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Common core state standards.

If you need worksheets and other learning materials to help teach all the skills in the Common Core State Standards, you’ve come to the right place. Here you can find over 5,000 worksheets, over 150 workbooks, and a slew of games organized by their Common Core codes, focusing on math and English language arts in kindergarten through eighth grade.

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What is the Common Core?

The Common Core State Standards describe learning goals for each grade level in math and English language arts, with a focus on preparing students for college and the real world. The standards were developed by a group of state education chiefs and governors with help from teachers and curriculum experts. Forty-three states have adopted the standards and are currently implementing them in their public schools.

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Common Core

The common core faq.

Louis C.K. isn't the only parent confused about the Common Core. Mike Coppola/Getty hide caption

Louis C.K. isn't the only parent confused about the Common Core.

The Common Core State Standards have vaulted into the national consciousness lately thanks to some high-profile dissenters, like Louis C.K. ("Kids teachers parents are vocally suffering.") and Stephen Colbert ("Common Core testing is preparing students for what they'll face as adults — pointless stress and confusion.")

The nprED team is here to help by answering 25 questions (and counting) about the standards. If you have other questions or information to share, leave them in the comments or email us.

• What is the Common Core?
• OK, so what is the relationship between the Common Core and my kid's math homework?
• Why do we need the Common Core?
• Where did the Common Core come from? Who is behind it?
• You didn't mention the federal government. What was its role in creating the standards?
• What do "standards" mean? Are they the same as curricula?
• What are the standards replacing?
• Are the Common Core standards harder than my state's old standards?
• Do other countries do this?
• What do the standards mean for math?
• What do the standards mean for English?
• What's an "informational text"?
• How are Common Core standards affecting state tests?
• What is the "assessment cliff"?
• How is Common Core affecting my kid's school (teachers, districts)?
• Who is for the Common Core standards? Who is against them?
• What happened in Indiana?
• What other states have dropped the Common Core?
• Is the Common Core by any other name still the Common Core?
• What is the difference between "Common Core" and "Common Core-aligned"?
• Who is making money from the Common Core?
• Do the standards require schools to collect data on their students?
• Opponents of the Common Core argue that it tells teachers what to teach. Is this true?
• How do teachers unions feel about the Common Core?
• How will we know if all of this is working?

1) What is the Common Core?

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is the largest-ever attempt in the United States to set unified expectations for what students in kindergarten through 12th grade should know and be able to do in each grade in preparation for college and the workforce. In short, the standards are meant to get every student in America on the same page. Right now, the Common Core standards cover two areas: math and English language arts (writing and reading). They were developed by a group of governors, chief state school officers and education experts from 48 states. To date, 44 states and the District of Columbia have formally adopted the new standards. By Spring of 2015, most of these states plan to administer state tests that have been aligned to the new standards.

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2) OK, so what is the relationship between Common Core and my kid's math homework?

It's complicated! Louis C.K. is not the first parent to take to the Internet blaming Common Core for confusing or difficult math problems.

My kids used to love math. Now it makes them cry. Thanks standardized testing and common core! — Louis C.K. (@louisck) April 28, 2014

This is one of my favorites. Also for third graders. Who is writig these? And why? pic.twitter.com/xUBVIxE6WU — Louis C.K. (@louisck) April 28, 2014

A huge amount of my third graders time is spent preparing for and answering questions like this. pic.twitter.com/WU5tEo8JRO — Louis C.K. (@louisck) April 28, 2014

Here's the thing: The Common Core standards don't specify the use of curricula, textbooks, workbooks or lesson plans — let alone particular math problems. ( See #6, below ). But in order to teach to the new standards, schools are rushing to adopt new materials labeled "Common Core-aligned." The creation of new materials, the repackaging of old materials, and the training of teachers to teach to the new standards within a few short years are all causing adjustment issues.

For example, one "viral" math problem piled on interpretations of four different Common Core second-grade math standards: number lines, place values, adding and subtracting up to 1,000, and the ability to explain in words how one arrives at an answer. Jason Zimba, one of the lead writers of the math standards, told the Hechinger Report : "That question would not be in a textbook if I wrote it."

What many parents will notice if they have a child taking math in a Common Core state is that kids are being asked to perform the same old equations — but they're being taught new ways of arriving at the old answers. There's a new emphasis on breaking down numbers into their component parts so that kids better understand what it means to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Also new: a shift toward visualizing math concepts with drawings and diagrams .

