momto2Cs Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 We've been using Math Mammoth off and on for the last semester but want to switch back to Saxon Math. My son is in 5/4, which is the first non-consummable math book he has used, and he's worried about copying it all down. So I have a question about how you approach it in your home. Do you have your dc write out both the problem and the answer, or the answer only? Paper or dry-erase/whiteboard? I had though of making him printed worksheets from the text, but this could get pretty time consuming, so I am looking for advice. TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 If possible, let him write in the text. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I got an extra student book at half price book and let my son write in it, but we've now switched to math mammoth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Paper. There isn't that much writing, and it's good practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 We use Singapore, but I generally work with my son with the text and let him just say the answer. If he needs to do scratchwork, he writes out what he needs. On some occasions when he's written out all answers when he's worked alone (some review sets from text), he puts the problem number, the answer, and any work he may need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moniksca Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I use a sheet protector over the page and let him write with a wet erase marker. We were working on paper but the writing really bogged down the math, he was taking an hour and half to finish the mixed practice. Now he can do it in 45 minutes. If he needs more space to figure out a question he'll use the white board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2att Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I photocopy the mixed practice pages and he writes directly on those. I wish there was more space between the problems, but it works okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiebird Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I'm having the same problem with my son and math 5/4. My husband would have a cow if I had my son write in the book though. Right now I just have him put his answers and any work on a separate page. That gets annoying too though. I wonder if overhead projector pages and a wet-erase marker would work? But then I couldn't keep it for his record book- whoops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 It's a bit pricey, but we use graph paper. DS has issues keeping his numbers alligned and this has helped tremendously. I come from a family of math teachers, DH included, so all problems have to be written out and work shown. If I can't read, or find, the answer it's wrong. I think it would be good practice to get into now, rather than trying to work out any bad habits later. DH teaches sixth and can't believe the number of kids who won't show their work or erase it after, like it's a bad thing to do so. DS has slowly learned that it's much easier to correct a problem where he's shown his work and made a stupid mistake, then just given me an outright wrong answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Wilhelm Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I started my son in 5/4 by having me write the problems and him writing the answers....then 1/2 and 1/2.... now he does it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SophiaH Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Dd uses graph paper and I've worked with her a lot on how to organize her papers (writing problem numbers, circling the answer, spaces between problems, etc.). I encourage her to use mental math where she can, so on those problems she is only required to write the answer. On the larger problems where there is trading, I make her write the whole problem even though she wants to try to do it all in her head since she will sometimes make mistakes on those. I don't find the writing to be all that much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I was worried about this with my first two kids and they both transitioned well into copying down the problems. For a while I had them only doing about half of the problems so that helped as far as the amount of writing. (I had this crazy approach of selecting the problems based on which lesson they were from rather than assigning odds or evens - to make sure they were getting a review of all the lessons). Oh - they only do the mixed practice - not the lesson practice. My kids use a spiral notebook for the mixed practice and investigations. I copy off the test recording form for their tests, and they usually do the mental math on a dry erase board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Paper. There isn't that much writing, and it's good practice. Yep. I buy graph paper for math. By the time they are in 3rd or 4th grade math, they copy out the problems and answer them on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamee Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Yep. I buy graph paper for math. By the time they are in 3rd or 4th grade math, they copy out the problems and answer them on that. This has also helped my DS learn to pay closer attention to what he is doing and being more careful in his work. I can't tell you how many times he has copied problems wrong.:tongue_smilie: There has been some tribulation, but he's getting it and his math has improved a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Thanks for all the replies! I'll get some graph paper for him to try, which he'll likely think is really cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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