How
Parents Are Fighting 'Fuzzy Math'
Q. What's an example
of a "fuzzy math" curriculum and how are parents who oppose it conducting their
battle with the local school boards to change back to traditional programs?
The Washington Post ran a story a few years ago about a
dad, Greg Barlow, an Air Force officer, helping his 8-year-old son, Christian,
with what should have been a straightforward homework math problem: What is 674
plus 249?
The third-grader did not stack the
numbers and carry digits from one column to the next, the way his father and
past generations were taught. Instead, following instructions from his school's
new math textbook, "Investigations in Number, Data, and Space" (Pearson
School series), he tried breaking the problem into easier-to-digest numbers.
But
after several seconds, he got stumped. He drew lines connecting digits, and his
computation amounted to an upside-down pyramid with numbers at the bottom. They
call it a "math mountain." His father nudged him toward the old-fashioned
method . . . and resolved to find out why the tried-and-true math methods
weren't being taught in schools any more.
He
found out that educators claim that inventions like the "math mountain" help
children grasp place value and what the numbers really mean. The program used
in his son's class de-emphasizes memorization and drills, and pushes students
to use more creative ways to find answers, such as drawing pictures, playing
games and using objects.
That
did not set right with this Air Force officer.
The
next thing you know, Barlow was helping put together a grassroots organization
to stop "fuzzy math" curriculum in his home county, Prince William County, Va.,
and running a petition drive to that effect:
www.pwcteachmathright.com
Be sure to read the page, "What's a
Parent to Do?" on that website for good suggestions of parental involvement in
helping shape quality math instruction.
Homework:
See advice for understanding what is wrong with your district's math
curriculum, and what to do about it, on www.mathematicallycorrect.com
and check out this impressive listing from NYC HOLD (Honest Open Logical
Decisions on Mathematics Education Reform, www.nychold.org)
of local grassroots organizations fighting fuzzy math:
Illinois Loop # Teach Math Right - Stop
"Investigating" in Prince William County Schools (MD) # Parents for Evidence Based
Education (IA) # Teach Us Math, Parents
Concerned With Penfield (NY)'s Math Programs # Where's the Math (WA) # The MathUnderGround (WA) # Math Matters (WA) # Olympia Parent Advocates for Real Math (WA) # Yes2Math, Kitsap Cty (WA) # OPTIMA, Oregon Parents for Thorough Instruction
in Mathematics # Georgia
Parents for Math # POBMATH.com, Plainview -
Old Bethpage (NY) # Petition
for the removal of TERC Investigations curriculum from math instruction (NY)
# Cecil County (MD) Public School Math #
Frederick (MD) Education
Reform # Bridgewater-Raritan
(NJ) Parents Math Forum # Mathematics -
Village of Ridgewood (NJ) # Mindless
Math Mutterings (CT) # Dublin
(OH) Math Matters # Columbia
(MO) Parents for Real Math # Clayton
(MO) Math Matters # Plymouth-Canton
(MI) Teach Our Kids # Connected
Math Disconnected Parents (TX) # Andover (MA) Math Suggestion Box
# Newton (MA)
Parents for Education # Save Our
Children from Mediocre Math (Conejo Valley, CA) # Teach Utah Kids # Norton News Investigations Math
Summary (UT) # Kids Do Count
(UT) # SAU 16 Info, Exeter (NH) # Informed Residents of Reading (MA) # EdDataFromInnes (KA) # P.A.C.E. (Chippewa Valley,
MI) # Broward County (FL) Gifted
Advisory Committee # Palo Alto HOLD
# Mountain View (CA) Achievement # Plano (TX) Parental Rights Council