What’s Up with Investigations Math?

-Frequently Asked Questions by Parents-

As you know, Narragansett elementary school is using a new math curriculum called Investigations. It is a research-based program that emphasizes mathematical reasoning and real-life application. It represents a major shift in the way we expect teachers to teach, and children to learn. We offer parents these FAQs in an effort to continue education and dialogue concerning our new curriculum.

Q: What was wrong with the old ways that we taught math? Why do we need to change our program?

There are a number of reasons that Narragansett—along with many other schools in Rhode Island and the nation—saw a need to change its mathematics program.

One reason is that the traditional ways of teaching math have simply become outdated. Over the past 20 years or so, our economy—and real-life demands for math—have changed radically, while instruction in schools has not. Mere arithmetic proficiency (the old way) worked for some of us, but it is no longer sufficient for today’s students. Today, our kids need more real-life application skills that come from a strong background in mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills.

Another reason is that we need to incorporate new learning research into our math instruction. With the old ways, we used a one-size-fits-all method, never considering how children best learn math. The new research-based curriculum gives us more effective teaching methods to address more learning styles and give more children the opportunity to demonstrate their potential. The new curricula, like Investigations, meet the needs of all types of students: from gifted, to those functioning below grade level, to the various groups in between. Programs like ours also reduce ethnic, socioeconomic and gender gaps.

Furthermore, we need a change because the United States consistently scores lower than other developed nations on tests of math reasoning and problem solving. International comparative studies indicate that our old ways of teaching math do not help students learn concepts in depth. Instead, they encourage students to learn procedural skills, in a passive classroom routine that involves only listening and note taking. Currently, the average students in other countries know as much math as our top students! How have they done this? They have taught math that in a way that emphasizes depth over breadth. This is what our new curricula will do for us.

Lastly, our old ways of teaching math dashed the confidence of many students. If it worked for you, consider yourself fortunate, because many adults today still sadly lack confidence in math, or proclaim that they’re “not good at it.” Why is this? It is because old ways of teaching did not meet the needs of many students. With today’s curricula, more learning styles are addressed, and students have more opportunity to internalize math in a way that makes sense to them. They end up better equipped to tackle new challenges.

Many other districts in RI are using Investigations, which has been developed for students in grades K-5. It has been implemented in those grades in Narragansett and is being piloted in grade 6 this year.

Q: How do we know that Investigations works? Is this some sort of an experiment for Narragansett?

No, Investigations is not any kind of “experiment.” It was developed by TERC, a well-known educational research firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We know it works because it has been tested nation-wide for many years. Students who have used it for a number of years have shown good improvement in their reasoning and problem solving skills, and more of them profess confidence in math. Furthermore, Investigations has proved effective in various schools settings, from inner-city populations, to more affluent, high-achieving towns. Specifically, data has shown that kids do better with their computation of larger numbers, their mathematical reasoning & problem-solving, and their real-life application of skills. This has also been supported on state-wide tests,
once programs are fully implemented. For more information on TERC’s research, please visit
http://investigations.terc.edu/research/index.cfm

Q: But I am still concerned about my child’s knowledge of basic facts. He doesn’t seem to have memorized them the way I did.

You are right. Your child is not spending as much time memorizing in class. Remember: we are striving for depth of understanding, as opposed to mere memorization. However, if you look carefully at your child’s assignments, you will see that a great deal of time is spent focusing on the concepts behind the basic operations, and the procedures s/he can use to find the answers.

If you want to help your child become more automatic with facts, feel free to work on this at home. The Array Cards can be used as flash cards and will match what is being done in the Investigations program. In fact, many teachers do work on automaticity in school; it is just not the main thrust of the program. And, as we move toward full implementation, we will find a balance of methods that works for us.

Q: Will this new program prepare my child for Middle School? I’ve heard they don’t use Investigations there.

Investigations will most certainly prepare your child for middle school. In fact, the Middle School is currently implementing piloting a very similar program called Connected Mathematics in grade 6. Connected Math has the same philosophical base, with an emphasis on math reasoning, problem solving, and application. And, like Investigations, skills are spiraled from year-to-year, so that students are not learning in isolated strands that are never re-visited. Instead, skills are taught more in-depth, with more connections and reinforcement each year.

All schools in RI need to be moving towards a standards-based mathematics program. Currently, there are two that are nationally recognized and being used in RI – Investigations and Everyday Math. While both are good programs, we selected Investigations for Narragansett because it seems to be the program most recommended by the RI Department of Education. Areas that we feel need to be covered more thoroughly will be supplemented with other materials. As we are only in our second year of the program, we are just beginning to recognize those areas and search for materials.

Q: How Can I Best Help My Child?

As parents, there are many things you can do.

The first is as simple as speaking positively about math to your child. Because the old ways of teaching have left many of us insecure about our math skills, it is easy to unintentionally convey low expectations to our children. To combat this, we need to communicate enthusiasm about math, integrate it into our everyday lives, and consistently encourage and praise our children’s skills.

Realizing that Investigations homework may look different than math homework we remember, we are committed to:
• Not sending home a game unless the children are familiar enough to be able to explain how the game works to parents.
• Never sending new material home
• Sending home arithmetic practice sheets, if needed

If you are struggling with homework longer than is reasonable, simply jot a note to the teacher about the problem you had. He or she will address it the next day with the child, and even write you back if necessary.