Everyday Math is a travesty of education. I agree with all the posters whose children are struggling with this irrational, incomplete and illogical program. In my day "spiraling" meant you mastered one concept before it repeated itself later. Here, there is no attempt at mastery and the idea is that, "hey if she didn't get it the first time, she might magically get it next time." In the meantime, students are lost at sea as the lessons bounce all over the place, and concepts come back that were never really learned in the first place.
At my daughter's school all but 2 members of the entire 2nd grade (75 students) completed the year UNABLE to ADD and SUBTRACT!!! We parents were furious. And it goes down from there. the Middle school principal put out a call to 6th and 7th graders to PLEASE learn their multiplication tables! Huh??
This is a program clearly designed by mathematicians (not educators) who really like playing with numbers, strategies, and number games. If you child is not so inclined, they will probably not be helped much by this program.
Be prepared to do a LOT of supplementing on your own. Heck, not supplementing, teaching.
Our salvation was Kumon. A Japanese learning program (check your yellow pages) which - imagine - gives students sequential worksheets to complete on a daily basis. My daughter isn't crazy about it but in one year she mastered (and I mean mastered, not guessed) addition, subtraction, multiplication (even with two digits), and division with remainders. And she's not a particularly great math student.
There is plenty to say for a logical, sequential, method that produces mastery not "fun with numbers."
I'm mad that I have to pay for my child to learn basic math computation and that we have to go the center 2 times per week - but I am content knowing that she is learning basic math skills well.
I tried to move her to a school that doesn't use ED, but there are NONE in our area!! Amazing.
We'll be staying with Kumon.

New Math I'm a little confused my daughter is in 3rd grade in a IN school. The type of math the kids are being taught is called Singapore Math.This teaches are kids not just in the math area but it also carries over to help in other subjects.IN has scored in the top ranks in I STEP & other areas. we are a 4ever changing society,and are children are the future.I really see a great change in my daughters math, she loves it even though it may be more work for her.

you hit the nail on the head, ronnie! it teaches them to be almost right! the program is a travesty!

my daughter school started everyday math when she was in the second grade now she in the six grade. for an older parent (40 LOL) this is totally different from what we were taught. I hate it. i makes no sense. it goes all around the world for answers. my daughter test with a 8 grade reading level and 12th grade vocabulary in the 3 grade. her math was at 2nd grade and i couldn't't't help because she need to be able to show how she got her answers and i don't know everyday math. to make a long story short this math teaches them to be almost right. it take twice as long to not be right

Everyday Math is the mathematical equivalent of Whole Language. The only children it works for are those who already have a natural affinity for math. i saw an expose on this program on pbs [quite a few years ago.] It appears the program came about with little or no testing, pushed through the NEA by influential powers that be, and then spread like wildfire from coast to coast. It is a product of the "make the student feel good at any cost" movement. I have an extremely bright 13 year old who does not really know his times table. The method employed for multiplication and division does not allow one to reverse the process to check the work. The estimation chapters drove me crazy. better to have the kids perform the math processes and get the answer. After years of doing that, the brain learns how to estimate. The spiral learning plan is just an exercise in frustration for kids who already struggle with math. The theory is if they don't get it the first time around, they might latch on the next time. I theorize that by not pushing the child to understand and succeed the first time, seeds of self doubt and low self image have been planted, and that particular skill just becomes a bigger adversary next time around. I went to a neighborhood learning fair and I discussed this program with one of the teachers who insisted it was widely tested and successful. Ironically, she then told me that a lot of children don't understand it! This program is a cash cow to the tutoring centers. It should be a rare elementary school student who needs a math tutor.

If this is the University of Chicago program, I agree with the other parents who basically have confirmed what we have been struggling with for 5 yrs- The spiralling of learning, no "drill and kill" methods, the parents running around the house looking for items for their kid's homework problems, etc.

My child was slower developmentally and is catching up. Boys are like that. I have to supplement his education by doing a lot of stuff at home. There are a lot of great workbooks out there, you just have to hit a Sam's Club, Borders or best- Barnes and Nobles and look at them. I also made copies of timed mulitiplication tests (from the 3rd grade teacher) and proceeded to drill and kill on the timed test. Happy to say that the old ways still work. We are now doing the same with multiplication and division in multi-digits.

I dont mind keeping an open mind, but if the child doesnt have the basics- know that you go from right to left when adding, subtracting, etc, all this "fancy" and basically worthless stuff wont matter!


So hang in there. Seems to be a rite of passage for modern schools. I here when my child hits 6th grade, the teachers tell the kids to forget all the stuff they learned in K-5th, and review the basic stuff to get them caught up. Really ridiculous, considering we live in one of the better districts in CA! I spend a lot of time co-teaching and going above and beyond to make the other subjects interesting too! Geez, kids are kids, not computers. I understand that we must keep up "with the world", but come on. Kids need time to be kids too- not just study stuff that is obscure.

Hang in there and go for the basics!

Both my kids went through this program throughout elem school (now in middle school and high school) and both score high on standardized tests in Math. Although it was challenging to understand the curriculum at times (and I'm a retired elem school teacher!), newsletters did come home w/ each unit explaining the concepts and provided answers to worksheet problems, so you can check to see if your child is on the right track...so ask for the Unit Parent Newsletters if the teacher does not routinely send them home! If I still didn't understand, teachers were always willing to explain the concept before or after school (I learned a lot!). If you have no choice on the program, I would suggest you adopt a positive attitude. While the program is different from what we knew as kids, I think there are some very valuable aspects (ie: the way they approach one concept from varying perspectives - good for LD students). You're the type of mom who is involved, so I wouldn't lose sleep over this one! If a child struggles, I would be sure to get them back on track w/ outside tutoring (Kumon, etc) asap, but I wouldn't expect this to be the case. God Bless.

