elementary school math-fact challenges

[chhotii]

Here's what I don't get: I've been told that the MCAS is un-timed. (Is this true?)

If this is so, why is there so much emphasis on doing the math-fact sheets as fast as possible? Timing them and so forth? For some kids, rising to the challenge will work. But there are some kids (such as Sophia, and at least one other kid you know...) for whom the timer causes so much activation of the sympathetic nervous system that it impairs both performance and learning. In a big way.

Mathematicians are not judged on speed. So why is math treated like a track event in 2nd grade?

Comments

[chhotii.livejournal.com]

The question that comes to me is why don't you delay her education until she has the neurological maturity expected/demanded of children in that grade?

That's a fascinating question, Dale! Clearly you do not have kids.

One reason: My understanding is that my child has to be schooled somehow, under penalty of law. Either public school, private school, or a home-school plan approved by the school system and actually followed (or enough resemblance thereto that you can file progress reports on said home-schooling plan). Parents receive a letter from the school system, to the effect that if the kid doesn't show up for school the parents will be reported to that agency of the state in charge of taking children away from bad parents and putting them into foster homes.

[achinhibitor.livejournal.com]

(Though this is retrospective by now.) The idea I had some vague inkling of was, "You could ask the school district to hold your daughter back a year on the grounds that she is not developmentally ready for this grade's work." I would expect that would not cost you extra.

This might be worth considering if you daughter is young for her grade. There seem to be significant advantages to being old for one's grade. (Consider its effect on soccer careers: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/magazine/07wwln_freak.html?pagewanted=all)