Everyday Math Unit 6 Review
Janie Leverone
The instructional materials reviewed for Everyday Mathematics 4, Kindergarten through Grade 2, partially meet expectations for alignment. The assessments for Kindergarten through Grade 2 address grade-level standards, and the materials devote at least 65% of class time to major clusters of the grade. The materials are also consistent and coherent with the progressions in the Standards. The materials for Kindergarten through Grade 2 partially meet expectations for Gateway 2, rigor and mathematical practices. The lessons attend to conceptual understanding and procedural skills, and there is balance among the three aspects of rigor. The Standards for Mathematical Practice (MPs) are identified and used to enrich the mathematics content, but the materials do not present students with opportunities to engage with the full intent of MP5, choose tools strategically.
The instructional materials reviewed for Everyday Mathematics 4, Grade 3 through Grade 6, partially meet the expectations for alignment. The assessments for Grades 3 through 5 address grade-level standards, the materials for Grades 3 through 5 devote at least 65% of class time to major clusters of the grade. The materials for Grades 3 through 6 are coherent and consistent with the progressions in the Standards. The materials for Grade 3 through Grade 6 partially meet expectations for Gateway 2, rigor and mathematical practices. The lessons include conceptual understanding and procedural skills and fluency, and there is balance among the three aspects of rigor. The Standards for Mathematical Practice (MPs) are identified and used to enrich the mathematics content, but the materials do not present students with opportunities to engage with the full intent of MP5, choose tools strategically.
This year was different, however. I was elated that our staff (kindergarten through fifth grade) was ready to commit to using a single curriculum: Everyday Math. I strongly believed that following a California Common Core-approved curriculum would ensure I covered all the standards with a strong emphasis on Coherence, Focus, and Rigor. Because of this, I was ready to let go of the detailed unit plans, routines, problem solving pages, and quick checks I had previously poured my heart and mind into.
To address the identified shortcomings, I made simple, but deliberate tweaks included utilizing correct vocabulary terms during my math instruction and student share-outs, and correcting vocabulary on workbook pages and tests.
Individual students share out their process while I chart their process. This is a time for collaborative questioning, clarification, and restating to ensure everyone is tuned in to the student. Our daily math workshop concludes with independent practice to ensure students are exposed to procedural and fluency practice on a daily basis.
About the Author: Ingrid Beaty has been teaching elementary students in California for the past twelve years. She currently teaches fifth grade at Community Roots Academy, a charter school in Laguna Niguel, California. Ingrid received her Teaching Credentials, BA and MA in Curriculum Instruction through Cal State University Fullerton. Recently, she received an Administrative Credential from University of California Irvine. In addition to teaching, Ingrid coaches teachers toward stronger Professional Learning Communities and serves as the site SBAC testing coordinator.
For me, spiral math review is also a way of briefly introducing concepts before we officially study the units those concepts are in. This can help us move through new units a little more quickly, because the spiral math helps build some background knowledge for students.
The Grade 6 Common Core math standards are on the assessment answer key, so you can reference which questions address which standards. The Daily Math also has an index of the Common Core math standards, along with the days they are covered in the 180 days.
For example, she said, this year, the Social Studies department started its five-year cycle anew, with staff analyzing the curriculum for content, and preparing for the inclusion of 21st century material, as well as literacy and technology standards and instructional strategies.
"Now that the business program is staffed by experienced professionals from the field, proposals for program enhancements were developed and resources for the AP Economics program were adopted and implemented," she added.
Regan said instruction was expanded to grades K-3, and "a revised sequence was rolled out for mastery and exploratory learning opportunities." K-2 students began Spanish studies during the past year, with kindergarten pupils introduced to the language as a "whole" class using interwrite boards as opposed to the individualized laptops used by grade 1-5 students.
New literacy assessments were created by elementary grade level teachers, using Google docs, slides and forms to "provide student learning focus for new and revised study units," Regan said, also noting that professional development workshops for teachers and building principals on the TC Reading-Writing Project model were assisted by Title 2 grant funds. The program also funded parent workshops to enhance their ability to support literacy instruction at home.
Describing other developments, she said, "Non-fiction, leveled reading collections were purchased to support the science and social studies programs, especially at the elementary and middle school levels." In addition, "Zing.com was introduced this year, to offer quality, leveled books that students could access both in and out of school."
Noting that grammar units were added to the Literacy curriculum to promote district consistency, Regan commented in a side note that "both the elementary and middle schools had good participation this year in the PAARC testing, and we were very pleased with the performance of our students."
At the elementary level, teachers implemented the new K-5 Science Fusion program by virtue of the purchase of touch-screen laptop units, said Regan, aligning the program with the version already in place at the middle school.
According to Regan, the high school science department "updated all levels of the Biology program, as well as the AP Physics courses, to align with new AP requirements." She said teachers, parents and students were surveyed for input regarding the development of future course electives.
Middle school faculty worked on student preparation for PAARC algebra testing, in which grade 7 and 8 students performed well, Regan said. At the high school, she said that, "in alignment with our interest and curriculum goal to include coding in our K-12 curriculum, teachers researched and proposed computer science as a course option for 2016-17."
Regan noted that the middle school and high school were prepared to initiate a small orchestra program to "address the growing musical talent and interest [emerging] from the elementary grades; however, we did not have the necessary enrollment to move that initiative forward."
Curriculum updates this past year included technology improvements associated with upgraded equipment in the new fitness room, 21st Century skills including "life-long fitness," and the addition of disc golf to the physical education sports offering. In Health, expanded units were developed in the areas of acceptance, gender identity and stereotypical language, Regan said.
"STEEM enrichment teachers continued to update and expand the engineering and entrepreneurship components of the program, which benefit all K-5 students," Regan said. "Additionally, the program introduced coding into the curriculum beginning in grade 2 this year, as students learned about algorithms and debugging with a newly-purchased coding resource called "Bee Bots," she said.
In the Gifted & Talented range, she said staff reviewed the interests and talents of students to adjust lessons accordingly, and also revised the G&T qualification process to formally include writing skills.
For the first four days of the week, 4th grade math students will complete short, targeted math problems. The last activity for the week extends learning with opportunities for problem solving and applying critical thinking skills. The frequent, focused practice improves math skills, and each title includes downloadable home-school connection activities.
- models and tools to aid students in solving problems and answering open-ended questions.
- critical math proficiencies for each grade level.
- downloadable math activities and projects to offer reinforcing practice at home.
- a detailed scope and sequence chart to help teachers map units to correlated skills.
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