Regarding 8th Grade Math
Roger Atlas
Hello everyone,
I know we are gathering soon to discuss shared experiences and collect hints.
My issue is so specific to my class, I thought I would ask opinions electronically rather than use time during the mid-service meeting.
I am teaching ten periods of math per week.
I gave a twenty question test today.
The highest score was ten correct.
Of my 77 learners (in two sections), one got ten right, one got eight right, two got seven right.
I have one girl who can not multiply three by five. She draws rows of circles (three rows of five circles) and counts them. The test had nine times thirteen and the students were overwhelmed with drawing so many circles.
The principal tells me that all students are tested for reading skill when they enter 8th grade. In her school, 86% can not read at the 6th grade level.
There is no equivalent testing for math skills but I assume similar results.
Has anyone else experienced something similar in your math classes?
If so, do you have good ideas to bring students up to grade level?
Any comparison to your school situation would be appreciated.
Roger
P.S. The girl who can not multiply three times five is quite bright.
She is Angolan and speaks four languages well. She is fourteen years old.
The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. Get busy.
ars...@frii.com
district in Colorado does not experience the extremes you are speaking of
(86% of 8th graders not reading at 6th grade level), the pattern is
definitely present at home as well, especially in regions of low-income
and English language learners. Many of my school's 6th graders cannot do
simple multiplication tables in their heads. Many of my writers are very
low. So, my suggestion is to create groups. Perhaps you're already doing
this. It is more work to create additional directions for more learners,
but it can help. You may never see all your learners working at comparable
levels; in fact, you won't, but keep in mind that they are all very unique
thinkers as well, and some simply experience more success at knowledge
acquistion than others. Yes, this is a nasty little concept that people
don't want to discuss. We used to call it 'tracking', which is very taboo.
Now we are allowed to acknowledge that grouping within an all-inclusive
classroom is not such a bad idea.
For what it's worth. alicia
> _________________________________________________________________
> The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with
> Hotmail.