What Our Readers Think: Common Core Homework

Last week, Patch reached out to our East End Facebook fans, asking what they think of homework related to the new New York State Common Core learning program. Specifically, we asked our readers if they are having trouble helping their kids with homework? 

Across the board on the East End of Long Island, readers said that yes, the new Common Core program makes them feel like their college degree's are worthless because they are unable to understand the language used in the Common Core program to help their children. 

The following is a round-up of what our readers had to say. Feel free to keep the conversation going by posting your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Jerylyn Grismer O'connell My daughter is doing terrible in Math. I realize that there are concepts to learn in a time frame. However, you can't move on to the next concept if the previous one was not learned.

Cecelia Collins Sheridan My husband is really good at math, he can figure trig formulas in his head! Yet, he gets confused at how some of these questions are stated! I always did great in math...all the way up to advanced calculus (although I don't remember much of it!) - but it seems that the philosophy behind these "word" problems (teaching our kids to be "critical thinkers") is setting them up to fail!

Kimberly Lake Riccio Yes, Common Core curriculum in NYS needs to go! What most parents don't realize is that this "new" curriculum has been designed and implemented by a for-profit corporation corporation called Pearson. The curriculum and testing has been developed by individuals with little or no educational background, not by any teachers or child development experts. This is why you are seeing such a drastic change this year and it needs to be stopped!

Cecelia Collins Sheridan Yes! The questions are deliberately confusing....not sure what that is accomplishing, other than to make our children feel dumb...my son makes honor roll most semesters, yet he did terrible on the tests last Spring. If he wasn't standing right next to me when I opened the results, I would never have shown them to him. They need to teach these kids to love learning and reading....this curriculum is making them dread school!

Jennifer B Haus Yes! I'm having trouble with first grade math!

Pamela Beth Wait to you get to 5th grade! Totally no clue!

Michael Lavezzo What happened to math tables? Why so complicated?

Christine Smith Phillips 3rd grade math is crazy!!! Someone should have given us parents a lesson in common core so we can help our children do there homework!

Donna Kreymborg 5th grade is ridiculous. Can't help my son at all.


Melissa Sadecki Micari mine is just in Kindergarten with no homework thankfully, but All of my friends who have kids older are struggling.

Amy Patton We hired a middle school girl in our district to help our 9 year old with her math..I have two college degrees and can't figure it out myself..errgggg.thankfully, science, social studies, reading and writing are under control.

Debbie Bollino Miller Its absolutely terrible. Our children are having this crammed down their throats. And on top of that forget about it if they are in sports. No time to do homework. Children should be children. Where is the balance?