3) Why do we need the Common Core?

Several arguments have been made in favor of creating a single set of expectations for what students should know and be able to do.

• No Child Left Behind, a federal law, mandated that all states give annual tests in grades 3-12 to ensure that all students were proficient. However, each state chose its own test and its own definition of proficiency. So, in practice, the numbers couldn't really be compared from state to state. In theory, with the Common Core come common definitions of proficiency for each grade, allowing for clearer comparisons of how kids are doing from state to state and school to school.
• Those previous, state-specific standards — in lots of cases — were also not as rigorous as the Common Core. So adoption of the core standards, in many states, means a rise in quality ( also see #8 ).
• In the past, private companies created textbooks, materials and tests to satisfy requirements for 50 different states. A common, agreed-upon set of standards enables a single marketplace of materials, which should lead to more competition.
• Other countries with high-performing students also use a single set of national standards ( See #9 ).
• A single set of standards, including sequencing from grade to grade, should make it easier for students to catch up when they switch schools or move to a new state. This is one of the reasons the U.S. military supports the standards — children connected with the military move frequently .

4) Where did the Common Core come from?

The major groups involved in developing the standards include a nonprofit called Achieve , which was founded by a group of business leaders and governors in 1996 (long before Common Core). Among its contributors are many of America's largest corporations, such as Alcoa, Exxon Mobil and Microsoft, as well as many large foundations, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (also a funder of NPR Ed), and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

In 2009, Achieve partnered with the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers to begin developing the standards. They were initially released in 2010, and most states began the process of adopting them that year.

A Common Core Family Tree

The many organizations and partnerships that produced the Common Core and aligned assessments

Credit: Alyson Hurt and Anya Kamenetz/NPR

A nonprofit called Student Achievement Partners was founded in 2007 to write the standards. Co-founders David Coleman, Sue Pimentel and Jason Zimba all became lead writers of Common Core. Coleman had previously sold an education startup to textbook company McGraw-Hill. He went on to become president of the College Board, which makes the SATs. Pimentel is a curriculum and assessment specialist, and Zimba has a Ph.D. in mathematical physics.

The National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) all assembled teachers to give feedback and input on the standards. The NEA and the AFT , the two largest teachers' unions in the country, both initially published statements of support for the standards. So have several groups representing principals, school board officers, teachers, school boards, the military and the national PTA, among others.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic funds in the world, has made the development and adoption of the Common Core standards a key strategy in its education programs and has contributed at least $170 million to various groups to further that goal .

5) What was the federal government's role in creating the Common Core?

This is probably the biggest single source of controversy surrounding the Common Core. The truth is, the federal government played no role in creating the standards, nor did it require that states adopt them. But the U.S. Department of Education under President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan did incentivize adoption.

In July 2009, the Education Department created Race to the Top, a $3.4 billion grant competition. States that agreed to adopt the Common Core standards won points on their applications, increasing their eligibility for a share of the money. This carrot, with a deadline attached, helped spur a majority of states to adopt the standards within a few months after they were released in July 2010. The federal government also funded the state-led consortia creating the Common Core-aligned tests.

6) What do "standards" mean? Are they the same as curricula?

No. Standards set goals for what students should know and be able to do. For example, the first goal for kindergarten math in Common Core is to "count to 100 by ones and by tens."

A curriculum describes in much more detail how students and teachers should interact with specific content, in a specific sequence, over the course of a year in order to achieve a set of goals. Curricula may be adopted at the state level or by local school boards. Supporting materials such as texts, workbooks, computer programs and tests are produced by commercial vendors and nonprofits, and districts, states and sometimes individual teachers purchase them.

Working from a curriculum and associated materials, a teacher then creates individual lesson plans with learning goals and activities for each year, semester, unit, week, day, hour and even minute in the classroom.

To give an idea of scope and the level of detail, the Common Core standards for K-12 English language arts and K-12 math are each about 60-70 pages long. The curriculum in California public schools, which includes Common Core standards, is 79 pages for kindergarten alone (PDF).

