A Guide of Common Core Shifts for Students and Parents

Mathematics Shift 1:Focus: Learn more about less

Student must…

• Spend more time on fewer concepts

Parents can…

• Know what the priority work is for your child at their grade level

• Spend time with your child on priority work

• Ask your child’s teachers about their progress on priority work

Mathematics Shift 2:Skills Across Grades

Students must…

• Keep building on learning year after year

Parents can…

• Be aware of what your child struggles with last year and how that will affect learning the this year

• Advocate for your child and ensure that supports are given for gaps in learning

The National Mathematics Advisory Panel Final Report (2008)

Success with Adding/Subtracting/ Multiplying/Dividing

Positive and Negative Numbers

Success with Fractions

Success in Algebra

Success in College

Mathematics Shift 3:Speed and Accuracy

Students must…

• Spend time practicing lots of problems on the same concept

Parents can…

• Push children to know/memorize basic math facts

• Know all of the fluencies your child should have at the different grade levels

Key FluenciesGrade Required Fluency

K Add/subtract within 5

1st Add/subtract within 10

2nd Add/subtract within 20 (addition/subtraction facts)Add/subtract within 100

3rd Multiply/divide within 100 (multiplication/division facts)Add/subtract within 1,000

4th Add/subtract within 1,000,000

5th Multi-digit multiplicationMulti-digit division

6th Multi-digit decimal operations

7th Solve px + q=r, p(x + q)=r

8th Solve simple 2 x 2 systems by inspection

Mathematics Shift 4:Know it/Do it!

Student must…• Understand why the math

works. Make the math work.

• Talk about why the math works

• Prove that they know why and how the math works

Parents can…• Notice whether your child

really knows why the answer is what it is

• Advocate for the time your child needs to learn key math skills

• Provide time for your child to work hard with math at home

• Try to know the math your child needs to know

Current Sample Test Item 5th Grade MathSamantha is making an Apple Crumb Pie using the ingredients below.

Apple Crumb Pie

How much total sugar must Samantha use to make the pie crumb and filling?

a. 7/12 cupb. 2/6 cupc. 3/4 cupd. 2/3 cup

Crumb Filling

3/4 cup flour 4 cups sliced apples

1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup raisins

Example Common Core Performance Task: 5th Grade Math

Stuffed with PizzaJohn and Daniel are stuffed with pizza. John ate one-fourth of a cheese pizza, three-eighths of a pepperoni pizza, and one-half of a mushroom pizza. Daniel ate five-eights of a cheese pizza, and the other half of the mushroom pizza. All of the pizzas were the same size. John says he ate more pizza than Daniel because Daniel did not eat any pepperoni pizza. Daniel says they each ate the same amount of pizza. Who is correct? Show all of your mathematical thinking.

Example Annotated Student Work

The student models with mathematics. The diagram is accurate, labeled and a key is provided.

By drawing a diagram, the student is able to make sense of the problem. The student knows to find equivalent fractions to help solve the problem.

Additional Common Core Resources

• www.georgiastandards.org

• www.pta.org/4446.htm

• www.corestandards.org

Science

Physical Science

• Introduction to conservation of matter• Physical changes• Chemical changes• Electricity and magnetism

Science

Earth Science• Landforms of Georgia• Effects of constructive and destructive forces• Role of technology in control

Science

Life Science

• Classification of organisms• Inheritance of traits• Learned behaviors• Cells and microorganisms