September 2006
Dear Parents,
This Mathematics Parent Handbook is designed to give information to Ann Arbor parents about the elementary mathematics curriculum taught in our schools. It offers definitions, home support activities, and other tools you may find helpful as you support your child’s learning at home.
The framework for the mathematics curriculum of the Ann Arbor Public Schools was designed locally by teachers, parents, and curriculum specialists to meet the expectations demanded by state and national level standards and to prepare our students to compete at the state, national, and international levels.
Everyday Mathematics, developed by the University of Chicago School of Mathematics, is the textbook series selected by the Ann Arbor school district in 1996 to support the curriculum. This program is used by 35% of the districts in Michigan and 20% of districts nationwide. In addition to the Everyday Mathematics materials, our mathematics program is supplemented by a variety of materials and instructional strategies to assure that our students meet high standards.
As you review your child's work in mathematics, you will see that many of the assignments will appear unfamiliar compared to more traditional sets of computation assignments and story problems. Our program is a blend of computation and algorithms and rigorous problem solving. Children will be expected to compute correctly and efficiently. They will also be expected to describe processes, write about their problem-solving strategies, and use other devices that enrich children's understanding of mathematics.
This handbook provides answers to frequently asked questions, explains unfamiliar exercises, and gives you a library of mathematics activities and games to enrich and support your child's learning.
This is the first edition of the Parent Handbook. Many people, including parents, have worked hard to make it readable and useful. However, we are always open to your suggestions to make it better still. Please feel free to forward your comments and suggestions to Michele Madden, Elementary Achievement Support Specialist, madden@aaps.k12.mi.us.
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Todd Roberts
Superintendent
