amyrjoy Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 It's wasting his time and my time. He's so smart but will take fooreeeeevvverrrrr to complete one side of his math worksheet. I've tried everything...taking toys away, eliminating fun stuff.....argh! Nothing works. I just want him to stop fooling around sooo much...I understand a little bit but come ON! It's ridiculous! I sit next to him, point to his work, and he will do nothing but fidget, stay distracted, whatever......I'm so fed up. I have no answers for myself! Lol! :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 It's frustrating, but relax. He's five.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Uh, yeah - he's 5 and a boy. 5 yo boy + worksheets of any kind = frustration. Â I skipped those at that age, and for a few years after, and both of my boys are still advanced in math as teens :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 He's five, try another more active approach. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 My 17 y.o. was just like that when he was 5. Â I'd re-live one of those days in a heartbeat. (Didn't feel like that then, but I do now.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezrabean2005 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 He's five, try another more active approach. :D Â I agree, how about tossing a ball during math facts. Our five year old likes to do his facts by jumping on the numbers (like a game of hopscotch) - we try to get the highest score with only three jumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 It's wasting his time and my time. He's so smart but will take fooreeeeevvverrrrr to complete one side of his math worksheet. I've tried everything...taking toys away, eliminating fun stuff.....argh! Nothing works. I just want him to stop fooling around sooo much...I understand a little bit but come ON! It's ridiculous! I sit next to him, point to his work, and he will do nothing but fidget, stay distracted, whatever......I'm so fed up. I have no answers for myself! Lol! :confused: Â It is February and he is 5yo? I'd pull way back on formal schooling. At 5yo, he shouldn't have to sit still for longer than 5-10 minutes at the absolute most. If it can't be taught through play, I wouldn't be teaching it right now. Â Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 He's 5. Math worksheets. Yuck. Try some Cuisenaire rods, attribute and pattern blocks, play some games with dice or cards. If worksheets make you feel better - as in you have proof is doing school - try some of the Miquon lab sheets, but don't over use them. Let him discover math and guide him right now. You might end up with a little boy that loves math - or you could end up with one that hates math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 It's wasting his time and my time. He's so smart but will take fooreeeeevvverrrrr to complete one side of his math worksheet. I've tried everything...taking toys away, eliminating fun stuff.....argh! Nothing works. I just want him to stop fooling around sooo much...I understand a little bit but come ON! It's ridiculous! I sit next to him, point to his work, and he will do nothing but fidget, stay distracted, whatever......I'm so fed up. I have no answers for myself! Lol! :confused: Â Most 5 year old boys don't have diligence. I'd go all Charlotte Mason on him and pound him with short, frequent lessons. :D I learned that for that age and gender, 3 well done math questions at a time were much better than a worksheet of torture for both of us. Â I did the short, frequent lesson thing for years. My kids (now all teens) are at or above grade level in everything, in various school settings. Â :chillpill:, mama. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I agree with the others. Five is very young to be working on worksheets. Some kids love them at this age (girls, mostly) - others balk (boys, mostly). If you have a balker, you need to come up with some other approach. Â Here is an article that helped me tremendously when mine were young: Â http://www.triviumpursuit.com/blog/2007/04/03/teaching-math/ Â When I encounter resistance from my kids during school time, I first try to determine if my expectations are out of whack. Sometimes my kids are just trying to get out of having to apply themselves and work their brains, but there have been times when I realized I am expecting too much. I think this may be one of those times for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 If you need ideas, there are books like Math Play, which have them: Â http://www.amazon.com/Math-Play-Williamson-Little-Hands/dp/1885593082/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296837735&sr=1-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 It is February and he is 5yo? I'd pull way back on formal schooling. At 5yo, he shouldn't have to sit still for longer than 5-10 minutes at the absolute most. If it can't be taught through play, I wouldn't be teaching it right now. Just my 2 cents.  :iagree: He's obviously not delopmentally ready for what you're expecting. It's like forcing a baby to walk or talk earlier. And just because he CAN doesn't mean he SHOULD be doing it. My son was reading at age 5 and I pushed formal school work on him. Oh if I could go back and kick myself in the pants for the misery I put both me and him through. Honestly. He will not suffer in his later years for not going sit-down formal work in Kindergarten. He stopped reading for enjoyment years ago and at 14 years old, he still doesn't read for enjoyment. I totally blame myself for killing his love of reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Personally, I'd give it to him and walk away. He can waste his own time. Of course, that is assuming it's a developmentally correct amount of work to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 He's 5! I have yet to meet a diligent 5yo. It's time to back way off, before he starts to associate learning with torture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 at age 5, with 4 girls, we did singapore math's head start... it took 5 minutes, was mostly hands on, and laid a great foundation. Â we did simple addition using foam hopscotch numbers, where they could hop on one, hop on the other then hop and sit on the answer. Â we sang skip counting songs in the car to our heart's delight. Â we counted marshmallows as we made rice krispie squares, and chocolate chips as we made chocolate chip cookies. Â we made designs out of pattern blocks, and then i found fun pictures they could make using the blocks. as we talked, i would use correct names for shapes. "why don't you try to make the square using two right angle triangles?" or, "don't those two sides look the same to you? why don't you try the isoceles triangle?"..... Â for the rest, we used before five in a row, and then five in a row, depending on the child. Â montessori at home has great ideas, and charlotte mason has great ideas. Â you both sound pretty frustrated, and have 12 more years ahead of you.... have fun learning while you can! (you can make the later years fun, too, but its much harder work....) Â :grouphug: ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I would expect many 5yo to drag their heels at having to do worksheets. Â If he were mine, I'd toss anything that looked like a worksheet. I also wouldn't his reluctance to do worksheets define his level of diligence in other areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I'd re-live one of those days in a heartbeat.(Didn't feel like that then, but I do now.) Â Me too. They grow so fast, don't they? My last 5 y.o. turned 6 in December....:crying: Â To the OP, Â :grouphug: Before you know it, he will be 18, 19, 20 and moving into the world. Because he has parents who love him and will be good models for him, I am certain he will be a good student and a diligent worker. You're on the right track. Those long-term goals, and knowing the kind of adult you want to raise, are important. And you have years to form those habits. Â For now, "Do three good ones, then let's play." Play math games. Jump the number line. Take a break. Read a story. Do three more problems. Bake together. Draw a picture. Finish the last three problems. Play. You get the idea. :) Teaching habits like "three good ones" helps teach good attitudes and allows you to increase the work-well-done-(mostly)-cheerfully habit gradually. Â Young boys are often challenged by fine motor skills and with seatwork activities. That doesn't mean that you give up entirely, simply that you lower the demand to meet his needs now, then gradually increase the expextations as he grows. I'd also look into a manipulative-based program if you haven't got one. Do the problems with cuisenaire rods or counting bears or buttons or pennies. I l-o-v-e the math activities in the Family Math series, starting with (for a 5 y.o.) Family Math for Young Children. Â My last baby just turned 6, and like Sophia, I so wish I could go back and savor those years when my first babies were little. It's not worth fighting over, really, not for a second. Â Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) What kind of math does a 5 year have to do that isn't all about making play-dough, counting dishes and silverware to set the table, going about your day sorting and matching socks, going to the library (we will get 5 picture books, 2 chapter books, and 2 DVDs), reading books, building with blocks, & playing games? Â How about a came of Candy Land? Checkers? Dump a bunch of marbles in a jar, guess how many there are, then take them out again and count them. Sort them by color, by size. Â Why waste time doing something that doesn't need to be done? Why stress your relationship, set him up to be 'naughty', and so test his patience, or yours? Â If something is boring and laborious for such a young child, assume there is something wrong with the approach or expectation, not the child. Edited February 4, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 No kidding! Math worksheets at age 5 suck! LOL Work on them together with manipulatives or matchbox cars or M&Ms or whatever! At that age, many young kiddos still struggle a bit with the physical task of *writing*, so I'd lay off the worksheets a bit or work on them together and take turns filling in answers. Â Another fun thing to do is let them use little number STICKERS to fill in their answers! They can do the work with counters of some kind or their fingers or whatever you like, and then put the answer on the paper with the stickers. This doesn't last long as the kids move on to double digit math and such, but for a while it gives them a break. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMom Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Agreeing with the wisdom of the other ladies.:) Â I have a 5yo boy.:D I also have an 18yo boy so this isn't the first time I've been here.;) Â It is a rare 5 year old boy who can sit still for a worksheet. Your little guy is not wasting time. He's being 5.:grouphug: Â We're using Horizons K and we do the worksheets in a variety of different ways. I usually have him write 3 answers or less for the whole worksheet just for a tiny bit of practice on writing numbers. Otherwise we use my old Math U See blocks, vehicle counters, Monopoly examples (he loves Monopoly so I'll ask him, if you roll a 4 and a 5 in Monopoly, how many spaces will you move?), laminated numbers that I have, etc. Â If I tried to make him write every answer, we would both be miserable and it would take all day. This way, it's quick and painless. We're done in just 5-10 minutes and he's practicing concepts and having fun! Â I think you need to readjust your expectations.