Singapore Math users: do you make your gifted student do all the WB exercises?

[Happy2BaMom]

We are using SM and both ds, 7 (just entering 2nd grade and just starting SM level 2B), and I are loving it. Here's the issue: ds picks up on math veerrrryyy quickly. I figure, since he is gifted, that he doesn't need to do the Extra Practice pages that SWB recommends, but I've been making him do all the TB and WB exercises (we also do Challenging Word Problems and Mental Math). Ds is getting a little frustrated because he is finding some of the work to be repetitious. He also gets 100% or near-100% on all his WB exercises, which he does independently.

 

I realize at this point it sounds obvious that he shouldn't need to do all the exercises. Yet I worry that he will miss something essential if he doesn't, mostly because skills are still being introduced for the first time - we recently finished introducing division (although he got all those right the first time), we're just getting into times tables, etc.

 

What do you do with your gifted student? How much do you let his/her need to gallop ahead set the scope for how much practice they need?

 

I know gifted kids need less repetition...I'm just wondering whether you let all repetition whatsoever fly out the window without worrying about gaps....

 

:bigear:

 

Thanks!

[Crimson Wife]

I have my DD use the Intensive Practice book in lieu of the workbook. The IP book has a few problems that are the same challenge level as the text & wb but then kicks it up a notch. She completes all the exercises and practices in the text first, then works through IP and CWP.

[nmoira]

Absolutely not.

 

You'll probably want to look at the Intensive Practice books, as these are more challenging than the workbooks. We used them in lieu of the workbooks. The only catch is that since the IP books assume topic mastery, you have to complete the entire topic in the text before starting the corresponding IP exercises.

[homefront]

We only look at the TB problems when dc miss something (not careless errors).

 

I set a timer (for 20 min. when working with 2b) and let my child set the pace. They have learned that no dawdling is allowed in that time limit. DD finish 1a-3a in a 3 month period. DS seems to be following suit.

 

Please note: Singapore is only one component we use for math

Edited September 1, 2010 by homefront

[MissKNG]

No. If there are 6 problems on a page, I let her pick 3 to do. If she does the 3 with understanding and ease, she's done.

 

ETA: I did buy the IP book for 1b to try out.

Edited September 1, 2010 by MissKNG

[KAR120C]

We only did a couple textbook problems (those were the ones I used as examples for teaching) and about 1/3 - 1/2 of the workbook problems (independent practice), and if he didn't have any mistakes that's all he did. If he had careless errors I might make him re-do that problem and another like it, and if he needed more practice with a particular concept we would do more. I liked to aim for about 80-85% correct on a first round. Less than that meant he really did miss something, much more and it was not challenging.

 

Then we ran the Challenging Word Problems about a year or so behind, doing at least 2/3 of the problems (sometimes skipping practice problems in favor of challenge problems), and by the time the topic came up again there, he had it mastered. At that point I really did want 100%, and he generally got there, or very close.

 

I don't think there were Intensive Practice books when we were working through primary math... They might very well be a better option, but I can't say anything from experience.

[Dmmetler]

It depends on the topic. We do ALL word problems. Otherwise, it's up for grabs.

 

I'm using the problems in the IP on the whiteboard a book back as a review. I may try the "IP instead of workbook" next time, but DD really likes the cartoony illustrations of the Standards edition text and workbook, and isn't all that thrilled with how the IP looks.

[EKS]

In the past I've had my son do all the textbook and workbook exercises, but I've been finding that it is simply too much repetition. Recently we have been doing 2+ lessons per day, no workbook. We do the practice pages in the text and when we're done with a book we go back and do the review exercises in the text as well as half of a CWP book. It seems like you get to a certain point in arithmetic and everything "new" is a minor variation on something previously learned.

[Dinsfamily]

I do. Now, we rarely do all of the textbook lesson. My ds usually has the concept down after a couple of problems and then moves on to complete the wb exercise independently. There are so few problems in the wb that he's never complained about doing all of them. I will also say that while my ds picks up concepts at lightning speed, he has trouble with memorization. He has no problem with mental math, but multiplication tables are just gong to take some practice.

