Comments on: Kindergarten math is often too basic. Here’s why that’s a problem

By: Judi Folden

Judi Folden — Wed, 08 May 2024 16:53:59 +0000

Since 2008, California’s preschool and TK programs are supposed to adhere to “California Preschool Learning Foundations.” Regardless of the style of the school, anything from a play-based, Reggio, Montessori, Waldorf, authoritarian, religious, etc. graduates should know shapes, numbers, ordering, and simple addition and subtraction. It was wonderful, integrated through daily play and learning about each other through conflict resolution. They arrived at school ready to learn. In our elementary school, the kids who went to preschool, or had parents who worked through preschool material, represented about 2/3 of the class. They also knew the alphabet, a few were readers, had some social skills, and general interacted well with adults. The rest of the class seemed to have none of these skills and occupied most of the teacher’s time. Meanwhile, many of the other students and parents became frustrated because their children were “ahead,” started teaching them at home because they were in fact bored, and by the next year, the single year gap became 2-3, and the next year for a handfuls of kids it was 3-4. I watched this happen over and over again.

By: RoseMarie Dorow

RoseMarie Dorow — Wed, 08 May 2024 02:51:40 +0000

As an elderly retired kindergarten teacher, I truly appreciated your article regarding math in kdgn.
I used the program called “Math Their Way,” which taught many areas of math, and the children enjoyed patterns, estimating, etc., all hands on activities.

By: Art Bardige

Art Bardige — Tue, 07 May 2024 19:57:34 +0000

I did not see the word pattern in this long disappointing article. The great mathematician and math educator Lynn Steen said “Mathematics is the science of patterns”. Patterns are the building blocks of mathematics. We need to start there in our curriculum, with our students, and for PK-3 teachers. The most important math we can teach kids is to look for and see patterns!