For the goal mentioned above, the California public school curriculum elaborates: "Kindergarteners learn the number names as they count (to 100 by 1s and 10s) and write number names (from 0 to 20). Students learn that each successive number name refers to a quantity that is one larger as they count objects and say the corresponding number names. ... To help develop their writing skills, students may copy a numeral many times, then write the numeral with some prompts (e.g., dots or arrows), and finally write it from memory as the teacher says the number. A multisensory approach is important at this age and students may need to be encouraged to be unconcerned about the quality of their handwriting as they learn to write numerals."

7) What are the standards replacing?

Every state previously set its own education standards. This gets back to #3 , perhaps the biggest reason education and business leaders wanted the Common Core standards. Under No Child Left Behind, states were held accountable for student proficiency, but they were also allowed to set their own bar for what "proficiency" meant. And many intentionally lowered the bar to avoid repercussions under NCLB. As a result , a B+ reader in one low-performing state could move with his parents to a high-performing state and find himself far behind (for more on this issue, jump to #8 ).

8) Are the Common Core standards harder than my state's old standards?

That's a matter of controversy. The initiative states on its website, "Since this work began, there has been an explicit agreement that no state would lower its standards." A 2010 review by the Fordham Institute , which supports the Common Core, found that California, Indiana and the District of Columbia had standards that were clearly superior to Common Core. Massachusetts, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Arizona had standards that were "too close to call" in terms of quality comparison to Common Core. In the remaining 33 states, the Common Core standards were "clearly superior" to state standards in both math and English.

The quality of standards is not the only determinant of educational progress, of course.

9) Do other countries do this?

Some do, but by no means all. The United States is unusual in its degree of local control over public schools. In many developed nations there are national educational standards and even national curricula ( U.K. and France ). In others, such as Canada and Australia, standards and curricula are adopted on a provincial or statewide basis, but most of these countries have fewer political divisions than our 50 states, so in practice there is a higher degree of coordination than in the U.S.

The PISA exam , given in 65 countries, is the most frequently cited comparative measure of international educational performance.

The top 10 performers on the 2012 exam, which covered mathematics, included Singapore, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein and the Netherlands, all of which have national standards (although Singapore is a city-state and Liechtenstein has just 37,000 residents).

Among the top 10 are four Chinese localities: Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei and Macau. Each has a political relationship to China, but each has its own, acclaimed math standards.

Switzerland is another counterexample of a high-performing school system (#9 on the 2012 PISA exams) that is under a high degree of local control. There isn't even a federal minister of education.

Achieve Inc. has issued briefs comparing the Common Core standards with widely admired international standards : Japan's and Singapore's mathematics standards and the English language arts standards of Alberta, Canada, and New South Wales, Australia.

10) What do the standards mean for math?

The slogan of the Common Core is "fewer, higher, deeper" — a smaller number of more rigorous standards with a focus on both understanding and application. In math, the standards are designed to be coherent and connected in a consistent sequence, with concepts that build on each other from grade to grade ( here's a huge, complicated diagram showing how ). Grades K-2 cover addition and subtraction; 3-5 cover multiplication, division and fractions; 6-8 cover ratios, proportions and algebraic concepts.

The standards set a floor, not a ceiling. The Common Core sequence does not completely tackle algebra until high school, and the standards don't fully prepare students to take calculus even in college (a common criticism of the Common Core math standards). In 2009, the most recent year for which statistics were available, 15.9 percent of high school graduates had already taken calculus.

"The mathematics in the Common Core — easily three years of mathematics [in high school] reaching the level of Algebra II — will not by itself prepare students for STEM majors or meet admissions criteria for top universities," lead math standards writer Jason Zimba has written .

11) What do the standards mean for English?

In English, as in math, the slogan of the Common Core is "fewer, higher, deeper" — a smaller number of more rigorous standards with a focus on both understanding and application. In English language arts , the standards emphasize using evidence from texts in writing, and answering text-dependent questions in reading.

Students are expected to be fluent in argumentative, explanatory and narrative writing. For example, rather than being asked to write an essay based purely on personal experience, like the classic "What I Did on My Summer Vacation," a third-grader might be asked to write a paper arguing that school should not be held year-round, giving reasons for their opinion that summer vacation is good for children.

The biggest difference between a Common Core English classroom and English classes of old may be a shift toward nonfiction and informational texts at increasing levels of complexity. This leads to a greater emphasis on reading and writing across subjects, and on "academic" and technical vocabulary. In grades K-5, the standards specify a 50-50 mix of literature, such as poetry and short stories, with nonfiction texts covering subjects like science, history and social studies. In grades 6-12, even within the literature category, more of the reading will be "literary nonfiction," including journalism and essays.

