Lagging subtraction facts...

[diaperjoys]

Our 6yo is doing sooooo much better in math now that we've begun CLE! I have a question about the speed drills. They alternate - one day is all addition, the next day is all subtraction. I've been giving him two minutes for the drill. Addition he finishes with 15-30 seconds to spare, and the problems are generally all correct. Subtraction, though, is a different story. He gets 8-16 of those finished in two minutes. They are correct, but very sloooooooow. Is this pretty typical???

[brownie]

I think it's normal. Addition is the logical 1st step. A lot of times you figure the subtraction fact based on the addition fact. Our school taught all the addition facts first so that's the way we did it at home, and ds9 and ds7 are still stuck at the end of the subtraction facts trying to hit the speed they always hit on addition. I'm not sure they'll achieve it anytime soon so we've laid off a bit. They're fast enough but not rote. I bet I could do addition faster too. Brownie

[SilverMoon]

Normal. Can he see that subtraction is just addition backwards? If not I'd grab a handful of 2x2 Lego bricks and show him for a few days in a row. When the page says 9 - 6 = __, grab blocks and ask him, 6 + __ = 9? When my little guy (also 6) figured this out subtraction became a favorite.

 

Otherwise, just make sure this age has access to manipulatives if he'd rather use them.

[Tree House Academy]

I can't say whether or not it is normal as I have nothing to compare my 6 y/o to, but I can say that we have experienced the same thing this year with the same age child (a boy) using the same program!

 

We are in LU 109 (just did quiz 2 about 10 minutes ago) and I have to give him a number line to get through subtraction. It makes it less frustrating for him, and for me. I know that the facts will eventually "click" but for now, he needed the help.

 

For flashcards, I seperate them in order of fact families. So...when we do 8+5 and 5+8 equals 13, I flip the cards over to show the answers. That way, when he sees 13-8, he can look at the card we just did and remind himself that 8 and 5 make 13, so 13-8=5. It is definitely not "ideal" and I wish he did have the facts committed to memory, but this will have to do for now.