In the beginning, many parents were skeptical of the change, worried that their children wouldn t be prepared for middle school. Most of the 21 teachers use Saxon math texts, a much more structured approach, says Nufer, the principal. Some parents whose children studied math from Saxon texts in earlier grades worried about the lack of apparent structure in DePriest s class. Saxon lessons follow a script. They involve repetition and memorization.
Students bring home worksheets every night.
This is many parents image of what mathematics learning is all about. That was last year, when Mackenzie was in fourth grade. Then, at a parent-teacher conference, DePriest explained to her that students must not simply memorize how to do problems, but be able to explain their thinking and describe their strategies for solving problems. Now Wooding is a convert. Wooding says she hated math as a child and figures it was too abstract.