The Common Core English language arts standards don't include a reading list or canon. The only author they specify is Shakespeare, alongside foundational American history texts and literary "classics." But they do offer a list of suggested "exemplar texts" — including books like Charlotte's Web in 2nd grade, Little Women and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass in middle school, and Jane Eyre and Walden in 11th grade ( see also #22 ).

12) What's an "informational text"?

The Common Core emphasizes literacy in science and social studies, not just in English class. Students may be asked to read a scientific paper, the Constitution, or even a map.

13) How are Common Core standards affecting state tests?

With the new standards come new tests. No Child Left Behind requires statewide accountability tests be given to 3rd- through 12th-graders annually. The federal government funded two multistate consortia, PARCC and Smarter Balanced , to the tune of $350 million, to create new Common Core-aligned tests for math and English language arts. These were "field-tested" by around 4 million students in the spring of 2014 in preparation for release in the spring of 2015. Field-testing means testing the tests, not testing the kids.

In addition, Pearson Education, the largest education publisher, produced Common Core-aligned tests that were given for the first time in 2012 to students in Kentucky , and in 2013 to kids in New York state.

PARCC and Smarter Balanced tests will be administered by computer. This means results are available more quickly. It also allows for the inclusion of more items that go beyond the standard multiple choice , such as placing statements in the order of their importance in a passage.

Smarter Balanced tests will also be " computer adaptive ," meaning the exact combination of questions varies based on students' responses. This is supposed to allow the test to give a more precise idea of each student's strengths and weaknesses.

As with many other aspects of the Common Core, the transition to the new tests is creating a lot of confusion and resistance. Some schools don't have the necessary computer equipment or connectivity, for example .

In other districts, teachers are starting to teach the standards while still administering old state tests, or giving the old and new tests at the same time. California is one state that asked for and received a waiver from "double-testing" its students.

To date, 10 states have pulled out of their original assessment consortia (some were members of both): Utah, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Florida and Kentucky.

14) What is the "assessment cliff"?

The new Common Core tests are harder, and they are unfamiliar. That adds up to a steep drop in scores. In Kentucky and New York, which gave Common Core-aligned tests for the first time in 2012 and 2013 respectively, the percentage of students who met the "proficient" cutoff dropped by 25-30 percentage points .

State accountability tests are linked to consequences for students, teachers, schools, districts and states. So a sharp drop in scores is bound to be unpopular.

15) How is Common Core affecting my kid's school, teacher, district?

Why don't you tell us? We'd love to hear from you as we update this FAQ.

16) Who is for the Common Core standards? Who is against them?

As implementation progresses, the standards have stirred more and more controversy . Much, though not all, of the most organized opposition comes from conservative groups wary of a growing federal role in education. In April 2013, the Republican National Committee adopted a resolution (PDF) calling the Common Core "an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control the education of our children." Then again, the standards enjoy strong support from business leaders and a pair of high-profile conservative backers: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (PDF).

The Eagle Forum has called the Common Core "federal ... control by Obama administration left-wing bureaucrats."

In February 2014, the head of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, called for a "course correction" on Common Core. The union didn't reject the use of the standards, but said, "The implementation has been completely botched. Seven of ten teachers believe that implementation of the standards is going poorly in their schools."

This was significant because the NEA had initially endorsed the standards and helped develop them.

In many states — including Alaska , Arkansas , Arizona , California , Indiana , Missouri , Ohio , Pennsylvania and Utah — parents, teachers and activists have created groups "against the Common Core."

And a Republican lawmaker in Florida has stated that the Common Core will "attract every one of your children to become as homosexual as they possibly can."

On the other side, besides the endorsers named above and many influential education reformers, the Common Core standards are backed strongly by the federal Department of Education. Secretary Arne Duncan got in trouble in 2013 for characterizing the opposition to Common Core as "white suburban moms."

ALEC, a political group made up of large corporations, endorses the standards. One of its members, Exxon Mobil, has conducted its own high-profile public relations campaign .

17) What happened in Indiana?

In March 2014, Indiana dropped the Common Core .

