My daughter's math homework

last year, when my daughter came home from first grade with her math homework and she had to identify a rhombus, i suspected there might be trouble. i remember my first encounter with the rhombus; i was 15 years old, in tenth grade geometry. back then, entire years were dedicated to studying one subject. in elementary school we learned the base facts—drills on addition, subtraction, and multiplication. we studied and practiced the tables; we learned through repetition.
my daughter's math homework is all about meaning and significance. already, i have learned several ways to approach a problem. to add or subtract, i can use a number grid, a number line, my fingers, pennies as counters, or a word problem to illustrate the dynamic. my 40-plus-year-old mind thinks, "oh, i never thought of it that way." but sometimes, my 40-plus-year-old mind thinks, "wait, how am i supposed to do this now? " instead of entire months dedicated to one concept, my daughter's math program jumps quickly between subjects. the pace is dizzying.
my biggest fear is that a year or two from now, they will scrap this program and start doing "real" math, and all these kids will be dangling out there without their concepts mastered—but with a firm grip on meaning and significance. i realize, as a country, we are trying to catch up, but i have to wonder if pushing our kids is the right thing to do.
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when writing this article, the writer hoped to
a.
entertain readers with humorous stories about parenting.
b.
persuade other parents to their children with homework.
c.
inform readers with facts and figures about homework trends.
d.
share his or her opinions and concerns with other parents.