Son hates singapore math

[Jmac]

My 2nd grader absolutely hates to read and I think that is why he hates Singapore. That being said, I think the word problems are important and he also needs to realize that reading is important in all aspects of life, not just during that particular time of school. But here we are mid year and I don't want to continue something he hates. Any suggestions for a solid math program that he will enjoy but will also challenge him?

[sagira]

Right Start Math may be something to consider, as it's all very hands-on and minimal, or no reading.

[cbollin]

is it ok if you read the problems to him and spend maybe 10 minutes together on math? i have one child who never wanted me around for math, and the middle gal I spend 10 minutes in workbook with her side by side to make sure she can understand the key words in the problem.

 

-crystal

[KrissiK]

I wouldn't switch just because of that. Read the problems to him.

[Whereneverever]

I wouldn't switch just because of that. Read the problems to him.

:iagree:

[Jmac]

He is only in second grade. Most kids are not reading fluently and easily at this age. At this age math needs to be separated from reading practice.

 

Read the problems to him. For added fun get him a little white board and let him do the word problems on that.

 

It doesn't matter what program you use, you are still going to need to read the problems to him for a while longer. It is perfectly developmentally appropriate for him to still need that. You shouldn't expect him to work on these alone for a couple more years really, even in 4th - 6th you will want to go over the directions and make sure he understands assignments, even if he is reading the word problems on his own.

 

Word problems are tough and personally I would work on giving him extra support with those before I spent money on a different math program.

 

If you read them to him for a while and he still completely hates it, then get something else.

 

Oh dear gracious I really needed to read this. Thank you so much everyone. I really like the program and hate to switch mid year so I am going to stick with it and not require him to read the problems.

[Spy Car]

Oh dear gracious I really needed to read this. Thank you so much everyone. I really like the program and hate to switch mid year so I am going to stick with it and not require him to read the problems.

 

I think you have received very good advice. We are also using level 2 of Singapore Math and, while my son is a strong reader, we get so much more done (and with better results) when we work through the word problems together. We also use the CWP book and use the bar diagrams (which he usually writes out, but I sometimes will) for him this helps solidify the word problems.

 

I hope you find a way to make it work.

 

Bill

[Crimson Wife]

If he really hates Singapore you could look at giving MEP a try. It's free and very good for visual learners.

[catz]

I agree with reading the problems to him. I see nothing wrong with walking him through the problems either. I don't think it would be any different with any other math curriculum that includes word problems.

 

:iagree: I totally agree with all the read aloud comments. I have a 4th grader doing NEM 1 who's a way above grade level reader. I find that sometimes it helps for him to hear me read harder word problems out loud and make sure he's writing down his info correctly. These problems are really what make Singapore rigorous and unique! The kids that can comfortably do these types of problems come out ahead in the long run.

[mystika1]

I have a 2nd grader who needs for me to read the word problems to her. She can read them on her own but she understands so much better when I read it. I also have to guide her somethimes because she tries to rush through her work instead of thinking it over. If left to her own devices she will just write the numbers from the problem and use addition every single time. I like SM cause she has to stretch her mind.

 

HTH,

 

Penny

[TKDmom]

I use SM with my dc, but when my ds finished up level 1B last month, I decided to switch him to Miquon for the rest of the year. I wasn't comfortable moving him up to 2A just yet.

 

But today ds said, "Mommy, can we go back to Primary Math? I like all the questions they ask. Miquon doesn't have any questions for me to read." :lol: (He loves to read.)

 

Soo, if your ds still doesn't like SM by the end of the year with you reading the questions to him, you might want to look into Miquon. It's not at all wordy.

[texasmama]

My thought was to read the problems to him, as well. I still sit side by side with both of my boys during math. (I have a 2nd grader and a 4th grader.) It is what they need in order to understand the concepts. Though my 2nd grader is a very strong reader, at times he will misread a problem and do the computation incorrectly. Since I am right there, I can tell him to look at the question again.

[Guest Sue Sweeney]

I am using Mammoth Math with great success for 2nd and 3rd grader who used Sinapore last year. Very logical system, reasonable price and can be bought in one semester chunks. check it out.

