Common Core Math is a hot topic among many K-12 parents. There is a misunderstanding of the topic as a whole, and concerns regarding the effectiveness of the standards. I'm going to break down what the Common Core Math Standards are in a more digestible format as well as lay out the pros and cons of the initiative.
What are the Common Core Math Standards?
The Common Core concentrates on a clear set of math skills and concepts. Students will learn concepts in a more organized way both during the school year and across grades. The standards are designed to encourage students to solve real world problems. These standards are a balanced combination of procedure and understanding.
Here are the areas of expertise that educators seek to develop when implementing Common Core Standards:
1) Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Mathematically proficient students start by explaining to themselves the meaning of a problem and looking for entry points to its solution.
2) Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Mathematically proficient students make sense of quantities and their relationships in problem situations.
3) Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments.
4) Model with mathematics. Mathematically proficient students can apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace.
5) Use appropriate tools strategically. Mathematically proficient students consider the available tools when solving a mathematical problem.
6) Attend to precision. Mathematically proficient students try to communicate precisely to others.
7) Look for and make use of structure. Mathematically proficient students look closely to discern a pattern or structure.
8) Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Mathematically proficient students notice if calculations are repeated, and look both for general methods and for shortcuts.
(Corestandards.org)
What are the pros and cons of Common Core Math Standards?
Pros
Because the Common Core State Standards are internationally benchmarked, our standards will be comparable to standards in other countries. Since the U.S. has fallen behind some countries over the years, many believe that CCSS will help improve the rankings with other countries.
Professional development for teachers and for the entire education community will improve because all teachers will be to teaching to the same standards.
CCSS assessments will cover multiple skills in each question and therefore will increase critical thinking and problem solving skills.
With a tool to monitor students' progress throughout the year, CCSS assessments will allow teachers to track a child's progress instead of making comparisons to other students.
CCSS will place an emphasis on using technology. This puts more focus on the student doing their own learning which will help the student become more independent throughout their academic careers.
Cons
It will take time for both students and teachers to adjust to the new CCSS, and the transition will be difficult. CCSS will require new methods of teaching and learning.
With higher level thinking skills, CCSS will cause academic rigor to start earlier than ever, even in pre K. Many people see this as a challenge.
CCSS will lead to even more high stakes testing at a time when many parents are already disgruntled with the over use of testing.
Many argue that the standards are too cookie cutter, and that it disrupts creativity.
Above all, parents have expressed a collective concern that they can't help students with their homework.
(parents4publicschools.org)
How to Navigate this Ship?
Change is rarely comfortable. Even though the way students are being taught is evolving, I think it's important to remember that students are still learning the same curriculum. There are some clear benefits from the implementation of these standards. All thing considered, the theory behind the standards make a lot of sense for the development of students as problem solvers. The biggest hurdles are adaptation from parents , and allowing students to flex their curiosity and creativity muscles. Options to assist in the development of children from a mathematics and problem solving standpoint include early at home learning via online learning resources (like Khan Academy) or private tutoring. The bottom line is for our students to be more competitive academically, learning needs to have more priority outside of the classroom.