Write Math?

By far Common Core's most distinctive feature, as articulated in CCSS.Math.Practice.MP3, is its emphasis that students be able to explain verbally what they are solving. In principle, there is nothing wrong with that. But in practice, "writing math" is putting traditional computation on the back burner. Why? Because we are told that students will have to write out their rationales on state tests in some capacity--and, admit it or not, teachers are forced to tune their instruction tightly so students will do well on the state tests. The fact that we have not yet seen the state tests and their implementation of this writing principle has not stopped Common Core stamped math books from shifting their focus.

Witness, for example, this photo from a third grade Common Core math book and its "Write Math" section. Notice it is labeled "H.O.T.," implying that this type of problem is "in."

Notice the last word--"Explain." No longer is it enough to just solve and check your work mathematically. Now it must also be explained verbally. Here's another third grade problem.

How well will students who struggle with reading, or students whose native language is not English, fare in this methodology? Yet American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten tells us that "civil rights groups that see public education as an anchor of democracy and a great equalizer have embraced these standards." Perhaps these groups have not done their homework on what Common Core actually entails.



This writing methodology not only emphasizes student explanations, but is also gives pride of place to word problems. Have a look at the first grade book from the same textbook series. Notice the "Test Prep" label in the upper right hand corner.

There is nothing wrong with word problems per se, yet here we find the underlying issue: if word problems will be the focus of the state assessments (two of the three "Test Prep" pages in this section are entirely given to word problems), then teachers will be forced to give the bulk of their precious few classroom minutes to practicing word problems. This gives far less time for drilling the basic facts that are essential to mathematics, and without knowledge of the basics, the students will fall farther behind year after year.

This excessive verbiage will cause Common Core to fail, as a generation of students will know neither mathematical computation nor mathematical concepts. So much for Common Core's Mission Statement that promises to prepare students "to compete successfully in the global economy" in the future.

Instead these students will not even be able to make change from a $5 bill.