why “just right” is vital math teaching

If your child attends CET you probably know a thing or two about “Just Right” reading and writing. The cornerstone of our very fine literacy program is based on the concept that the best and the brightest readers can learn in the same classroom with kids that are struggling with literacy, and kids that are making average progress. In this way, all the kids in our community are served and can learn side by side. The reading and writing is adjusted to the level your child is on, and s/he can make progress in a year’s classroom time no matter where the child was at when s/he first walked in the door.

For some reason, and we suspect it is political more than academic, the math instruction at CET is on one level only, so if your kid “gets” the math right away, or comes in with superior math skills s/he is still forced to go over and over material that has already been mastered. The child is prevented from moving on. The message: math is boring stuff and geared for people who need remedial help. This is not the way to build strong math learners!

We must take an active role changing this approach. We want the children assessed during the first weeks of September 2008. Then we want different levels of math learning taking place within the classroom, just how it is done with literacy. Come down with us on May 12 at 8 or 8:30 pm at Croton High school to insist to the board and Dr. Castro, that math be taught in this way. Exact time will be posted on this site during the first week of May.