melmichigan Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 How many hours of math a week do you do for 5th grade? Or say sixth or seventh grade, depending on where you would place the child. My DD doesn't love math but does well in it. We are "discussing" how much time she really needs to spend as she wants to put it together into 3 days a week for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renaissance Mom Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 About an hour a day for upper elementary ... 7th grade topics might require more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest meatlessmommy Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I think it can depend a bit on the individual child. If my three had to sit for an hour of any subject, they would shut down for at least the last 20 minutes and not retain anything. Some kids need more repetition and explanation, while others just seem to grasp the concepts more quickly and can move along into the practice work. Shorter more frequent sessions work more effectively for my kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCoppock Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I require 45 minutes to an hour 5 days a week. 3 days a week is not an option in our home. Math is a core subject that I feel should be done daily. However, if it were I would require a good solid hour in the AM and honestly after 5th grade another half hour in the PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Figure out what she needs to accomplish for the year (a 5th grade text? Text plus some other supplements like LoF or CWP?). Figure out how many weeks you are going to school (36?). Divide out how many lessons per week she needs to cover. Figure in time for tests if you do them (we don't yet). Then tell her "This is how much work you need to cover per week. You may decide whether you want to do it in 3, 4, or 5 days per week." Stay on top of her to make sure the work is done correctly and that she understands the material. If she can manage her workload and her time herself, great. If she's not getting it done or not learning it well, go back to the typical 5 days per week. In the middle school/high school classrooms I've been in as a student and teacher, math classes were 50 minutes 5 days a week plus maybe half an hour of homework for a kid who doesn't struggle with math. I know she's not middle school age yet, but that's where she's headed soon. I wouldn't let a child opt out of math that young by doing less of it. I wouldn't let her do less math because it's not a strong interest, but if she wants to cover the same amount of material in fewer days per week (but longer days), I would let her give it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Ds did 5th grade math last year. Depending on the unit he was working on, he could get 5 lessons done in 2 hours/week or spend well over an hour (sometimes close to 2) per lesson. Probability was very difficult for him, but he zipped through simple equations. During those rough units, 3 days a week would have amounted to nearly 3 hours/day in our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 We do between 30 minutes and an hour a day, depending on the level of cooperation on the child's part and the difficulty of the lesson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 My 5th grader can do his Singapore lesson in about 20 min. Our struggle here is writing......what can take most kids 20 min. takes him an hour. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I would hesitate to cram math into only three days per week. Math is one of those "every day" subjects, in order to "stick." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 My 5th grader did 20 minutes of math each day with a timer. When the timer beeped, she was done. We picked up from there the next day. For 6th grade, her time will increase to 25 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plimsoll Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 45-60 minutes/day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetbaby Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 45-60 minutes/day. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted July 16, 2009 Author Share Posted July 16, 2009 (edited) My dilema is that she is 9 and ready to begin Algebra. I am trying to slow down a little with Life of Fred, and allow her to have a little fun but she needs to finish the program she is doing first. I have always required 5-6 days a week depending on how she divides it up. Now she wants to put that same amount of time into three days. Does that change any answers? I should have given more information from the beginning. Edited July 16, 2009 by melmichigan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fractalgal Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 (edited) My dilema is that she is 9 and ready to begin Algebra. I am trying to slow down a little with Life of Fred, and allow her to have a little fun but she needs to finish the program she is doing first. I have always required 5-6 days a week depending on how she divides it up. Does that change any answers? I should have given more information from the beginning. My 9yo daughter is in a similar situation, but she likes math and does more than what is suggested for her age. Sorry, I misunderstood your question. Your daughter could probably do about an hour a day would be my suggestion. Edited July 16, 2009 by fractalgal misunderstanding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlovebaker Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I'm not sure it's even that much ... A rising 7th grader continuing with Alg 1 that we started after he finished pre-alg in 6th grade and 2 rising 5th graders ... An hour seems soooo looonnnggg even tho I know that's how long classes are in middle school. But coming from public schools that were very good IMO (last year was our first year with hs), you cut out a lot of junk when you don't have to deal with a class of 20 to 30 kids. And it's targeted, rather than repetitive especially for a child who is 9 and ready for Alg 1. I'd go by lesson rather than time for a kid like that. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlovebaker Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I wouldn't allow that for my kids. For math specifically, I think a little bit every day is better than 3 larger chunks - then it would be a long time sitting doing math and the kid might get tired and sloppy. Again - Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gretchen in NJ Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 It depands on the child. My 5th grader was quick: 15 minutes lecture and 30 minutes to complete the work.:D My 4th grader on the other hand loves to sit at her desk and just stare at her math book.