Of the 45 states that initially adopted the standards, Indiana became the first state to officially repeal them. Hoosiers Against the Common Core and other groups had raised a series of objections about the cost of implementing the standards and the implied degree of centralized control over schools and teachers.

"I believe when we reach the end of this process there are going to be many other states around the country that will take a hard look at the way Indiana has taken a step back, designed our own standards and done it in a way where we drew on educators, we drew on citizens, we drew on parents and developed standards that meet the needs of our people," said Gov. Mike Pence on signing the legislation that said Indiana would write its own standards.

The story doesn't end there. Now that Indiana has written new standards to replace the Common Core, backers and critics alike don't see much difference ( also see #19 ).

18) What other states have dropped Common Core?

In May South Carolina's governor signed a bill that requires the state to adopt new standards in the 2015-2016 school year.

In June Oklahoma passed a law dropping the standards.

Republican Govs. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, and Sam Brownback of Kansas have all spoken out against the standards — but they are still being implemented in all three states. Alaska, Texas, Nebraska and Virginia never adopted the standards, and Minnesota adopted them in English language arts only, keeping its own standards in math. Some other states have pulled out of the assessment consortia and plan to use their own tests, which in practice will probably be produced by companies like Pearson.

19) Is Common Core by any other name still Common Core?

Maybe. Even states that are publicly distancing themselves from the Common Core and its assessments are often patterning their new standards closely on it, rather than invest the time and money required to start from scratch.

For example, Gov. Mike Pence invited a committee of independent experts, led by Common Core critic Sandra Stotsky, to review a draft of Indiana's new standards. She reported in April 2014 (PDF) that "93% of the standards in grades 6-12 ... were identical to or slightly edited versions of Common Core's standards in grades 6-12 ... K-5 was ... also heavily repetitious of Common Core's standards."

On the other hand, Oklahoma's new law requires the state board of education to compare their new standards to the Common Core to ensure there is no overlap.

20) What is the difference between "Common Core" and "Common Core-aligned"?

It's a big difference. The writers of the Common Core do not publish, review or endorse any curricula, textbooks or other materials. That means that anyone who produces an educational product can claim that it is "Common Core-aligned." And hundreds do .

21) Who is making money off of Common Core?

Potentially lots of people. The size of the K-12 instructional materials marke t in the U.S. was estimated at $20 billion in 2012 (PDF). By comparison, the size of the trade publishing market was $6.53 billion in 2012. According to a survey last year, 68 percent of school districts planned to purchase new materials aligned with Common Core.

The transition to Common Core coincides with the ongoing transition to digital educational materials like apps and e-books. That means that it's not just the traditional textbook publishers and test makers, like Pearson and CTB/McGraw-Hill, that are lining up to create Common Core-stamped products. It's also big technology companies like Apple and startups like Amplify — a brand owned by News Corp. that produces a tablet designed for classroom use and a multimedia Common Core-aligned curriculum.

Other potential profit centers from the Common Core will be in professional development for teachers to prepare them to teach the standards, and extra tutoring and test prep for students to help them learn the more rigorous standards and pass the new, harder tests. Parents already spend an estimated $11 billion (PDF) on tutoring, test prep and counseling services.

22) Do the standards require districts and states to collect more data on students?

No. There is confusion on this point because Race to the Top , the big federal grant program launched in 2009, incentivized and funded both the adoption of national standards and the creation of statewide longitudinal data systems that track individual students from kindergarten through postsecondary education.

So in the past few years pretty much all states have started collecting and coordinating more data on students . Common Core test scores are and will be part of that data collection. But the two trends are not directly connected.

23) Opponents of Common Core argue that the standards tell teachers what to teach. Is this true?

Not really. The only required reading from Common Core comes in the 11th and 12th grades, when kids will be expected to read and understand foundational documents of historical and literary significance: the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Lincoln's second inaugural address.

Much of the confusion comes from Appendix B. It includes dozens of titles that the Common Core writers consider "text exemplars" — in other words, suggestions for teachers looking for age-appropriate reading material that will help their students reach core benchmarks. They include everything from Green Eggs and Ham to Shakespeare's Sonnet 73. But these texts are recommended, not required. The standards also call for a balance of informational texts and literature but, again, do not require specific books or reading materials.

24) How do teachers unions feel about Common Core?

