Hello!

Just wanted to stop by and thank you for your Pennies for Peru donations! We filled just over two jars! Today's math test went very well! I wanted to let you know that on numbers 1 and 2 on the test the children were told to just solve the addition problem and to find the addition problem below that had the same answer. These questions are testing the children on a compensation strategy that I taught at the beginning of the chapter but it confused most of the kids. A lot of the common core math has me teach different strategies for adding. However, if one particular strategy doesn't work for a kid (the whole point of the different strategies is to help the kids find one that works best for them) I do not require them to use it on a test. Just as long as they can add I don't care what strategy they use. Therefore, if your child missed number 1 or 2, it isn't because they don't understand the strategy it is asking them to use. It is because they must have added incorrectly. Just wanted to clear that up given that I have told many parents I do not test the kids on specific strategies. Thanks!