k2bdeutmeyer Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 (Cross posted) DD10 is behind in math and I know it. It is causing a lot of frustration and pure hatred for math. She's completed the first Horizons 5 workbook so far this year, but only with a LOT of tears and fighting. She does NOT know her multiplication facts, and struggles with a lot of the basics (she still struggles with addition in her head beyond the basic 1-10). She's fine with measuring, geometry, and place value. We spent a lot of time on long division a few months ago, but I suspect if I asked her to do another problem right now she would not know/remember what to do. I honestly think she's at a high 3rd grade level right now. Generally speaking anyway (obviously she has some 5th grade skills, but....). So...since I either need to buy the 2nd workbook or find another direction to go, I need help! Do I bump her down a grade (or maybe even 2??) and make sure she REALLY has the foundational stuff before moving on? Do keep going where we are and add in some remedial stuff? I'm not sure what to do, but I know we can't keep going like things are right now. My stress level cannot take it anymore, LOL! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessedmom3 Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Have you looked at CLE math? It has a lot of fact practice including speed drills . I would also rec. Times Tales (especially if she is a visual spatial learner )or Triangular flashcards if she is a visual print learner . You can google these and see which kind she is . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerMom Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 (edited) (Cross posted) DD10 is behind in math and I know it. It is causing a lot of frustration and pure hatred for math. She's completed the first Horizons 5 workbook so far this year, but only with a LOT of tears and fighting. She does NOT know her multiplication facts, and struggles with a lot of the basics (she still struggles with addition in her head beyond the basic 1-10). She's fine with measuring, geometry, and place value. We spent a lot of time on long division a few months ago, but I suspect if I asked her to do another problem right now she would not know/remember what to do. I honestly think she's at a high 3rd grade level right now. Generally speaking anyway (obviously she has some 5th grade skills, but....). So...since I either need to buy the 2nd workbook or find another direction to go, I need help! Do I bump her down a grade (or maybe even 2??) and make sure she REALLY has the foundational stuff before moving on? Do keep going where we are and add in some remedial stuff? I'm not sure what to do, but I know we can't keep going like things are right now. My stress level cannot take it anymore, LOL! Thanks! I think you need to teach to where she's at and forget about where she's "supposed to" be. Math has many different components (as you see by her abilities in geometry, etc), but arithmetic builds on itself. It is excruciating to try to move forward if you are struggling with the basic math facts. Trying to soldier on will just scorch the earth with her and math. The good news is that you are hsing, so you can teach to where she is. You need to rebuild trust and her confidence. My 2cents: To start I would take a hiatus from "math curricula" and work just on math facts until she has them cold. You can try to make it as fun as possible (there are free computer games and such) or just explain that learning those facts are no different than learning to spell and it's something you just have to do. That will depend on your style. I would also make some really clear game plan -- we all hate it when we can't see where we are headed, so clear expectations like "we'll do addition until you can answer each in under 3 sec" then it'll go into this pile we'll just review once a week/month. Come up with some strategy that will help her feel motivated to move them along. Great time to use your mom knowledge against her. :lol: WOrk thru addition, then subtraction, multiplication, division. That may take several months so don't expect an instant fix. Once that is on track, start working in bit of the "fun" math -- geometry, graphs, whatever she doesn't despise. Do it AND her math facts, but keep your focus on the math facts. As she gets traction, slowly start working through the curriculum that is at her LEVEL (forget grade level). You may want to change curriculums so it doesn't seem as much redoing. If you run into a topic that pushes her buttons, table it or take it at half speed. If you're successful getting her math facts down pat and rebuilding her confidence, she may well fly through material over the next couple years, but don't waste your energy trying to get "caught up". Just make sure she really "gets" whatever she's working on. I would strongly consider keeping up with math over the summer. Partly to help progress and partly to avoid any backsliding if she has too much time off. Doesn't mean doing full curriculum, just something to keep skills up. But then we do school year round, so I'm biased. :D Good luck! ETA: I would step back to the point it is EASY for her, not just to the point she can handle it. She needs confidence and success. ;) You may not have to "teach" everything again, just treat it like review. Edited January 13, 2011 by ChandlerMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I'd work on those math facts. There comes a point where math just gets miserable for most people if they don't have the math facts down, b/c everything takes so. very. long. to do! I realize some kids move merrrily forward with concepts without knowing those facts, but ime, those kids are the exception. Think about what she's doing in 5th grade math: factoring, multiples, fractions/decimals/percents with conversions, word problems - almost everything requires multiple steps, and those multiple steps require either knowing or figuring out basic math facts. If you have a five-step math problem, and none of the steps are quick, then yeah, you're going to hate math! So, I probably wouldn't bump her down textbook-wise, but I'd gear most of her time toward practice and getting a firm foundation. Back up to where she IS comfortable with the math facts, and start from there. Play lots of games, do lots of mental math, do quick and easy drills every day (progressing bit by bit). Quick and easy workbook pages; again, not a new or lower text, just practice stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mominbc Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 My dd(13) really struggled with math and learning math facts as well. Last year I started her on Moving with Math and she took off. For the first time everything made sense and she is now at grade level and understanding all the concepts, not just getting the work done. It is expensive but it worked for us. I had read reviews that it was difficult to follow but I didn't find that at all. Hope you find something that works.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 What you've all said makes perfect sense! I've thought about it a lot, and realized that 3rd grade is where things fell apart for her. She was attending PS at that time and had a TERRIBLE teacher that year. The teacher hated her and was on a mission the entire year to prove to DD and us that she was NOT as smart as we thought/knew she was. DD spent the entire year feeling tossed aside and picked on. It was the beginning of the end of our PS journey and a LARGE part of why we pulled her last year (4th grade). She learned little to nothing that year, and while she was so far ahead in almost all subjects enough that it didn't really affect them, math definitely took a hard hit. So, I've talked to DD about this all, and she understands and is willing to go back and review. She seemed relieved...as am I. I do think we need to stick with some sort of structured curriculum to both keep us accountable and make sure we're not missing anything. My goal is to really make sure she is 110% confident in her math skills at ALL levels. So.....stick with Horizons? Try something different? I'm not sure what to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aludlam Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 My dd(13) really struggled with math and learning math facts as well. Last year I started her on Moving with Math and she took off. For the first time everything made sense and she is now at grade level and understanding all the concepts, not just getting the work done. It is expensive but it worked for us. I had read reviews that it was difficult to follow but I didn't find that at all. Hope you find something that works.:) I'm going to have to look into this Moving with Math. I've never heard of it. Is it a full program, supplement or somewhere in between? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling6 Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 My 12yr. old ds has struggled with math. At the beginning of this year he was at a 3rd grade level. Instead of trying to play catch-up, I decided to meet him where he was at. I ordered Spectrum Math books, grades 3-6 and he has been working his way through them. He is currently using the 4th grade book. I also have some Creative Math sessions with the children. For instance today we practiced subtraction with real money (even though we have lots of fake money in our manipulative bin). We subtracted $6.00-5.37. My goal is to get him at a 6th grade level by the end of the year. Most kids his age are already doing Pre-Algebra, so it can get frustrating for me as the parent and scary at times. Josh, is a real trooper though. He doesn't hate math, thankfully. He keeps on chugging along. Yesterday, he told me he was excited to have finished Spectrum Grade 3 and move on to the 4th grade book. He's not embarrassed about it either. He knows he's a smart boy, it just takes him longer to get from point A. to B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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