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) I'd like to back up the bus a little here. :) I know plenty of diligent 5 year old children. Children, like anyone, want to do real work, be busy, and feel useful. I have seen 5 year old kids paint the exterior of my house (and well, at least the first coat lol), load and start a washing machine, feed a barn full of chickens, scrape wallpaper, carry firewood, knead bread, make pizza, build elaborate block structures, knit, sew, paint, and turn giant boxes into forts, complete with big flags and windows etc etc. Â Because they aren't interested in doing boring sit -down work that has no value to them, does not not mean children are not hard workers. We so often set them up for failure by asking them to be sendentary at a time when creativity and movement is everything. Â I argue that a small child who is allowed to move as needed, be and feel strong and competent, becomes an older child who takes on greater challenges, including academic ones, with greater interest and ease. Â Â He's 5! I have yet to meet a diligent 5yo. It's time to back way off, before he starts to associate learning with torture. Edited February 4, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 Can you do it orally? Sometimes when my kids are dragging their feet, I just have them stand next to me and answer each question. I write down the answers or just mark that it was done orally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I've tried everything...taking toys away, eliminating fun stuff.....argh! Â Â Agreeing with the others. I have 5 boys and I've found that while they can hyper-focus on a lego project for more than an hour, they may not have that same focus when reading or doing math worksheets. And, saying this gently, taking away toys and fun may seem reasonable, but it will probably not produce the result you want. In fact, he probably needs 5x as much fun in the mornings as work time. Â Also, make sure you don't have lots of distractions going on. Sit at his elbow and work through the sheet with him. Encourage him through it. Try for good focus for 10 minutes. If you lose him, let him go run outside for 5 minutes (I used to say "run twice around the house) and then come back in for 5-10 more minutes of good focus. Â How is screen time in your home? I've found (and studies show) that the more screen time, the less focus. Endangered Minds is a good book on this. Â Finally, it might be helpful to read some books on how boys are wired and how they learn. Peg Tyre has a book on boys as well as Boys and Girls Learn Differently (can't remember author). Â :grouphug: If you are in this for the long haul, you will want to find a good rhythm that works for your teaching and his learning. Â Blessings, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I'd like to back up the bus a little here. :) I know plenty of diligent 5 year old children. Children, like anyone, want to do real work, be busy, and feel useful. I have seen 5 year old kids paint the exterior of my house (and well, at least the first coat lol), load and start a washing machine, feed a barn full of chickens, scrape wallpaper, carry firewood, knead bread, make pizza, build elaborate block structures, knit, sew, paint, and turn giant boxes into forts, complete with big flags and windows etc etc. Because they aren't interested in doing boring sit -down work that has no value to them, does not not mean children are not hard workers. We so often set them up for failure by asking them to be sendentary at a time when creativity and movement is everything.  I argue that a small child who is allowed to move as needed, be and feel strong and competent, becomes an older child who takes on greater challenges, including academic ones, with greater interest and ease.   I so agree with this. Let them share in 'real' work. I've seen the same thing with my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 With my boys I have done more hands on in the early ages. We use manipulatives to do math, they do some of the writing, and I do some. If it becomes a struggle I assist. We will do math on the chalk board, white board, with magnets, bears, anything that keeps them active and interested. Have fun with it !!! No need to stress at this stage, you or your child. I want them to learn with out resentment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyrjoy Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 I really appreciate all the advice....it's been so frustrating. What I'd like to have him do with a pencil: one math worksheet, short writing ( just a few words or short sentence), and phonics page. ( abeka, bju and bju, respectively). We've been reading aloud a lot, and he will do whatever science and history we do with DD. As well as art. I would just like him to do those few things without totally taking a whole stinking hour to write down a few words! Argh! I've done short lessons occasionally but i get into this rhythm with my other DD ( who is a second grader) and it's been difficult enough to balance the two this year ( besides the toddler). Â Side note, maybe just letting hm go free for awhile with his legos, etc? And outside of course. Tv is limited during the day to just at breakfast, and some in the evening. Computer time is limited to...perhaps 20 minutes. He finished his kindergarten math book and his reading is taking off. He would've been bored in kindergarten I think. I Need to look more at the suggestions you ladies gave me. He's an active kid. Â I guess it's my problem, not his, lol. I had this great system going on teaching the two, minding the third, and now his distraction and not listening to my Instructions are messing me up! Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doodle Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 ... What I'd like to have him do with a pencil: one math worksheet, short writing ( just a few words or short sentence), and phonics page...  He sounds a lot like Doodle when he was 5. At that age, I only required Doodle to write in his handwriting book. He orally gave me the answers for his math. We use ETC for phonics and I did not require that he write for that either. All three would have been too much for him at 5 even though he has great handwriting and has been writing since about age 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) He's so young! I don't think worksheets are imperative for a five year old and definitely aren't worth battling over. Can you go more hands on, active, playful, interest led for a while? Spend your time conversing, laughing, playing, exploring, doing meaningful things that are hands on, not abstract boring worksheets. Enjoy each other, bond, don't fight over how much math he did. He's barely more than a baby. Â Ask yourself, "when he's older and I look back on when he was five, am I more likely to wish I'd enforced more worksheets or wish we'd played more and had more fun?" Â This period is so fleeting. He has a whole lifetime ahead of him to learn in more abstract ways. Let him move and explore and create and imagine and experience and imitate you right now. Let him play. Â You might want to read "the power of play" by David Elkind and "Better Late Than Early" by the Moores just for some perspective even if you don't fully proscribe to their theories. Edited February 5, 2011 by NanceXToo typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoonlight Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Ask yourself, "when he's older and I look back on when he was five, am I more likely to wish I'd enforced more worksheets or wish we'd played more and had more fun?" Â This period is so fleeting. He has a whole lifetime ahead of him to learn on more abstract ways. Let him move and explore and create and imagine and experience and imitate you right now. Let him play. Â Â :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I scribed at least some of my daughter's math for her until she was 6 or 7. Â My son writes a few of his math problems and then orally answers the rest, I write them down for him. Â You could also get him some number stamps, although they might be dangerous with a 2 year old around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleWMN Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I really appreciate all the advice....it's been so frustrating. What I'd like to have him do with a pencil: one math worksheet, short writing ( just a few words or short sentence), and phonics page. ( abeka, bju and bju, respectively). We've been reading aloud a lot, and he will do whatever science and history we do with DD. As well as art. I would just like him to do those few things without totally taking a whole stinking hour to write down a few words! Argh! I've done short lessons occasionally but i get into this rhythm with my other DD ( who is a second grader) and it's been difficult enough to balance the two this year ( besides the toddler). Â Side note, maybe just letting hm go free for awhile with his legos, etc? And outside of course. Tv is limited during the day to just at breakfast, and some in the evening. Computer time is limited to...perhaps 20 minutes. He finished his kindergarten math book and his reading is taking off. He would've been bored in kindergarten I think. I Need to look more at the suggestions you ladies gave me. He's an active kid. Â I guess it's my problem, not his, lol. I had this great system going on teaching the two, minding the third, and now his distraction and not listening to my Instructions are messing me up! Lol! Â My dd6 (in K, she just had a birthday) would find this hard on a daily basis. She's an eager learner but can really only do one, maybe two worksheets a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfatherslily Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I can see myself saying the same thing in a year! So I'm trying to pay attention and absorb this thread:) My son is very different than my daughter. And even she and I have had our struggles of endurance. Last year, when she was 5, I did write answers for her a lot. Â Now that she's 6 (nearing 7), she writes all her work by herself and understands the concept of time better. Therefore, I'm able to set a timer if she's dawdling. "You have 20 minutes to complete this page, which is more than you need. If you work steadily, you'll get it done. If you don't, you'll run out of time and you will not get to [whatever reasonable consequence]." Last year, she wouldn't have been able to grasp time well enough to anticipate how long she had left. Â But that's my little girl who writes well and does fine with worksheets! lol! I'm really expecting everything to be at least a year different with my boy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 He is five. I'd back off the worksheets and formal academics completely until he is ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktkcb Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 really? There are 5yo's that are diligent LOL? Wish I'd had one :o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I really appreciate all the advice....it's been so frustrating. What I'd like to have him do with a pencil: one math worksheet, short writing ( just a few words or short sentence), and phonics page. ( abeka, bju and bju, respectively). We've been reading aloud a lot, and he will do whatever science and history we do with DD. As well as art. I would just like him to do those few things without totally taking a whole stinking hour to write