provide games and/or practice.
Teachers check student progress everyday in every lesson. Teachers observe students while they are working on a problem at the beginning of the lesson and coach them when they are challenged by a skill or concept. Some work is assigned to be done with a partner or in a small group. Then students work independently, either on problems from the text or workbook. Using this independent work, teachers collect/record evidence to track student progress. Additionally, students may complete a test at the end of each chapter. We don't expect that many students will get all the problems correct. Chapter tests are designed to give us information about the math progress for all our students. We do not look at a percentage or the total number correct on these tests. Instead, we look at selected problems that we think all students should be able to do. We use that information to provide extra support for students who need it. Sometimes, we also use the information from the test to extend learning.
Talk positively about math. Please avoid saying,"I'm just not good at math."
Talk about math whenever you can. For example, you and your child are shopping. Have them round the items you are purchasing to the nearest dollar. Have them add these rounded numbers to get a total.
Talk to them about how you use math at home and work. For example: paying bills, keeping a checkbook, buying presents, cooking with recipes, playing musical instruments, measuring during projects, etc.
Encourage them when they are challenged by math. Little successes lead to increased confidence. Increased confidence leads to more risk-taking in math. More risk-taking leads to accepting more challenging problems, which leads to greater confidence and greater understanding.
When your child is having difficulty with homework, have him/her read the problem out loud to you. Ask him/her to identify exactly what the question is asking. Help start the problem. Tell them to show something so the teacher knows there has been effort. Have your child prepare a specific question to ask the teacher.
Play games in the car. You can do something simple like practice multiplication facts. Or, you could learn a game like "buzz" that connects to multiplication tables.
Help your child develop a growth mindset. Praise effort and risk-taking, not just results. If you child is struggling through a problem, suggest that he/she tries a different strategy. Effort does not always mean trying harder but trying something different.