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Ds can't seem to remember math facts...


bethben
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We've been working on combinations that make "10" (ie 1,9 2,8 ect). He STILL can't remember them and we've been working on them since September. I've tried card games (which we do daily since he likes them), triangle flash cards, everything that I can think of. Please tell me it's not going to be like this for the rest of his math facts (he can add "1" to something, but past that - we haven't gotten far). Please?

 

Beth

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Which DS? If it's the 6 yo he may not be ready yet.

 

:iagree:

 

How about something like MUS blocks? Lay out a 10 bar and underneath he can lay out different block combinations. That way he can see just based on different color blocks there are many ways to make 10.

 

You could also draw up some worksheets of blank 10 bars, and let him color in different combinations (based of MUS block colors, or what ever blocks you have)

Edited by helena
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Sigh...maybe he's not ready (6 year old). I'm not so sure how to proceed with math. Just work on facts and ditch the curriculum? He gets so much - he's reading really well already, memorizes like a champ, spelling like nobodies business- math ---sigh...

 

Beth

 

Don't worry, move on, don't drill and kill, do some, but introduce new things, too, or math will become a dread. The lightbulb went on in my son at age 8, even though he "got" things like estimate, negative numbers, squaring, etc. Get out a table and forge ahead.

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Maybe you could take a break from facts for a while and work on things like counting (including skip counting if he can do that), patterns, sorting things into groups, maybe a little graphing (like, we found eight red leaves, four orange leaves, and twelve yellow leaves, let's make a bar graph). That sort of thing. And come back to facts a little later. That way you can get some skills in, without making math torment.

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Sigh...maybe he's not ready (6 year old). I'm not so sure how to proceed with math. Just work on facts and ditch the curriculum? He gets so much - he's reading really well already, memorizes like a champ, spelling like nobodies business- math ---sigh...

 

Beth

 

 

My son in K is also 6. He turned 6 Oct 1. We use math u see and he likes that- when he is in the mood :glare:. I was so caught up in CURRICULUM- MUST. HAVE. CURRICULUM. No- my son taught me something :001_huh: Curriculum at this age is not necessary- its optional :001_smile:

 

We do ALOT of pattern blocks. He does alot with cuisenaire rods. (we have books for both) He does alot of baking with me (measuring) We do our daily school wall calendar. He likes to play with our play money (right now we are working on the names of the coins and how much they are worth) We also have a big box of learning card games and one of the games in it is easy addition war (he LOVES that) He really loves it when I make mistakes and he has to correct mom! We started out with MUS blocks now he is starting to understand it. Make math fun right now. You will be amazed at what he will learn! My 6year old son would hang me if I made him sit down and do a math "curriculum" every day for math! We do MuS like I said before (just primer- I am not pushing him because he is ADHD) but he is learning so much more now that we started "playing" with math!

 

He directs how much time we spend- but I chose the activity (or I will give him a choice of 2 or 3 to chose from) Sometimes our math lesson is 5 minutes and sometimes 35 minutes. Also, he knows 1+1, 2+2, 3+3, 4+4 and 5+5. Right now we are working on 6+6. We did that just orally and spontaneously. I would say "Brock, what is 3+3 (or whatever doubles) and now he knows them" We would do that at the store, at the playground, no rhyme or reason when or why I would ask but he learned! It was VERY painless and not at all tedious. Try doing it more informally- but first I would suggest giving him some decompress time and do no math for now!

Edited by wy_kid_wrangler04
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Teaching math by rote will lead to math frustration later on. Children need "strategies" to understand math. Before children learn their math facts to 10 they need to learn about 5 first and how it is special. (five fingers, toes , your can see five without counting:one in the middle)

 

Teach this song by Dr Joan Cotter (RightStart mathmatics) using your two hands to show.

 

Yellow is the sun

six is five and one

why's the sky so blue

seven is five and two

salty is the sea

eight is five and three

hear the thunder roar

nine is five and four

ducks will swim and dive

ten is five and five

 

I would highly recommend that you purchase Dr. Cotter's abacus. The abacus has 5 blue beads and 5 yellow beads on each of the 10 rows. Children can see six is 5 and 1 because there is 5 blue and 1 yellow, seven is 5 and 2 because there is 5 blue and 2 yellow, etc.

Once this is established you can now move into strategies to help your child actually understand rather than memorize the facts. 4 and 6 is 10 because when you take one from the six and give it to the 4 you have 5 and 5. 3 and 7 is 10 because you need 2 from the 7 to make a five and again 5 and 5 is 10. Using the abacus to show this gives a powerful visual as well as a highly effective manipulative to "see" the fact.

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Teaching math by rote will lead to math frustration later on. Children need "strategies" to understand math. Before children learn their math facts to 10 they need to learn about 5 first and how it is special. (five fingers, toes , your can see five without counting:one in the middle)

 

Teach this song by Dr Joan Cotter (RightStart mathmatics) using your two hands to show.

 

Yellow is the sun

six is five and one

why's the sky so blue

seven is five and two

salty is the sea

eight is five and three

hear the thunder roar

nine is five and four

ducks will swim and dive

ten is five and five

 

I would highly recommend that you purchase Dr. Cotter's abacus. The abacus has 5 blue beads and 5 yellow beads on each of the 10 rows. Children can see six is 5 and 1 because there is 5 blue and 1 yellow, seven is 5 and 2 because there is 5 blue and 2 yellow, etc.

Once this is established you can now move into strategies to help your child actually understand rather than memorize the facts. 4 and 6 is 10 because when you take one from the six and give it to the 4 you have 5 and 5. 3 and 7 is 10 because you need 2 from the 7 to make a five and again 5 and 5 is 10. Using the abacus to show this gives a powerful visual as well as a highly effective manipulative to "see" the fact.

:iagree:

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