[Happy2BaMom]

Thank you for all of the input...it's nice to know how people are customizing SM to meet their child's needs, and I feel better knowing I can lighten up on the expectations to keep math interesting for ds. I'm going to look at the IP books...I saw them when I ordered the materials, but thought they were just another Extra Practice book.

[Shelly in the Country]

Eh, well I'm kind of a slave driver in some ways. I make my kids finish the entire workbook, repetitious or not. We skip some of the textbook practices. I don't make them do the repetitious stuff in the IPs. Some of the sections in there are looong. I understand that sometimes they get it already and don't need the repetition, but my kids seldom complain over the length of a Singapore workbook assignment. I do get foot dragging over the textbook practices. I am actually considering cutting those out entirely, but I like that they have to learn how to neatly copy out the problem onto separate paper. Sigh.

[zaichiki]

It seems like you get to a certain point in arithmetic and everything "new" is a minor variation on something previously learned.

 

Is this with PM 5? We're at that same point and also doing 2+ textbook lessons a day. It does seem that everything is just a minor variation and/or obvious from former arithmetic lessons. Could it be Singapore's PM 5 is just this way? What about 6?

[zaichiki]

Dd is using 3B and does all of the practice problems in the workbook. She actually likes that it's easy and is happy to do endless repetitive problems.

 

Ds is finishing up 5B and can't stand repetition once he feels he owns a skill/topic. If he can explain it to me and get a few independently done problems 100% correct, I let him skip the rest. I do require him to do the periodic practice/review sections in the textbook. 100% means that he doesn't need more review. So far so good.

 

Different strokes for different folks/personalities. Both of my kids are gifted, but one embraces repetition (to a point) and the other loathes it.

[EKS]

Is this with PM 5? We're at that same point and also doing 2+ textbook lessons a day. It does seem that everything is just a minor variation and/or obvious from former arithmetic lessons. Could it be Singapore's PM 5 is just this way? What about 6?

 

We're in PM 5. I think it gets more and more that way as very little is truly "new." We also did the same thing with 4B and another one (I think it was 3A).

[Jen in PA]

We skip a lot of problems. We're in 4B now, which is mostly applying the basic operations to decimals. DD gets the concept of decimals/decimal place values and she knows how to add, subtract, etc. so this book mostly seems to be about reinforcing skills and I just don't see the point in having her do every problem. What I often do is have her do half of the problems on a page, choosing a column of problems so that she does do some of the harder ones at the bottom (she always asks to do just the top half of the page since she is well aware that it's the easy portion).

[Halcyon]

I had just posted this on the other board! DS8 is doing 3a and finding the wb too easy, and I am going to try just skipping to the IP. He actually doesn't even "need" the textbook to get the answers to the IP questions--just a quick explanation and he can usually figure out what to do. But we do the Text nonetheless because the explanations are introducing ideas he may not have considered.

[StephanieZ]

If you are confident your dc 'gets it', then I think it's fine to move on.

 

Caveat: Be sure your child is mastering his facts on schedule or ahead of schedule. Sometimes doing the 'extra' problems are handy just for fact practice.

 

With my dc, in general, I have had them do nearly all the WkBk problems, but rarely use any other 'extras' except an occasional interlude with IP. Unless the child runs into trouble on a Review/Revision section in the WkBk, we don't even use the additional Practice sets provided in the text. I find that the sets of problems in the WkBk are rarely time consuming for my dc. It is easier for me to have a standard rule of "Do all the problems." than to have to think/negotiate/assign problems for every exercise, so I generally just stick with that principle. I tell them that if it is easy, then it will go quickly (so buck up). . . and if it is not easy, they need the practice! Works for us. It sure doesn't slow them down, as they zip right through levels no matter what I do, lol.

 

This has worked just fine for us.

 

Just don't forget to have your child master his facts!!!!!!! It'll be a big stumbling block soon if his facts are slow. You want instant recall on the facts!