That's tricky. Both the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers support the standards, but their rank and file are uncomfortable and increasingly unhappy with the implementation. Seven out of 10 teachers say the transition to a curriculum tied to Common Core isn't working. Two-thirds of teachers say they were not asked for input on how to develop the implementation plan. Teachers also say they need time to make sure they understand the standards and are able to talk to parents about them. In the meantime, unions are calling for a delay, not in implementation of the standards but in holding teachers accountable for test results. In California, Gov. Jerry Brown has already said teachers there won't be judged this year on student performance as the state transitions from old standards to new.

25) How will we know if all of this is working?

It will take at least a few years of transition time to know for sure if the Common Core is working as designed. Advocates of the standards say they want Common Core to be measured by increased college and career readiness for graduates, as well as our results on international tests like the PISA. But that's if the backlash doesn't force a rollback of the standards before they fully go into use.

Spelling Worksheets Maker

Common Core Math: How to Help When Your Child's Homework Gives You Anxiety

FamilyEducation Editorial Staff

Number bonding? Skip counting? Does your child's Common Core math homework make your head spin ? You're not alone.

Plenty of parents who grew up learning how to add and subtract with older teaching methods now look at their children's Common Core homework with a sense of panic, or at least mild bewilderment. Rest assured, you have not forgotten how to do first-grade math.

The concepts themselves haven't changed (two plus two will always equal four, no matter which way it's taught) — merely the method of explaining and presenting them has. So, take a deep breath, relax, and follow these tips to help your child with his Common Core math homework problems, even when you're not quite sure what's going on.

Study Up on Basic Math Concepts

Photo Source:  Pexels/Alexander Dummer

Yes, you may have to do a little homework yourself in order to help your child with his own, but it will be worth it. Many school districts now offer Common Core workshops specially geared toward parents who want to be able to help their kids with their homework. There are also books and online guides where you can learn all about the new standards and see sample homework problems.

Consider forming a support group with other parents in your child's class where you can all help each other out — parents who have been there before with their older children may be able to lend some expert advice!

Have Your Child Explain It to You

If your child is having trouble understanding her homework and you have no clue where to begin, start by looking over any of her notes or tutorials from the teacher on the lesson together. Then, ask your child to explain the concept to you. After all, when it comes to the Common Core, she's the expert!

Putting your child in the role of teacher might help her think about the material in a new way and come to a better understanding of it (or at the very least, it will help YOU understand it better so you can help her!). Once you're able to get a handle on what's going on with all the new terminology, it will be easier to help your child.

Don't Be Overly Involved with Homework Help 

Photo Source: Pixaby/cegoh

It's one thing if you have a six-year-old struggling with number bonding. It's another thing entirely if you have an older child who is doing math you don't even remember existing. When it's not just the teaching methods but the concepts themselves that feel like a foreign language, sometimes the best you can do as a parent is to keep your child relaxed and focused on the assignment.

In fact, with any homework in general, experts have found that the more responsibility a parent takes in their child's homework, the less responsibility that child develops . Help him get started by reviewing the directions together and discussing the plan he'll take to complete the assignment, but let him do most of the work independently. If you notice signs of stress getting to him, have him walk away for a quick five-minute break.

If there's a problem he simply cannot solve, have him email the teacher with a question or leave a note on it to ask the teacher in class the next day. You can help him manage the anxiety of getting his homework done even if you're not quite an expert on the work itself.

Plan a Common Core Study Group Beyond the Classroom 

Photo Source: Pixaby/paperelements

A big part of the Common Core is learning to communicate with your peers and come up with solutions in groups. So, why not extend that practice into the homework?

If your child is stuck on a problem and you have no idea how to solve it, have her call a friend from class. They can work on finding the solution together, and they can each explain things that the other might be struggling with. If talking to a friend seems like it will be too likely to turn into social hour, there's also a plethora of homework help apps and websites available, like Khan Academy, which offers free videos and tutorials on just about every subject.

The more familiar you become with the terminology and methods used in Common Core math homework, the less intimidating it will feel. Though it can feel frustrating when your kids have no idea who My Dear Aunt Sally i,s and yet insist that you learn something called the "forgiveness method," it does become easier with a little practice. And who knows, maybe you'll even grow to love counting up and drawing arrays!

