Your A+ back-to-school action plan
Learn how to be more active and engaged in your child's education with seven tips. Written by Peg Tyre
Tip 6: Don't trash-talk about math.
Psychologists Harold Stevenson and James Stigler found 15 years ago that in countries that produce a lot of math whizzes, parents and teachers believed that math ability is like a muscle you strengthen with good instruction and practice. In the USA, where kids don’t do that well, parents think of math ability as a talent, not a skill. Do this: Check that nightly homework is completed (not on the bus). And watch what you say about your own math aptitude — it matters.
Math
Our Mission Statement: To help all students reach a level of mathematical competence needed to continue their education in mathematics.
Course 1
Course 1 is a rigorous 6th grade mathematics class that covers 100% of the 6tth grade California Common Core Standards for Mathematics. Students’ performance throughout Course 1 will be used in determining progression to Course 2 or Course 2/3A in 7th grade. Key areas of focus in Course 1 include:
- Developing an understanding of ratio and rate and using concepts of ratio and rate to solve problems
- Extending the notion of the number system to include rational numbers
- Writing, interpreting and using expressions and equations
- Working with two- and three- dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area and volume
- Developing an understanding of statistical thinking
Textbook: Course 1, Math in Focus: Singapore Math (Houghton Mifflin), 2013.
Course 2
Course 2 is a rigorous 7th grade mathematics class that covers 100% of the 7th grade California Common Core Standards for Mathematics. Students successfully completing Course 2 will progress to Course 3. Key areas of focus in Course 2 include:
- Developing an understanding of and applying proportional relationships
- Developing an understanding of operations with rational numbers
- Working with algebraic expressions and linear equations
- Creating informal geometric constructions
- Working with two- and three- dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area and volume
- Drawing inferences about populations based on data samples.
Textbook: Course 2, Math in Focus: Singapore Math (Houghton Mifflin), 2013.
Course 2/3A
Course 2/3A is a highly accelerated (fast-paced) class in which 100% of the 7th grade California Common Core Standards for Mathematics will be covered in addition to 50% of the 8th grade California Common Core Standards for Mathematics. Students successfully completing Course 2/3A will progress to Course 3B/Algebra1.
Textbook: Course 2 and 3A, Math in Focus: Singapore Math (Houghton Mifflin), 2013
Course 3
Course 3 is a rigorous 8th grade mathematics class that covers 100% of the 8th grade California Common Core Standards for Mathematics. Students successfully completing Course 3 will progress to Algebra 1. Key areas of focus in Course 3 include:
- Formulating and reasoning about algebraic expressions and equations
- Modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation
- Solving linear equations and systems of linear equations
- Grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships
- Analyzing two- and three- dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity and congruence (including using transformations of translations, rotations, reflections and dilations)
- Understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem
Textbook: Course 3, Math in Focus: Singapore Math (Houghton Mifflin), 2013
3B/Algebra 1
Course 3B/Algebra is a highly accelerated (fast-paced) class in which 100% of the High School Algebra Standards will be covered in addition to 50% of the 8th grade California Common Core Standards for Mathematics. Students successfully completing Course 3B/Algebra will progress to Geometry.
Textbook: 3B, Math in Focus: Singapore Math (Houghton Mifflin), 2013
California Algebra 1, McDougal Littel, 2007.
Mr Huntoon would like for you to watch this video about a math major right now.
Nurture a growth mindset!
