When
speaking to parents about math instruction we often hear comments such
as, "what is this new math you are teaching" or "I don't feel like I can
help my child with math anymore because I didn't learn it that way".
We understand that this can be frustrating to see different strategies
and methods that you may not be familiar with used for solving math
problems. Please rest assured that you are not alone and we will
explain why math instruction looks different than when you went to
school.
Research
findings indicate that certain teaching strategies and methods are
worth careful consideration as teachers strive to improve their
mathematics teaching practices. The following ten instructional
practices are from "Improving Student Achievement in Mathematics: Part
1: Research Findings", by Douglas A. Grouws & Kristin J. Cebulla;
December 2000 (Updated January 2002). Published by ERIC
This
"new math" that we are teaching is researched based and has been
specially designed to not only teach the procedures for working out math
problems but also to build understanding of how our number system works
and the relationships between numbers. This deep understanding will
benefit students as they tackle more difficult concepts and harder math
courses. Please visit the other pages and links in this section and
feel free to ask your child's teacher more about math instruction in
today's schools.