Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Bringing in challenge math problems to class?

In my son's K class, the kids listen to a math lesson at circle time for 20 minutes and then they break into 3 groups for math practice, with a teacher, the TA or a parent volunteer. I volunteer once a week in my son's class and always have the top group.

The work is differentiated a little between the three groups, but in that top group there are 3 of the 8 kids working at a 2nd-3rd grade level, while the rest are working at a late K level.

Last week I had a GREAT math session with the 5 kids that are in the lower part of the top group, working a little ahead of grade level. But it made me bummed because the top 3 kids (my son included) weren't challenged. At all.

Is there any reason I shouldn't bring in a packet of "bonus problems" for these top 3 kids to let them work on after they finish their work (which takes about 3 minutes) while I work with the other 5 kids? Would that insult the teacher if I asked to do so? She's claiming she's differentiating and she IS, just not enough for the very top kids.

And currently I try to keep them busy anyway by flipping their papers over and making up random problems on the fly. It always feels really inefficient.

Thanks in advance. You guys always seem to point out things I haven't thought about. I have a very good relationship with his teacher and don't want to cause problems there.

Yes it would upset the teacher if you just brought in extra stuff. She may agree to you bringing in a game or something for early finshers though and there are games that can be made harder or easier.

You may also find that the teacher is not allowed to teach more than a year ahead and if someone finds out she has been letting you do it she will get in trouble.

Really? Yikes, I'm glad I asked. I guess I can kind of see that.

I already give them more, because I have to keep them busy for 20 minutes and they finish their assigned work in like.. 4. They are given one worksheet.

Lately I've been having them make up their own addition problems and then we all solve them together as a group.

But it feels very ineffective.

I wonder if I can ask her if "we can come up with some bonus problems" to give them if they finish and get restless. If she likes the idea, then offer to create them?

Aww, Portia, I'm sorry. That's awful.

I think this is a good idea. Put the emphasis on the fact that they are finishing early and need more work, not on the fact that the work is too easy.

Therr is a risk she will then give more work attge same level. Maybe a book of logic puzzles they could do together would be OK. Of course this teacher may be oerfectly happy for you to do 3rd grade maths with them or at least turn a blind eye. Any way you can find out? Suggest several options and see what she likes? Games seem non threatening but can be teaching a lot.

Sounds paranoid but my ds6's teacher has upset her boss by letting him get further ahead than the boss would like and the boss is now telling me that she shoukdn't have let him and is basically too inexperienced to be competant.
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I don't think that a parent can make a judgement on the curriculum or class content in a classroom. In the schools that we have been in, there are administrators, Head Teachers, State standards, Common Core, Curriculum committees etc that have dictated what needs to be taught in a classroom. Sometimes, they identify the material that they can use at the teacher's discretion for differentiation. But, parent bringing in external curriculum for instruction is not allowed and in the local public schools, the parent needs to meet with the Principal to find out how to do this (with PTA and Site Council involvement). Basically, no.

Having said that, I volunteered in the math class once a week in K and had the same frustrations as the OP - what I did was asked for permission to bring in manipulatives or math games and convert part of the free time of early finishers to a math game playing time - we already had things like tangrams and cuisinart at home which I took with me - but, for things like money, the teacher gave me some pdfs and I laminated several copies and cut them out to make manipulatives and we played games with advanced concepts - we called them grouping games, balancing the scale games and skip counting games instead of multiplication, division or intro to equations. We also had a once a month mini Math Bee where all the participants got a sticker and an eraser.

Though it was all fun and felt constructive at that time, my son needed more instruction at a higher level and after-schooling intensively to meet his needs was getting exhausting because of sports and music and we left that school and moved on to one that would actually teach challenging content during school time. Sorry, if your DS is very advanced, you might have to find a school that will teach to his abilities or after-school him or homeschool him. Good luck.

How about bringing in math picture books like "Zero the Hero" or "What is a Million?"

Try asking if you can use these worksheets (look at them so you can choose appropriate grade):

http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/domain/13224

They have been used for enrichment by all my children's teachers. They're nice because they don't really require a lot of technical math knowledge even up a few grades, but they can be tricky. They are used in many districts across the country.

I'm guessing you chat with the teacher at least every now and then about how the group is working. I'd mention to her that there's a split in ability level that's starting to show, and that you'd like to offer some more challenging work to the students who were in the upper range. I'd have a few ideas in mind before talking to her, so it's not a situation where you are asking for more work from her.

I'd also suggest trying to find something that's non-worksheet oriented... but that's just me lol!

Best wishes,

polarbear

Just now reading the replies to this (sorry!)...

I'll just leave it alone. We're already afterschooling DS 2-3 grades ahead at home, so I'm not sure what I was trying to accomplish. Seems like a total waste to just watch the kids sit there bored, but I don't want to risk upsetting the teacher/school by doing too much.

Sorry if I sound defeated. This whole interacting with the school thing feels more complicated than it should be.

I did successfully teach a lesson for Hour of Code on coding to the class, during math time, which was designed to naturally allow the advanced kids to move at their own pace. It was a huge success and the teacher asked if I could come back and do another activity. So at least there is some minor success story to report there! I got to teach recursion to a K student that is always way ahead in math -- that was awesome.

Glad the hour of code was a success. Now that the teacher knows you do good work maybe you can show her some material for enrichment math time. Don't be too discourage just do talk with the teacher and do it strategically.

LOL to the K understanding recursion. In my first formal programming class back in college the professor spent an entire class session on recursion. I got it in the first 5 minutes and remember sitting through the rest of the class wondering why he was belaboring the subject and didn't move on to something more interesting. And after class a surprising number of students were still confused about the topic. It was when I first realized I might make a good programmer.

I wonder if something like Life of Fred would be workable in your situation, here -- since it's written like a story, but with math problems at the end of every chapter, and it doesn't at ALL look like worksheets so it won't appear to be mimicking "real math lessons".

fwiw I started a challenge math program for the whole school at our elementary. They get a new sheet every other week and kids get the chance to have their name drawn for a prize if they finish the sheet, so if it was our school, I'd get the teacher's permission to go over the week's math challenge sheet with the kids who finish.