Is the National Curriculum easier compared to other countries?

[SweetSplendidSimnel]

Was looking at some online maths games for DD, age 7. Stumbled upon this site adaptedmind.com/. Looks like an American one. I was really stunned at some of the problems on there- addition properties, subtraction upto ten thousand... Ye gods!

Tis was on the Grade 2 section. I am assuming it is equivalent to Year 2. If it is, then children here in the UK have quite some catching up to do. Worried now...

My understanding is the UK is ahead of most countries in year 2 because we start school so young. In PISA tests UK children do better than the US in Maths, so I would not worry too much. We aren't the best academically, but certainly not the worst in the developed world.

Its a long time since my son was in year 2, but I think he could most of those topics in your link by the end of year 2. Year 2 children vary a lot in ablity. Some can barely count where as other children are a strong level 3.

" I was really stunned at some of the problems on there- addition properties, subtraction upto ten thousand... Ye gods!"

I am pretty certain my son could do that in year 2. Children use partitioning rather than column addition as we know it.

from what I understand, in the US their grade 3 is our Year 2 and grade 7 is the last year of primary school but they start schools later.
Certainly we are 'ahead' of the Australian system - partly because of the way the schools year works in Oz (running late Jan to early dec over four terms rather than sept - July as in the US and here)

US Grade 2 is the equivalent of Year 3 here. They start school at Kindergarten age 5-6, then grade 1 is 6-7 and grade 2 is 7-8.

2nd grade = year 3 in England. Whole year older.
6th grade used to be last year of primary but now middle schools are the fashion.
USA holds them back, too, if they aren't able enough.

The idea of American schools being especially rigorous. That's a good one.

Ahhh, now I understand. So lljkk, you arent a fan of the US edukashun system, I gather . I always thought it was just a liitle bit more rigorous, especially when I look at some of the work coming out of their universities. Of course, I am making a sweeping generalisation. It just may be they are very good at selling their unis, IYSWIM.

ReallyTired there were some bits that threw me. Did you SEE the addition proprerties section? Something like 18+34= 34+18. You have to identify if it was a commutative or associative property. Now DD knows the principle, but are they really taught the names of these principles?

no, US universities do quite different degrees, they usually have quite a general first year and then specialise in a subject later - thats when they talk about majoring in x or y. the TOP univerisities there are very very good but this isn't across the board. like comparing Durham or Oxford and Cambridge with a local college in some cases. Good students often go on to do a second degree I think whereas over here Masters or PhDs are less usual, in America masters degrees are more usual for good students as their first degree has been more general.

at least that is how I understand it

The Scuttlebutt seems to be that the avg. US school isn't all that rigorous.
Huge country, lots of money, brightest brains of the world come to their Unis, lots of home-grown clever people; lots of dropouts, too; watch The Wire to get a feeling for them. Keep in mind students don't reach the equivalent of UK A-levels until 2nd year of Uni, so they stay in Uni longer to achieve whatever they achieve. Maturity helps. I was mostly unimpressed with standard of thinking evinced by English students on MSc course I helped teach. But it's a one-year course, mostly populated by 22 yr olds, what could I expect? MSc where I'm from would be 3 yrs long and mostly populated by 27-30 yr olds.

I find my children's primary education to be miles better than what I had in (supposedly high attaining very good) US schools. Could just be anecdotal. I haven't enough experience of "bog standard comps" to form opinion about them, yet.