Are You Smarter than Your Secondgrader... You'd Be Surprised
If your grade school in- class assignments and homework memories are along the lines of: playing rounds of Heads up Seven Up, Around the World math game, growing an inchworm taped to your desk and occasionally having a diorama to make, things have changed.
In today's world, kids have more homework, are learning in different ways and at a faster pace.
According to The American Journal of Family Therapy, students in the early elementary school years are getting significantly more homework than is recommended by education leaders, in some cases nearly three times as much homework as is recommended. This can be overwhelming for the child as well as the parent. With some households of three or more children all in school, homework can take several hours a night especially if the child needs help understanding the concepts.
School curriculum lesson plans 30 years ago were often times created by teachers that varied from classroom to classroom. Many states including Illinois have standardized their curriculum today using the Common Core method. On the Illinois State Board of Education Web site, it states Illinois joined more than 40 states in a collaborative effort to raise learning standards and improve college and career readiness for all students, regardless of where they live. The new Common Core State Standards establish clear expectations for what students should learn in English language arts and mathematics at each grade level. The standards are high, clear, and uniform to ensure that students are prepared for success in college and the workforce.
In the 80s, Kindergarten was a lot like preschool is today. Introducing children to socialization, learning basic concepts like drawing shapes and coloring in the lines. Today Kindergartners are not just learning simple life skills, but actually how to read, write and do simple math. Second graders are writing short stories and practicing cursive. With the rate of learning accelerating each year as your child gets older, it can be hard to recall how to perform Geometry or what is a word with a soft g in it. Plus, several of the concepts have changed or evolved since you learned it.
So with all the changes in today's public school curriculum, how are you as a parent best able to assist your child? Below are a few online resources geared toward parents to help with homework:
Scholastic.com - Scholastic has an entire section called "Parent Guides" by a child's grade level. It gives you an overall guide of what to expect and activities you can do at home with your child to supplement their classroom learning.
PBS.org - PBS offers what's covered in each grade, how kids learn information and what classroom life is like from preschool to fifth grade.
Core Standards.org - Core Standards under "what the parents should know section," talks about what the Common Core State Standards are in math and English language arts from kindergarten through 12th grade.
K12 Reader.com-K12 Reader offers the Common Core State Standards for English and language arts and provides guidance and structure for reading curriculum for all grade levels. They also have printable worksheets for more practice for children or for a guideline to the parent.
Great Minds.net - Great Minds has videos for parents on how to make math a positive experience for your child and print materials to help parents with topics children are expected to know.