My children used the everyday math method in elementary. I think some of the information is confusing and I show them the old fashioned way and let them do it the way the teacher shows them to see if they come up the same answer and if they don't they go back and see if they missed a step or two. Everyday math is corporating daily life problem to the children. There different methods of learning math and I feel if a child don't get one way try another

My twins did the everyday math thing for almost 3 years in Indiana. My son didn't like it or do well with it, my daughter liked it, but still didn't do well with it. All of the extra steps they teach such as using tally marks, grids, manipulatives, matrix for multiplacation and other tools seemed to waste a lot of time. I didn't know how to use the methods they used at school, so I also taught the kids using the traditional methods I was taught. They actually learned faster using traditional methods. I think the program is a waste of time. I takes the kids at least twice as long to do a problem and each problem takes about 1/2 a sheet of paper with all the extra steps they make the kids do. I am so glad they do not use everyday math in Oklahoma, where we now live! I would closely monitor your child's progress to make sure he getting correct answers to the problems and if the new math methods don't seem to benefit your child, teach him the old-fashioned methods. They have worked for years and years for a reason!

Yes, and we hated it. I have to add that the spiral might be fine for kids who learn a certain way and have no trouble with memory issues,etc. For the 'above average' kid, it will do ( but the Saxon type programs are really the best). But how many kids are above average? IF a parent has tons of time on their hands, they won't mind the constant prompts for the work ..."have your parents help you" as you race around constructing paper boxes or collecting household items that fit the requirements for the assignment. It's all about shifting the responsibility from the school day and the teacher/child to the home/parent. It's a terrible time waster and you'd be better off teaching your child the core math concepts on your own. Less time. My husband was furious that on quite a few homework assignments, the RIGHT answer was the wrong answer, in favor of the estimate. It's a waste of time that works around the numbers and concepts with silly, intricate"number factories" and the like.

Horrible program for anyone but those who are 'above average to superior" in learning ability. The rest will struggle to retain the spiraling concepts and will have trouble learning from the basically "osmosis" process. We enrolled our child in a supplemental math program to actually TEACH math instead of gimmicks. While it saves money for the district in textbooks, many parents must assume the cost for outside education ,in addition to school tax.

JMHO

Everyday Math also known as "Fuzzy Math" This program is pretty much a waste of time. We ended up having to enroll our kid in the Kumon program to supplement her learning. The teacher's don't like the program and many just don't know how to teach math within those boundaries. I suggest you prepare yourself for at home tutoring if you ever want your child to be ready for college.

Our daughter had Everyday Math K-4th grade. When 4th grade began, I started sending her to the Kumon math program because she was still counting on her fingers. I could understand and appreciate what concepts they were trying to teach, but I couldn't understand why they just couldn't cut to the chase with numbers. All the tallies and graphs seemed like such a pain after a while. My daughter was so much happier when she could solve problems in her head and is still amazed at what she can do that her classmate in high school need a calculator to do.

The whole premise behind Everyday Math is to show kids that math is used every day in all ways. The most frustrating part to most newcomers (& teachers like myself) is that it is taught in a spiral effect. In the early grades your child will be EXPOSED to geometric & algebraic ideas... most teachers want the students to "get it" before moving on to the next subject (& some students will put pressure on themselves too)... but that's not how EM works. With the spiral effect, your child will see these ideas several times, in several ways until the concept is grasped. It's very different from the way most of us learned math - rote & memorization of facts, etc. but EM takes on the new learning curriculum - using manipulatives to count is just one way. It's a very "hands on" math program - which these days is actually helpful because children are always so busy with computers, video games, etc. This math program caters to the hustle & bustle that our children experience today.
I hope this was helpful... you have to be patient with it... and since your school is just bringing it in this year - most likely they will have it for at least 3 years to give it a chance within the curriculum.

Oh the dreaded Everyday Math - We hated it!! It is based on the Chicago Math curriculm. They used it in NH and it is based on estimations and " best guesses.. " Yep, you heard right. My 4th grader brought home a worksheet that said to give her "best guess" on a problem. She figured it out using " tally marks " over 100 on the back page. Even the teachers hated it. Thankfully we moved to VA where they do not use the "Everyday Math" so now she is straightened out. It was a big waste of time !

My kids loved it! don't worry, it was fun for me as a parent to follow up with them each day.

I have a child just starting he kindergarten who can add and subtract--amazily fast. I think I lot of it is because we (parents) would also ask him questions pertaining to math to keep him entertained. ( He is not one to focus or sit still for long so I always have to have an activity to do with him). We would ask questions like how many chairs do you see? Then we would say how many chairs have people sitting in Then we would ask how many are empty? and so on I think he finally just got the concept. Because I am amazed when he whips answers out. For instance a little girld told him she was 2 and he said well I am 5 I am 3 years older then you( he said this with no hesitation.) So my point is I am not famaliar with the program but from what I read teaching your child math in real time (everyday) is the best way. Make a game out of it and your child will learn so fast. Good Luck

My oldest son has been using Everyday Math for two years now. We both like the premise of the program, it relates math and learning math to things you will be doing every day. It honestly shows the kids that we do use or have access to use math in our every day lives. Last year when he was learning volume he was checking all of our food containers for certain weights! It was great to see him liking it so much. For parents, everyday math really forces us to help out more, which I love! If you don't help with homework now, you will when he starts this!!