down a few words! Argh! I've done short lessons occasionally but i get into this rhythm with my other DD ( who is a second grader) and it's been difficult enough to balance the two this year ( besides the toddler). Â Side note, maybe just letting hm go free for awhile with his legos, etc? And outside of course. Tv is limited during the day to just at breakfast, and some in the evening. Computer time is limited to...perhaps 20 minutes. He finished his kindergarten math book and his reading is taking off. He would've been bored in kindergarten I think. I Need to look more at the suggestions you ladies gave me. He's an active kid. Â I guess it's my problem, not his, lol. I had this great system going on teaching the two, minding the third, and now his distraction and not listening to my Instructions are messing me up! Lol! Â Good for you for being able to turn around your attitude. That is really important. Otherwise, homeschooling is unlikely to work well. Â His intellectual development is MUCH more dependent on quality play at his age than doing written worksheets. You can try other means of writing like on a whiteboard, chalk on the sidewalk, etc. You can write for him if you need to if he's progressing with math but the writing is an issue. Keep it happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSNative Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I really appreciate all the advice....it's been so frustrating. What I'd like to have him do with a pencil: one math worksheet, short writing ( just a few words or short sentence), and phonics page. ( abeka, bju and bju, respectively). We've been reading aloud a lot, and he will do whatever science and history we do with DD. As well as art. I would just like him to do those few things without totally taking a whole stinking hour to write down a few words! Argh! I've done short lessons occasionally but i get into this rhythm with my other DD ( who is a second grader) and it's been difficult enough to balance the two this year ( besides the toddler). Â Side note, maybe just letting hm go free for awhile with his legos, etc? And outside of course. Tv is limited during the day to just at breakfast, and some in the evening. Computer time is limited to...perhaps 20 minutes. He finished his kindergarten math book and his reading is taking off. He would've been bored in kindergarten I think. I Need to look more at the suggestions you ladies gave me. He's an active kid. Â I guess it's my problem, not his, lol. I had this great system going on teaching the two, minding the third, and now his distraction and not listening to my Instructions are messing me up! Lol! Â This would cause me concern. It is one thing to not demand that a 5 yo. do worksheets. I have three boys. All three of them were able to do the amt of work you are expecting. One did it with MUCH more resistance, the other two actually enjoyed worksheets. I agree with other posters that you have to do a cost benefit analysis on worksheets for a child so young. However, if he is not listening to you - esp. in other areas - then you need to dig in your mommy heels. He may not be developmentally ready to do worksheets, but he certainly is able to mind you and be diligent in other areas (chores around the house, learning games, etc.) If he's slacking there, then you may have an attitude problem brewing. Please trust me on this one - it is so much better to try to deal with this early rather than let it fester....and grow....and become a habit.....that is really stinkin' hard to break.... Â Kudos to you for trying to figure all this out early on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Save youself. Save him. Don't buy trouble. Don't buy into attitudes that harm. Congnitive development is a powerful thing. You might enjoy reading about how Finland doesn't start anything the least bit formal until age 7 (which is the basics, and nothing like what you're killing yourself to do). They have the highest test scores in the world (if that matters to you).  I really appreciate all the advice....it's been so frustrating. What I'd like to have him do with a pencil: one math worksheet, short writing  listening to my Instructions are messing me up! Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) He's five, try another more active approach. :D Â :iagree: Â A deck of cards. A cup full of dice. A Peggy Kaye book of Math Games. Â There are many ways to teach an easily distracted 5 ( 6, 7, 8 or 9) year-old boy math concepts that don't involve the wretched worksheet. Edited February 5, 2011 by Crissy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 There are many ways to teach an easily distracted 5 ( 6, 7, 8 or 9) year-old boy math concepts that don't involve the wretched worksheet. Â Now, don't depress me. I was hoping that I didn't have to wait for double digits here!! Â Frequent exercise breaks are good, I have noticed a difference since we have been surrounded by snow and are getting less exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 HE IS 5!!!!!what do you expect? Â I recommend you look at some books like WTM, and Ruth Beechick's An easy start to Arithmetic. They both suggest that children at 5 should be doing lots of work with manipulatives and not so much math sheets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I'll climb aboard the He is Just Five bandwagon. Writing is challenging (and tiring) for all five year olds. It's not a big deal. I start out with just one word at a time, a few times per day (or one page from HWOT per day, which all three of my older boys have enjoyed). Short. Simple. In a few weeks, bump it up to two words at a time. Â Have you tried doing some lessons orally? I thought you mentioned some sort of language arts program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I have a five year old (a girl, though). She loves, loves, loves worksheets and begs to do more. But she is a girl...and also trying to keep up with the older brothers by doing plenty of school.;) If she didn't want to do worksheets (math, handwriting, etc), I would NOT force her to do them. I would let her play computer games and mess with playdough and whatever else she wanted to play with. Â In my opinion, making learning engaging and not torturous is a really valid goal for kids this age. If you did no formal schooling at this age, he would still be learning My little girl loves starfall.com.