enVision math curriculum...anyone?

[lilycat88]

DDs school system switched to the enVision mathcurriculum from Pearson Education. They used Saxon previously. It's very very different from Saxon and some of the students and teachers are still struggling with the new curriculum. It puts a lot more focus on critical thinking and having to explain how to solve problems but it just seems so freakin' easy.

Anyone else have any experience with it?

Thanks

[clc053103]

I was going to post about this too. My aunt is a math professor ansshe hates it. Our school just extended it to k-3. I am not a fan. I think it's overly wordy and making things more complicated than they need to be. My first graders worksheet had the word algebra on it. Really, is that necessary, it's addition which you are simply making more complicated than it needs to be! I saw my nephews third grade worksheet and it was equally ridiculous. As in, explain in words why 5034 stands for 5034. Answer: the 5 is in the thousands column......etc.

I would love someone who liked envision to respond and somehow get me on board with this curriculum.

[Tondi G]

My DS's school uses the enVision Math program. I don't think it's all that great. I agree with the "algebra" ... what's the point of putting that on the worksheet?

[kbud]

I could have written your post!

We too just switched from Saxon to Envision. My dd is in 2nd grade. DH and I are struggling with it too. She got her first ever U on a math test last week! I spent a good hour reviewing the on-line math worksheets from the website to try and understand. I'm not liking it, although I understand the reasoning behind it. They quite sending math homework home and are doing it in class because the parents aren't getting it either. I've been e-mailing her teacher about it. Her teacher told me the teacher's are struggling too!

My mom, a retired teacher, says it's a cycle. They think the kids need to learn more abstract math concepts so they switch to this, then they realize they aren't learning the basic math facts, so they switch back to the basics, and so on and so on.

I'm just trying to keep an open mind and go with the flow!

What grade is your dd in?

I'm struggling as her test instructions for a problem were
"Think addition to help you subtract." That makes no sense to me. So for the answer you have to do an addition problem and then come up with the subtraction answer.

Also, things like, "doubles +1", make 10 and then add the problem, etc.

So 9+8=
8+8=16 so 16+1=17, 9+8= 17

Seems like a complicate way to get to the answer.

3+9=
9+1=10, then take the 1 from the 3 making it 2, now you have 10+2=12, therefor 3+9=12.

If the kid misses one problem along the way they miss the entire thing.

I'm all for introducing many ways to get to the answer while teaching and expose them to many but it seems forcing this way could be rather complicated and more work than needed. Some will click with this thought process, others, like myself will find it complex and confusing.

We are in a public charter school and the rest of the district and state I think did envision. Our school switched really because the state standardized tests had these concepts on it and our school wasn't teaching them. So the switch was due to the darn standardized test!

My dd teacher is still really pushing facts and sending fact flash cards home to do for a few minutes each night. I think she's afraid the basic math facts will be missed now.

[lilycat88]

What grade is your dd in?

Second here as well. Her homework used "array" to describe a grouping of dots in rows and columns last night. I was like WTF? It does seem to make things more difficult than it needs to be.

I'm an analyst. I deal with numbers all day but I dislike math and am not good at it on a good day. So far, the feedback has been bad from parents and teachers. They are afraid the kids are losing the basics so they are supplementing with math fact worksheets in addition to the enVision stuff.
The entire district switched to it this year because it is apparently the only curriculum that fulfills all of the requirements of the new Indiana Core Curriculum. Apparently, Indiana is supposed to have one of the most rigerous core standards in the country...which is hard to believe.

The district is having a meeting tomorrow to discuss, get this, redistricting, moving to a balanced schedule, AND enVision Math. I'm thinking of taking popcorn.

[o_mom]

The district is having a meeting tomorrow to discuss, get this, redistricting, moving to a balanced schedule, AND enVision Math. I'm thinking of taking popcorn.

You might want to take a bodyguard as well. I have seen two out of three of those topics nearly come to blows here.... I can't imagine if they were all in one meeting. Someone clearly wanted to get it all over with at once.

[larig]

As a PhD candidate in the learning sciences and a former h.s. math teacher (AP calculus) it sounds like something I'd want for my son, personally.

[lilycat88]

As a PhD candidate in the learning sciences and a former h.s. math teacher (AP calculus) it sounds like something I'd want for my son, personally.

Parts of it I like. I was hoping, like a pp, that someone could give me some reassurance that this basic and overlycomplicated yet truly simple stuff they are doing in the early grades will help with more complicated topics as they get older. It frustrated DD to know the answer and to not be able to just give the answer instead of going through 3-4 steps to show the answer. I can't say I blame her.

Like I said, I'm not good at math and dislike it. Mainly, because I am part of the generation that was sold the bill of goods that girls "can't do math" and I had a truly heinous 5th grade math teacher that turned me off completely. My husband sucks at math more than me. We are trying really hard to NOT transfer this to DD. But, we're having to watch what we're saying when we discuss math homework and the curriculum and she's hearing all the dislike of the curriculum from others as well.

[bisous]

We used enVision last year while homeschooling. I actually really like it. It seemed really logical to me and I loved all the different ways of doing addition, subtraction, etc. Using the word "algebra" is what throws everyone off, I think. The concept wasn't too difficult for DS. I like the critical thinking on every page but that's just me. DS seems to be quite gifted in math and that could color my perspective on it though.

[larig]

Parts of it I like. I was hoping, like a pp, that someone could give me some reassurance that this basic and overlycomplicated yet truly simple stuff they are doing in the early grades will help with more complicated topics as they get older. It frustrated DD to know the answer and to not be able to just give the answer instead of going through 3-4 steps to show the answer. I can't say I blame her.

Like I said, I'm not good at math and dislike it. Mainly, because I am part of the generation that was sold the bill of goods that girls "can't do math" and I had a truly heinous 5th grade math teacher that turned me off completely. My husband sucks at math more than me. We are trying really hard to NOT transfer this to DD. But, we're having to watch what we're saying when we discuss math homework and the curriculum and she's hearing all the dislike of the curriculum from others as well.

They're very different than the stuff we "grew up on," but I think that's a good thing. It does make it harder for parents to feel equipped to help their kiddos, but your school should be prepared to help YOU. Additionally, if you ever get stuck with something you're trying to help with, I'm happy to help if you post on the BBB.