The CCPS Elementary Mathematics Curriculum standards define what students should understand and be able to do in their study of mathematics. Asking a student to understand something means asking a teacher to assess whether the student has understood it. But what does mathematical understanding look like? One hallmark of mathematical understanding is the ability to justify, in a way appropriate to the student’s mathematical maturity, why a particular mathematical statement is true or where a mathematical rule comes from. There is a world of difference between a student who can summon a mnemonic device to expand a product such as (a+b)(x+y) and a student who can explain where the mnemonic comes from. The student who can explain the rule understands the mathematics, and may have a better chance to succeed at a less familiar task such as expanding (a+b+c)(x+y). Mathematical understanding and procedural skill are equally important, and both are emphasized in the CCPS Elementary Mathematics Curriculum.
Common Core Standards Frameworks - In June, 2010, the MD State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Since that time, educators from around the state have met to determine the Essential Skills and Knowledge associated with these standards. The draft of the Common Core Standards Frameworks can be found here organized by grade.
DreamBox Teacher Tools - You don’t need to buy DreamBox to use these free virtual manipulatives. DreamBox Teacher Tools bring math to life for students. These unique virtual manipulatives can be used in large- or small-group instructional settings with your interactive white board or projector, or on computers.