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13 Common Core Assignments That'll Leave You Scratching Your Head

It's impossible to step into a PTA or school board meeting without discussing Common Core. The much-talked-about program — which emphasizes critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills — has had parents across the country in an uproar for the past few years. Since when does it require a mathematician degree to help your first grader with her homework?

While the majority of parents' concerns revolve around the testing methods used to measure students' success, it's the usually insanely detailed homework kids must complete that drives parents insane. Gone are the days of simple word problems and showing your work with numbers. Now, kids must decode confusingly phrased equations and use number lines, blank circles, and "hidden partners" to solve them. Sounds complicated? That's because it is. Here, a series of Common Core assignments that have reduced children — and their parents — to tears.

— Additional reporting by Alessandra Foresto

A Complete Breakdown

We don't know what's happening here, but at least the child got the correct answer.

All of the Lines

Is this a road map or a math assignment?

Circle, Circle, Dot, Dot

Since when does basic arithmetic involve so many shapes?

From the Abacus to Sticks

Sticks and stones may break our bones, but Common Core hurts our heads!

Why Kids Hate Vegetables

Try getting your kid to eat a carrot after this problem.

Where the Arrow Points

We keep following the arrows and getting nowhere with this one.

Fill in the Blanks

But there are so many!

Dad Doesn't Get It

This dad couldn't help because he had no idea what the question was. Same, dad, same.

Big Square + Little Square = ?

If little square equals large square . . . wait, we're lost already.

Math or English Homework?

Why does Common Core make you explain everything in writing?

The Number Branch

Who knew math grew on trees?

The Best Answer

This kid won't let Common Core get her down.

The Engineer That Couldn't

Even Jeff Severt, an electronics engineer, couldn't help his son with this complicated math problem , so we should all just give up.

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Common Core Geometry

The full experience and value of eMATHinstruction courses are achieved when units and lessons are followed in order.  Students learn skills in earlier units that they will then build upon later in the course.  Lessons can be used in isolation but are most effective when used in conjunction with the other lessons in this course. All Lesson/Homework files, and videos are available for free.  Other resources such as answer keys and more, are accessible with a paid membership.

Each month August through May we release new resources for this course that are accessible with a Teacher Plus membership. We release new resources in unit order throughout the school year.  You can see a list of our new releases by visiting our blog and selecting the most recent newsletter.

If you have a Geometry membership, please note that you will also have access to the paid resources for N-Gen Math Geometry when it becomes available in spring 2023.

Standards Alignment – Powered by EdGate

• Table of Contents for Common Core Geometry
• Unit 1 - Essential Geometric Tools and Concepts
• Unit 2 - Transformations, Rigid Motions, and Congruence
• Unit 3 - Euclidean Triangle Proof
• Unit 4 - Constructions
• Unit 5 - The Tools of Coordinate Geometry
• Unit 6 - Quadrilaterals
• Unit 7 - Dilations and Similarity
• Unit 8 - Right Triangle Trigonometry
• Unit 9 - Circle Geometry
• Unit 10 - Measurement and Modeling

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Common Core Math In The Classroom And Homework Help

How can the Common Core Math be implemented in the Classroom? How can I teach the Common Core Math at home? How can I get homework help for the Common Core Math?

Related Pages Common Core Math Video Lessons, Math Worksheets & Games for all grades Math Worksheets

The following lessons are based on the New York State (NYS) Common Core Math Standards. They consist of lesson plans, worksheets (from the NYSED) and videos to help you prepare to teach Common Core Math in the classroom or at home. There are lots of help for classwork and homework.

Each grade is divided into six or seven modules. Mid-module and End-Module Assessments are also included.

The lessons are divided into Fluency Practice, Application Problem, Concept Development, and Student Debrief. The worksheets are divided into Problem Set, Exit Ticket, and Homework.

