Math Drill - Need something to make facts better cemented

[mom2boys030507]

My son is 7 and has worked through Singapore 2A. He gets all of the work can pass the final test but has to figure every problem out. I have realized that we did not do enough drill. I thought he would become faster with his simple addition facts as we continued moving on but he has not. We have now come to a point I can no longer ignore that he doesn't have his facts down. I currently have him working through Miquon Red for a different approach and practice, he is also doing daily timed tests. The problem is he is not improving in fact he is getting slower. He likes the timed tests and is frustrated that he is getting slower and not getting more problems done. He does thrive on a little competition so the I thought the timed tests would do the trick. I have thought about having him do another work book on just addition and subtraction but am not sure what to use. Suggestions? Has any one successfully used the Kumon books for this?

[ohmel]

Have you thought about picking up a pc game for this? We used dreambox (online) for 6 months but also did the Reader Rabbit math program as well. The repetition of it in a fun manner really helped to cement the facts for my son (also 7).

[amyable]

We recently discovered Arcademic Skill Builders and my girls are loving it. They can play alone (against the computer), against each other in a private game on separate computers here, or join a public game going on. It's even helping my dyslexic DD with her facts, which is saying something!

 

We have use Quarter Mile Math in the past, which is similar, but they like this better.

[muffinmom]

I just bought Quarter Mile Math for this very purpose. Haven't used it yet, so I can't speak to results, but I'm hopeful after reading lots of great reviews.

[ElizabethB]

We used the Flashmaster for a while, that works but isn't as much fun as games. Now we're doing RS games. The Flashmaster is very efficient, though. It's currently loaned out to a friend.

[cam112198]

:bigear:

[johnandtinagilbert]

we do 2 things daily since December and I am seeing great improvement in both boys (1st & 2nd grade)

 

Math-u-see online drill - 10 min/day/5days

 

Holey Cards (sold at Rainbow Resource) - they started with the front. When they could complete the front side in 2 min, I had them switch to the back. When they could get the back finished, I put them back to the front. As of today, one of the boys got a 74/100 in 2 minutes. When we do Holey Cards, we do 3--2 minute rounds. Takes about 10 min of my time, while MUS is done with a timer at the computer.

 

It's working! It's working! It's working!

[monalisa]

We are using Giggle Facts (games for addition & subtraction facts), Right Start Games too. I've also wanted to start doing math copy work (just copy the equations to help them get stuck in their brain). I've heard this can be a help.

[Guest]

The computer game Carmen Sandiego Math was a bit hit with my daughter. We also did lots and lots of activities from Peggy Kaye's "Games For Math." It seemed that turning the very same skill practice into game format rather than a formal drill took the tension out of the whole thing; in fact, for years she would choose a game called "Rainbow Math" over board games and other free time activities. There are also Learning Wrap-Ups for a different format for practice; although they're not cute or pretty or anything, some kids like winding the string around the pattern formed by matching questions to answers, and it takes the parent out of the picture at least temporarily, as the kids can check themselves.

 

Finally, don't overlook playing store, garage sales, or using real money at the grocery store: give your child a couple of dollars and let him buy whatever he likes so long as he can tell you the running total and guarantee that it doesn't go over his $2 or whatever amount he has. I think my daughter learned a lot of her mental addition skills at garage sales.

[Flaura]

We do five minute drills every day. One hundred facts and the goal is to get every one right in five minutes or less. My ds was getting slower at first which confused us. What really helped was doing oral drill for about a week. For some reason saying it, writing it, and hearing it really cemented the facts for him. It is cheap so worth a try.

HTH

[mom2boys030507]

Thanks for all of the replies, it has helped give me some ideas.

 

Flaura - thanks for letting me know your son got slower at first too - it is nice to know that I am not alone. Where do you get your drill sheets from?

 

I like the idea of math copy work too. My son has learned so much spelling and grammar from copy work I am now interested to see if it will work in math too.

[Flaura]

No problem. I know how frustrating it can be for you and the dc when you don't see progress. We are using drill sheets from an old Saxon 6/5 math program I was given. I have also made them up from an online math worksheet generator but I don't have a link cause I'm on my iPod right now.

 

Hth

[ChrisB]

RightStart Math Games here too.

[sahm99]

We had much success with bigmathtime.com...it worked sooo well!!!

Good luck to you!

[LindaOz]

http://www.homeschoolmath.net has free printable drill sheets, and you can set the number boundaries to what you want them to be.

 

So, either the above link for grade level sheets

 

or here... http://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets/basic-operations-worksheets.php to set your operation and number boundaries.

[bethben]

Flashmaster---takes less than 5 minutes a day to really get those math facts down. Not "fun" but it really gets the job done - hands off for mom and relatively painless.

Beth