Issues with Current Mathematics Curricula

Reading the article Middle-Grades Mathematics Standards: Issues and Implications, I came across several important points regarding the math curriculum throughout the country. The first point the article brings up is that there is a disparity among states pertaining to when certain topics are introduced and how often they are subsequently referred to. The article uses the example of similarity in angles/shapes, and shows how states introduce this concept and very different times. Introducing topics at different times leads to students in some states mastering concept at a later age which will inevitably impact later education.

The article also states how important it is for the curriculum from one grade to be compatible with both previous and future grades. With material from previous years, there must be a balance between re-teaching and building on a concept. It is a waste of time in the classroom to completely re-teach a topic that has already been extensively covered, but at the same time students may need a refresher before moving on to a more advanced implementation of a topic. It is also integral that educators build upon previously learned concepts at an appropriate rate and difficulty since synthesis of previous learnings leads to learning of more complicated material.

Another difference between many states' math curriculum is the emphasis on performing a task as opposed to justifying which method to use before performing a problem. While some states require students to simply create and use a histogram to solve a story problem, other states require the students to pick which graph to use, justify their choice, and then proceed to solve the problem. Obviously the justification process is an important critical thinking exercise and helps students truly understand the material, but many curricula do not use this concept when stating guidelines.

The final issue with state curricula that the article talks about is the lack of clarity in many state guidelines. Oftentimes they use several verbs to speak of the same action, or use unclear or ambiguous language to describe a topic. Since these standards are the basis for all the material covered in a students time in the classroom, it wold be extremely beneficial for these to be made more easily readable.

This article shows how important the curriculum is to the study of mathematics, specifically in the middle grades. Topics must be integrated between grades, there must be an emphasis on evaluating a problem rather than simply doing it, and there is a need to simplify and clarify the current guidelines to ensure students are taught in a uniform manner.