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Have him tell you the answers and you write them on the worksheet. Or find a math program that doesn't use worksheets. Or use a small whiteboard--you write the problems on it--instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I'm sorry, but I just had to laugh. I don't think age 5 and the word "diligence" go together. Kinda like an oxymoron. He may not be ready for seat work. Little bodies like that have the wiggles. Instead of trying to fight it, find creative, whole-body ways to accomplish the same task. For example, put the problems on 3x5 cards and have him jump from one answer to the next. Have him do the exercise orally while jumping on a mini-tramp. Â For kids like this, I would try to do as little seat work as possible. As he gets older, you can add a little more back in, working on his ability to attend to a task. Some wiggly kids do better with seat work if they can sit on an exercise ball. But, then again, some just have to bounce on the ball until they get hurt (BTDT.) Seriously, one of the beauties of homeschooling is that we can tailor the methods to the needs of the child and help them learn skills in a less frustrating way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I must admit I chuckled a little bit, too, when I realized you were serious. I thought it was a typo in the title and that the boy in question was really 15. Â I have two boys- an almost 8 yr. old and a 6.5 yr. old. I do give them some worksheets, but I space them out, and we do lots of other activities in between. I also let them stand, lean, kneel, or whatever is comfortable for them while filling out worksheets. Sitting still on a chair to do work just doesn't go very well for them. They are much quicker about finishing their work if I let them do it in their own manner and time frame. Â I think that you need to re-examine your expectations of your 5 yr. old. He will mature and be able to handle more traditional school-type work, but for now, I wouldn't let it be a frustration for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 :iagree:with Dirty Ethel's entire post. He's five. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 We did a lot of work orally at that age: I read out the problems, he replied and I wrote in the answers. As he got older, he did more of it independently. We also did a lot of active maths: manipulatives, jumping around, games.. Hobbes learned to skip count by 'blasting off' (learning to count backwards) to different planets, where aliens only communicated in twos or fives or tens, or whatever. Â Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 For kids like this, I would try to do as little seat work as possible. As he gets older, you can add a little more back in, working on his ability to attend to a task. Some wiggly kids do better with seat work if they can sit on an exercise ball. Â We used to work on simple math facts hopping up and down the stairs. Start on stair 1 and hop up three while chanting 1+3=4 Etc. Â Please don't make school painful at 5. I'm down on a knee asking you. Â Sprout some seeds, do a nature walk, go sledding, read him every book you can, even with him running in circles around the dining room table. :grouphug: Everything will be all right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 (edited) He's 5. He can learn a lot of early math in his daily life, even if he doesn't do a single worksheet. Edited February 5, 2011 by WordGirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 I'd like to back up the bus a little here. :) I know plenty of diligent 5 year old children. Children, like anyone, want to do real work, be busy, and feel useful. I have seen 5 year old kids paint the exterior of my house (and well, at least the first coat lol), load and start a washing machine, feed a barn full of chickens, scrape wallpaper, carry firewood, knead bread, make pizza, build elaborate block structures, knit, sew, paint, and turn giant boxes into forts, complete with big flags and windows etc etc. Because they aren't interested in doing boring sit -down work that has no value to them, does not not mean children are not hard workers. We so often set them up for failure by asking them to be sendentary at a time when creativity and movement is everything.  I argue that a small child who is allowed to move as needed, be and feel strong and competent, becomes an older child who takes on greater challenges, including academic ones, with greater interest and ease.  yeah. When I was 5, I went to afternoon Kinder. My mom worked nights so while she slept on the couch in the mornings, I cleaned the kitchen from the night before.  Because I wanted to. :D Gosh, I wish I felt that way now!  My favorite part was changing the water in the sink. It was a double sink and the dinner dishes were soaking in one side so I'd run the water until it was hot, then put the plug in, turn the water back on and add the soap. When it was half full, I'd put transfer the dirty dishes into the clean water.  I also would used a carpet sweeper in the floor. I love that sound of the sweeper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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