Hidden Standards in Math

Check out this online fraction quiz. Now we all know that a deep understanding of fractions is needed to set students up for success in algebra. The CCSS Math Standards focus on this deeper understanding and are important to teach.

But what I want to focus on are the “hidden standards”. These are things that are essential to helping your students do well on standardized assessments but that may not be explicitly covered in the standards.

Students must read questions carefully. Does the question ask you to order numbers from least to greatest of from greatest to least?

Think story problems through. Draw a picture if you need help in visualizing what the problem is asking you to do. Avoid the temptation to just focus on the numbers.

Do not be mislead by extraneous information. If there are 12 boys in room 306, you may not need to do anything with the number 306.

While it is important to check your answers to make sure you didn't forget anything or make an obvious mistake, don't go overboard in second guessing yourself. Research shows that students who erase an answer are more likely to change a correct answer to an incorrect answer than the other way around. Rafe Esquith points this out in his most recent book and gives a good example of how he teaches his students about this.