Standards

Dear Families,

Recently the Georgia Department of Education adopted new curriculum standards. Standards are a set of expectations describing what students should know and be able to do. Standards guide the instruction and assessment in the classroom.

The area of instruction where our teachers have seen the biggest challenges has been in mathematics. Students should experience mathematics as interesting, relevant, and important as a bridge to the real world. This means going beyond memorization into a world of inquiry, reasoning, and problem solving.

When you were in school, you probably learned math skills by watching the teacher and then practicing the skill many times. While skills are still very important, today’s math programs also include attention to learning how to reason and apply their understanding and skills to solve a range of real problems.

While visiting a classroom today you might see students interacting with each other and using manipulatives. You might also see them working in groups to discover patterns and solutions. Students are becoming more aware of how math is applied to real life problems, not just learning isolated skills.

In today’s classroom you might see teachers posing problems that engage students in mathematical thinking. Teachers will often raise questions that encourage students to consider alternative solutions and deeper thinking about mathematical problems.

Your support makes a big difference in your child’s success in math. Make sure you communicate a positive attitude toward math. Look for ways to connect math lessons to daily activities. Encourage your child to count and sort items, to estimate and make predictions, and to compute money and to tell time. Schedule a regular time for homework and provide a comfortable place for studying that is free from distractions.

Together we can make these transitions smooth for your child. The standards and expectations are high. I believe our children are up to the challenge. Thank you for your continued support for all that we do.