NEW MATH CURRICULUM

June 23, 2020 04:50 pm

Education Minister Stephen Lecce 

The Ford government is suspending standardized testing at the grade three to six level for one year.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce says they want everyone to get used to a new Math curriculum instead.

“We want them to focus on adapting to this learning and to a curriculum that really reflects the priorities of parents and ultimately the necessary skill-sets required in the job market,” noted Lecce.

In the 2020 curriculum , there will be more focus on fundamental math concepts, such as learning multiplication facts up of 0 times 0 up to 12 times 12, to enhance problem solving and mental math.

News of the suspending of EQAO testing was welcomed in most Ontario households back in June. As well, an earlier announcement about the launch of a less convoluted grade 1-8  math program should help rekindle interest in a subject that too often left students frustrated and parents befuddled.

Let me explain with an example. 

I recently asked my nine year old granddaughter to show me how she subtracts 14 from 57.

Here's what she wrote:

14 + 6  =  20           

20 + 30 =  50       

50 +  7   =  57

Next came  

    6 + 30  + 7

= 30 +  6 + 7 

= 30 + 13 

= 30 + 10 + 3

= 43

I was both amazed and stupefied; amazed that a 9 year old could work out the problem so logically but stupefied that a 'simple' question would take half a page to write out. As well, I was not surprised by Isla's resistance to doing more such problems. 

"I really don't like math," she asserted.

Is it any wonder? 

And is it any surprise that parents feel so alienated from their child's learning? 

In these past few weeks, I've had a chance to observe first hand the learning curve of my 2 year old grandson. Daily, he masters new words and as well as physical skills like hopping, using a fork and climbing stairs. His sense of achievement clearly motivates him to explore even more. That's what an effective program should do; provide children with opportunities to be successful by promoting an "I can do it" spirit.

Let's hope the new curriculum does just that.