[siloam]

I don't expect my kids to read Singapore independently till 4th grade. Before that I review what is to be done and read it all out loud to them.

 

Heather

[kalanamak]

My 2nd grader absolutely hates to read and I think that is why he hates Singapore. That being said, I think the word problems are important and he also needs to realize that reading is important in all aspects of life, not just during that particular time of school. But here we are mid year and I don't want to continue something he hates.

 

I wanted math to be about math. I read the problems to him. I asked kiddo to raise his hand when he heard a "clue" word" (altogether, divided into, how much less), and these I underlined lightly in red. I added bar graphs, spending a full week translating number bonds into the bar graphs for adding and subtracting.

 

Word problems are important. I can't see that Singapore word problems are the problem. Wouldn't word problems period be the problem? How do you two do with the rest of the math?

 

I added MindBenders Warm Up to give kiddo confidence. Progress has been slow, but steady. For independent work, I have kiddo do the CWP book a whole grade earlier in the program, i.e he does CWP for 2 while we do 3A text.

 

The thing I love about SM is that we keep plowing ahead on new concepts, which keeps him happy, and there are all sorts of "new" methods to review past subjects, like adding the bar graphs. (I did run out of ideas for practicing long division, and every 4th day we do MM Division 2 for a change of pace and a refresher.)

[mcconnellboys]

I don't think that I ever left my sons to read the math on their own when they were younger like that. Perhaps reading the problems to him would help to alleviate the problem?

[nicholsonhomeschool]

In addition to reading the problems out loud, you might help him draw "pictures" of the situation. When I took the LSAT I found this invaluable -- but it also engages the child and allows them to set themselves up to answer the problem.

[redsquirrel]

Heck, I sometimes read them to my 5th grader if he seems stuck. I always have him read them to me. If he gets stuck on a problem I tell him to read it to me. I cannot believe how many times he solves it as he reads the problem without a word from me. It cracks me up.

 

It's good to see how many other people work with their kids during math. I always worry that I am working with him too much. Up to about this year (5th) I always did math as a one on one venture. I was at elbow and I asked him to verbally process for me with every question.

 

Now as a 5th grader he doesn't seem to need that but it was a very natural transition.

 

I did stuff like underline important words etc. He does it for himself now.

[texasmama]

Reading the rest of the replies has triggered my brain to recall that I encourage my boys to use scratch paper to write down things, draw pictures of the problems, etc. The word problems get increasingly more difficult, particularly if you are using IP or CWP, as we do. With some of them, I cannot solve them without drawing a pictorial representation.

 

All of this is a strength of the program, though. If my boys cannot solve the problem, I have them watch me solve it while talking about each step I am taking and why. They get the benefit of watching me, through trial and error, work through the problems. Both of my boys are very strong in math. Some of this is due to natural abilities and giftings, but I attribute the rest to Singapore math. I wish I had been taught with a similar method.

[mcconnellboys]

As others have said, I continued to read aloud the lessons from the text right through level 6. I didn't read the practice problems, etc. as he worked those on his own. He only came to me if he was stumped on something. But we both always drew pictures to help us think through the problems, too....

[Storm Bay]

I'm with the read them to him crowd. If you substituge male pronouns for female in what remains of this first quote, that's what my ds did for a long time.

I have a 2nd grader who needs for me to read the word problems to her. She can read them on her own but she understands so much better when I read it. I also have to guide her somethimes because she tries to rush through her work instead of thinking it over.

HTH,

 

Penny

 

I wanted math to be about math. I read the problems to him. I asked kiddo to raise his hand when he heard a "clue" word" (altogether, divided into, how much less), and these I underlined lightly in red. I added bar graphs, spending a full week translating number bonds into the bar graphs for adding and subtracting.

I like the idea of underlining key words in red. I think I'm going to start that with ds, who is doing SM 6, when he gets stuck. Most of the time he gets stuck it's due to a bad attitude that day, but sometimes he really does need my help to think things through on the most challenging problems, particularly in CWP.