The New Math

Most parents are aware of the five strands of math that must be taught to all students in Ontario – Numeration and Number Sense, Patterning and Algebra, Data Management (Graphing) and Probability, Geometry and Measurement.   What you may not be as aware of, is that at the beginning of this school year a new Ontario curriculum was introduced for grades one to eight. 

At first glance many of the changes that have occurred seem relatively insignificant.  For example, some major expectations that have previously appeared under number sense and numeration now appear under the patterning and algebra strand, i.e. growing patterns (that numbers get bigger either by a set amount or exponentially) are now found under this strand.  There are, however, some other changes that will begin to become evident as more and more teachers begin teaching this new curriculum.

The single biggest change to the math curriculum is the increased emphasis on problem solving, real life applications and demonstrating a true understanding.  In order for students to achieve an A grade (or Level 4) they must be able to articulate, either verbally in the lower grades or in written form in the older grades how they arrived at an answer.  Being intuitive about math is not enough.  Providing the right answer is only a part of answering a question as expected.  Teaching methods have changed as well. 

Here’s an example of how two digit addition may be taught in your child’s grade two class.   It is quite a different approach from the way we were taught (add the ones, carry over if necessary, then add the tens).  Students are now expected to be able to give an approximate answer, i.e. 21 + 32 = about 50.  This takes a lot of practise with understanding numbers, rounding to the nearest ten, etc.  They will then be taught a variety of strategies to find the exact answer, including adding the tens first and then the ones.  Students will also be given a lot of practise regrouping (i.e. trading in ten ones for one ten) with manipulatives called base ten blocks.  All of this is done so that students have a real understanding of what they are doing and are not just performing the mechanics.

What do you as a parent need to do at home?….Relax, stay away from repetitive drills that are aimed at helping students memorize number facts.  Parents are often confused when their six year old child who knows all of the multiplication table is not receiving high grades in math.  This is probably because the child is not demonstrating an in-depth understanding of the purpose and concepts behind the math being taught.  It’s better to spend 5 minutes with your child talking about math concepts or using simple manipulatives that you have around the house (dried beans, pasta) to work out a problem. 

If you really like the idea of math workbooks feel free to use them to give you 10 minutes of peace and quiet, but don’t expect these rote exercises to help your child understand some of the more complex performance tasks (usually a math problem that students must work out using pictures, numbers and words that requires them to use many of the concepts taught during the particular unit).   If you are really looking to find ways to help your child, look for a grade level problem solving workbook (preferably published in your province) – your local teacher’s store will be able to help.

Finally, there are two things to think about… first, the new curriculum is really aimed at helping children understand math and there are many good things about it and second, don’t stress too much.  As a working mother of three I am more than happy to let the teachers teach the math — we never do math at home unless homework is assigned! 

Sue, urbanmoms.ca’s Education Expert, is a mother of 3 and a teacher for more than 10 years. Her experience in the classroom and as a mother provide a great perspective to help teachers and parents open up the lines of communication. Sue is a regular contributor to urbanmoms.ca.