So erm... big math oops?

[tori729]

I keep being impressed that math is one of our easiest subjects. I give my 6yo the book (Horizons workbook), I tell him in summary what to do, he does the lesson, I check it and we're done. Easy!

Well I finally broke out the teachers guide today and realized I'm supposed to actually be going over concepts with him. Now, up until now (we're almost to the second test), it's really all review - he knows how to do things. But I guess I was supposed to be drilling him more and doing more extensive things than just letting him do the workbooks?

Help! Also, there is lots and lots of addition review. Should he be memorizing more math facts or will this practice just drill it into him? He gets the problems right and doesn't use the number line at all for the most part, but it does take him a bit.

First year homeschooler here haha!

[kiana]

If he's doing well with it and can use it outside of the math book (i.e. if he has done subtraction, can he solve problems like "A boy had five cookies and ate 3. How many does he have left?") I really wouldn't worry at this age. If he gets a couple grades on and still doesn't know his addition facts cold, then I'd worry.

[SilverMoon]

You know your DS better than the curricula writer. Does he seem like he needs extra review to be successful in the lessons?

 

Fwiw, my 6yo is nearly finished with Horizons math 1. She didn't do any of the workpages in the TM, and I only added in flashcard type review as I thought she needed it to be more comfortable with the lessons. Her understanding is rock solid, and she knows how to add and subtract those under 20 facts like the back of her hand, which is more important to me than having them memorized. She has begun memorizing them through repeated use, which lasts longer than rote memorizing IME.

[tori729]

Honestly, he's good at math. He doesn't struggle with it at all. He was in private school K last year and his teacher said he was great with his math facts and patterns, etc.

I'm just trying to figure out if I should jump ahead. The ocd in me says we have to complete every page but he isn't ambitious enough to want to do more than one, MAYBE two lessons a day. Basically as long as I tell him what to do with each exercise, he usually doesn't ask me much except sometimes he asks me about a harder math problem. I'm just wondering if the repetitive addition drilling is good for him to do.

[SilverMoon]

Honestly, what you're doing sounds like it's working just fine. I don't fix what isn't broken.

 

Fwiw, my early first grader who is nearly done with the 1 book didn't skip anything in the student text. She did every problem on every page.

[Mom22ns]

If he doesn't have his facts memorized yet, the repetitive drilling is good - if he doesn't hate it. Getting those facts memorized before he goes onto multi-digit problems will make life so much easier. There is no need to rush.

 

OTOH if he gets bored, complains about doing math, doesn't like math... it might be time to move him along. :)

[kiana]

I think as long as he's happily doing it and seems engaged you're fine.
 

Horizons is a solid program.

[tori729]

He doesn't like doing the repetitive things, which is why we don't usually do more than one lesson a day. I let him skip them sometimes, or tell me the answers orally.

[Mom22ns]

It sounds like you are doing it perfectly to me. 

[FriedClams]

We did horizons 1-6. We never supplemented or did the drills. We did do every problem, every day. I have one in Algebra 2 and one in 1/2 and both are A students. No worries. :-)

[Farrar]

I think a lot of kids go between needing and not needing those extra practice things or those introductory activities. It really does sound like he's fine and it's just a funny first year thing - probably a blessing that you didn't know about them! But don't start thinking of him as a kid who never needs those lessons, you know? If, in two years or a year or even a few months, he's stuck or slows down, pull them out again and know it's normal.

[Tanikit]

There is a lot of review with Horizons in Book 1 but because it is spiral it is sometimes hard to pick up where a new concept gets introduced. What you could do with your son is do the tests - ie skip a full 10 lessons and just do the test and find out what it is he knows and what he doesn't then go back and do just the sections he struggled with. I did Horizons K and 1 with my child before switching to Singapore and LOF as there was too much review even in just doing the worksheet pages for my child - I may use it again with my younger child though as my eldest had a very solid understanding of early Maths through doing this.