Kindergarten Mathematics Numbers to 10 Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Shapes Comparison of Length, Weight, Capacity Number Pairs, Addition and Subtraction to 10 Counting to 100 Analyzing, Comparing, and Composing Shapes Grade 1 Mathematics Sums and Differences to 10 Introduction to Place Value Through Addition and Subtraction Within 20 Ordering and Comparing Length Measurements as Numbers Place Value, Comparison, Addition and Subtraction to 40 Identifying, Composing, and Partitioning Shapes Place Value, Comparison, Addition and Subtraction to 100 Grade 2 Mathematics Sums and Differences to 20 Addition and Subtraction of Length Units Place Value, Counting, and Comparison of Numbers to 1,000 Addition and Subtraction Within 200 with Word Problems to 100 Addition and Subtraction Within 1,000 with Word Problems to 100 Foundations of Multiplication and Division Problem Solving with Length, Money, and Data Fractions as Equal Parts of Shapes, Time Grade 3 Mathematics Properties of Multiplication and Division and Solving Problems with Units of 2 and 10 Place Value and Problem Solving with Units of Measure Multiplication and Division with Units of 0, 1, 6, and Multiples of 10 Multiplication and Area Fractions as Numbers on the Number Line Collecting and Displaying Data Geometry and Measurement Word Problems Grade 4 Mathematics Place Value, Rounding, and Algorithms for Addition and Subtraction Unit Conversions and Problem Solving with Metric Measurement Multi-Digit Multiplication and Division Angle Measure and Plane Figures Fraction Equivalence, Ordering, and Operations Decimal Fractions Exploring Measurement with Multiplication Grade 5 Mathematics Place Value and Decimal Fractions Multi-Digit Whole Number and Decimal Fraction Operations Addition and Subtraction of Fractions Line Plots of Fraction Measurements Addition and Multiplication with Volume and Area Problem Solving with the Coordinate Plane Grade 6 Mathematics Ratios and Unit Rates Arithmetic Operations Including Division of Fractions Rational Numbers Expressions and Equations Area, Surface Area, and Volume Problems Statistics Grade 7 Mathematics Ratios and Proportional Relationship Rational Numbers Expressions and Equations Percent and Proportional Relationships Statistics and Probability Geometry Grade 8 Mathematics Integer Exponents and Scientific Notation The Concept of Congruence Similarity Linear Equations Examples of Functions from Geometry Linear Functions Introduction to Irrational Numbers Using Geometry High School Algebra I Linear and Exponential Sequences Functions and Their Graphs Transformations of Functions Using Functions and Graphs to Solve Problems High School Geometry Congruence, Proof, and Constructions Similarity, Proof, and Trigonometry Extending to Three Dimensions Connecting Algebra and Geometry Through Coordinates Circles With and Without Coordinates

Have a look at the following videos for insights on how to implement the Core in classrooms and homes across America. We also have lesson plans, assessments and worksheets to help you in your preparation.

In this first video, we will join Sarah as she explains the Common Core State Standards and offers insights on how to implement the Core in classrooms. We will learn how teachers and students can shift their math classrooms to promote mathematical reasoning.

She emphasized on the need to focus on fewer concepts, coherence for mastery and an approach with more rigor. Focus means less rote memorization and more deep procedural knowledge and conceptual understanding. Rigor means having procedural fluency and conceptual understanding.

She talks about the six shifts in teaching Mathematics: Focus, Coherence, Fluency, Deep Understanding, Application, and Dual Intensity. Classrooms should be creative, engaged and even noisy. Families can be involved in applying the mathematical concepts.

In this video Sarah explains what is the Common Core and where did it come from. How to read the Common Core State Standards with confidence and perspective.

She explains that “Common doesn’t mean the same and the Standards are not the curriculum”. She also shows how to read the grade level standards for mathematics and for reading and writing.

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The American Curriculum

After 10 Years of Hopes and Setbacks, What Happened to the Common Core?

It was one of the most ambitious education efforts in United States history. Did it fail? Or does it just need more time to succeed?

By Dana Goldstein

The plan was hatched with high hopes and missionary zeal: For the first time in its history, the United States would come together to create consistent, rigorous education standards and stop letting so many school children fall behind academically.

More than 40 states signed on to the plan, known as the Common Core State Standards Initiative, after it was rolled out in 2010 by a bipartisan group of governors, education experts and philanthropists. The education secretary at the time, Arne Duncan, declared himself “ecstatic.”

American children would read more nonfiction, write better essays and understand key mathematical concepts, instead of just mechanically solving equations.

“We are being outpaced by other nations,” President Barack Obama said in one 2009 speech, in which he praised states that were moving toward the Common Core. “It’s not that their kids are any smarter than ours — it’s that they are being smarter about how to educate their children.”

A decade later, after years full of foment in American schools, the performance of American students remains stagnant on the global and national exams that advocates often cited when making the case for the Common Core.

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