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 About an hour a day, but you could certainly split this up into more manageable (and palatable) bits of 20 minutes or so each. This is what I did when my kids were younger (when we still did an hour a day). I don't know what programming you're using, but perhaps you can see how to divide it up. For something like Singapore, which I use, I might do the textbook portion at one sitting, then the workbook portion later on. If I were doing drill work, I might do that at another time. If I were using two programs, such as Singapore and MUS, then I might do the Singapore at one time and the MUS later, after intervening with other (perhaps more fun) things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 About an hour a day, although Calvin would have taken longer and Hobbes shorter. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgm Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 My dilema is that she is 9 and ready to begin Algebra. I am trying to slow down a little with Life of Fred, and allow her to have a little fun but she needs to finish the program she is doing first. I have always required 5-6 days a week depending on how she divides it up. Now she wants to put that same amount of time into three days. Does that change any answers? I should have given more information from the beginning. Doubling up is fine if she has the mind for it. You'll know quickly, so why not let her try it? My rising 7th grader does a section of math a day, sometimes less if it is a meaty section & he needs time to chew on the concept. 45 min max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babysparkler Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 (edited) My rising 4th grader's attention span for math ranges in the 60-90 minute range (he loves math), so that is what we do (4 days per week). He will be entering Algebra this coming year as a 9 year old, so I plan to follow his pace but we will have 1 1/4 hour available in the schedule if he wants to use it. We will be in no rush to "finish" algebra this year because he is so young, so I figure that if frustration sets in we can do a few tangents along the way to keep it fun. ETA: I just read your other post... I didn't realize how similar in situation we are :) Are you planning to do Algebra this year or stall with other things? I debated on that for a while with my dh and we finally decided to just go for it and start Algebra since he really is ready and would enjoy it. We are doing Jacob's Algebra this coming year and may do a second year of algebra with a different text if we feel he needs it after this one. We are just playing it by ear. Having the Algebra foundation under his belt will give us many more choices for "fun math" along the way in Middle School before we tackle the higher math topics (we are looking at The Art of Problem Solving books http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Books/AoPS_B_Texts_FAQ.php). Edited July 17, 2009 by babysparkler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 A minimum of an hour a day. Often closer to an hour and a half. So, about 7 hours a week? I know that sounds like a lot, but compared to what I would expect of 6th or 7th grade level math in school (class time + homework), it's not really that much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 How many hours of math a week do you do for 5th grade? Or say sixth or seventh grade, depending on where you would place the child. My DD doesn't love math but does well in it. We are "discussing" how much time she really needs to spend as she wants to put it together into 3 days a week for a while. I "schedule" an hour, but it doesn't always take my kids that long. Figure out what an assignment is and have her do that many assignments in a week, whether she does them in 3 days or 5. Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 I think I am going to continue to go with the flow and let her start algebra when she is ready. I think we will then look at AoP as well in a few years. She has gone through LV 4-6 in the last year so I just plan the curriculum and go at her overall pace. She doesn't tend to need a lot of practice to get a concept so that is part of the problem, she moves quickly and will shut down if given to much "review". That is also part of the time problem. We are moving to LOF when she finishes, doing the first two books for a quick review and a little fun. Math has become so dry for lack of a better word. She is beginning to dread it. I am anxiously awaiting the first pre-algebra book for the LOF since it is supposed to have to do with science, which is her passion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaurieinCA Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 My 4th and 5th graders were last year using doing 7th and 6th grade math, respectively. We spend about an hour a day, 5 days per week, on math. I think as you move into higher level math, it may increase to about 1.5 hours. In my opinion, math and language arts are the only subjects that are "non-negotiable" and we do them every day, even if we "chunk" other subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Last year they were 5th and 6th grade by their age, but they were doing math together - since my younger one really, really loves it, and my older one is not at all crazy about it, but she perfectly gets it. Combining Italian and American curricula, we finished 7th grade and did half of the 8th grade. They do math five days a week, about an hour a day - I schedule an hour, but they're usually done earlier, and my older one is agonizing about moving onto other things. The younger one does math also on Friday (but not the regular one, she does extra math her father assigns her, on different topics), the older one doesn't, so she usually gets about 5 hours a week, while the younger one does it in her free time too, so she gets more. I'm lucky regarding the fact that they both "get" it, they both do great with abstract thinking, so they don't need to spend a lot of time doing concrete math exercises, as they get the idea behind it. So math is not a problematic subject in our home. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 An hour or two. :seeya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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