Testing questions. Math related. 4th/5th grade.

[matrips]

This is the first year I've started to give 'tests'. Basically, I wanted to let the kids know how they did, and hope that they would step it up for a test. Carelessness is their main issue. They regularly get problems wrong, and then go 'oh, I forgot that. Or they didn't read the properly carefully. Or they'd tried to do too much in their heads and lost a step or number somewhere. It's rarely a true knowledge issue. They are actually very good at math (or so I think).

 

But I think I'm going about it wrong. We use Singapore and Math U See. I started using the sectional reviews in the Singapore Textbook and Workbook as their tests. I don't like the Singapore test booklet and multiple choice answers, so I do not use that.

 

The drama, the whining, and the results are wearing me down. I don't time the tests, but I do expect a 90% or higher to demonstrate they really know the work. Otherwise, I assign extra practice problems ( and I only pick out practice problems like the ones they got wrong on the test). I'm not giving them extra work to be punitive, and not trying to give busy work. They hate this and view anything under 90 as failure then because they don't want more work. I've tried to explain, but it's falling on deaf ears. I don't want to move forward until we have solid understandings. If they would only read the problems well or double check their work, or even write down some of their steps, or write neatly, they would be fine. But how do I teach that. It seems like I've been trying, and failing, on that for several years now.

 

Any experienced moms out there who can help me on this? Thanks in advance.

[OneStepAtATime]

:grouphug:  OP.

 

If they are struggling to remember each step, and are making lots of careless errors, they may very well still need a lot more scaffolding at this point.  It may seem "careless" but those steps probably have not been internalized yet.  Just testing and assigning more problems probably won't fix the issue.  I found that the kids needed a lot more scaffolding and consistency to get all the steps internalized.  We are still working on that in some areas.

 

For your own kids this has obviously been an issue for a while, right? And now they may associate the process with failure since they have a hard time remembering all these steps so they are resistant to even trying.  They probably sense your frustration, too, which just adds to that sense of failure.  Another possibility when you say their response is "Oh I forgot" may be that they really, genuinely do not have any of these steps down conceptually OR in their application computationally but are embarrassed to admit they just don't know.  Whatever the issue, I know this must be very frustrating for all of you.

 

My DD14 did not want me sitting with her.  She wants to be independent.  But there were a lot of times I needed to sit near her through every bit of math.  I had to walk through an example problem on the dry erase board (or several), then have her do the same type of problem with me helping to remind her of the steps involved and then for her to do another problem where I gently scaffolded whenever she started to get confused.  Then after she had done several problems herself I had her go back and check her own work.  If she made any errors, I had a checklist for her of things to look over.  I don't have it in front of me but it had questions like the following:

1.  Did I read the question correctly?

2.  Did I make a computational error?

3.  Did I understand the question?

 

Stuff like that, in a laminated typed out list that she could use over and over got her checking her own work in a much more organized and systematic fashion.  It also helped her to internalize all those steps.  She still has trouble with some procedures, etc. as we get into higher math, but she is getting so much more efficient at checking all of these things.

 

But what you might want to do right now is stop using the math material they are currently in for a bit and switch to some mathy games, lots of dry erase board work where you are working together, maybe some Khan Academy math work for a bit to help reset.  Right now they may be very resistant because math is frustrating for them.  Help them reset, then start up again, but maybe take everything in smaller chunks, scaffold them, give them lots of reinforcement and consistency in the steps so they succeed, then praise the successes.  

[wapiti]

I would use the review as a review -because it sounds like a review may be helpful - and use something separate for the test. (Just me, but I would try to do something short, more like a quiz. If I want to know whether the basics are understood, I would test the problem solving separately.)

 

Also, considering the emotional reaction to the grades, I would probably not grade it officially for the time being. I would correct it and use the result to inform my understanding of where weaknesses may lie. I would avoid going by numbers anyway, as I think it's more important to really understand what the specific issues are, and relying on percentages seems to discourage that hard look.

[Arcadia]

For daily work and tests, if carelessness is their main issue, don't give more questions. Just make them redo those neatly and with steps written down. The redoing will already eat into their playtime so that is a deterrent.

Also ask them to check their work before they hand in to you for marking. Kids will be kids, even my public school teachers would remind us to check our work to make sure no questions were missed out and all answer sheets stapled together.

Have they gotten better over the years as in less careless errors? If not you might want to see when is the best time to do math for them. Mine does best right after food, mistakes pop up when they are hungry.

[desertflower]

I was one of those kids who was careless. I don't have a remedy, but would like to say that I wish someone had either told me or showed me why it was important to be careful and thorough.

 

Perhaps if there's something for kids about architecture? A game perhaps? Something that they can measure out, but if they measure wrong they can see the consequences?

 

Idk......

 

But i do agree with the other posters that more problems is not the answer.

 

Gl.

[73349]

What if you make the test only three or four questions long? (If there are too many kinds of problems in a section to be covered in four questions, you could have the tests more often.)

 

That will make it easier to focus long enough to do it right, and obviously high enough stakes on each problem to motivate the student to work carefully.

 

 

 

-Not an 'experienced mom', but an experienced teacher who was required to give tests.

[matrips]

Hmm, some ideas to mull over. Thanks!