Before the Standards . . .
Before there was the Principles
and Standards for School Mathematics (the
Standards), there was a set of three documents whose sole purpose were to
provide a set of national standards in the areas of curriculum, assessment, and
the profession of mathematics education. The first of these standards, Curriculum
and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics, was Òthe first contemporary set of subject matter
standards in the United StatesÓ (Ferrini-Mundy, p. 869). From these three
documents arose the Standards which was written to Òbuild upon the foundationÓ
and Òintegrate the classroom-related portionsÓ of the original standards
(Ferrini-Mundy, p. 869). This is evident especially in the Geometry Standard
where ideas such as understanding two- and three-dimensional geometry are
prevalent. The Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics stresses many geometric skills, including spatial
reasoning and ability that school age children should acquire in the course of
their learning that are still important ideas resonating throughout the
Standards.
K
– 4
The
overarching theme for this grade band is the increased attention given to
spatial sense.
ÒSpatial
understandings are necessary for interpreting, understanding, and appreciating
our inherently geometric world. Insights and intuitions about two- and
three-dimensional shapes and their characteristics, interrelationships of
shapes, and the effects of changes to shapes are important aspects of spatial
sense.Ó NCTM, p. 48
ÒSpatial
sense is an intuitive feel for oneÕs surroundings and the objects in them. To
develop spatial sense, children must have many experiences that focus on
geometric relationships; the direction, orientation, and perspectives of
objects in space; the relative shapes and sizes of figures and objects; and how
a change in shape relates to a change in size.Ó NCTM, p. 49
5
– 8
9
– 12