x post from main k-8 board about math for 7th grader

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

I need wisdom. My youngest son Ben is behind where I want him to be in math. Mainly right now, it is my fault. I've been working so much since October that I have not been teaching him math near as much as I need to be teaching.

 

I posted about this time last year with some of the same fears. Maturity/pubtery were a big portion of the problem last year. His maturity has reached to the point where he IS understanding IF I get the chance to actually teach.

 

Last year I concluded to just stick with the MUS. (He is currently in lesson 17 of epsilon.) He thinks he can't do well if I am not here to help him. He absolutely HATES the word problems and we usually work through those together.

 

I do LOVE MUS but feel like we are beating our head against a brick wall. I'm not sure changing curriculums would help. Last year I looked at a couple of ideas for remediation. A few months ago I looked into Math Mammoth. It is all still the SAME THING.... the pages look different and the problems are different numbers, but fractions are fractions and basic math is basic math!

 

He needs to be in Algebra 1 in about a year and a half!!!! We can do math in the summer .... I just need to know WHAT to do and HOW to go about doing it.

 

Thanks for reading through this frustration vent.

 

What would you do?

Change programs? To what? Keep in mind that I WORK outside the home!

 

What are my choices for 7th and 8th grade math programs anyway?????

 

__________________

[PeterPan]

Pam, I love you and feel for you, but you're not being realistic. Give the dc a placement test for the curriculum of your choice that can be done independently. CLE or Horizons come to mind. Give him the placement test, hand him the curriculum, and let him do it. Just do it. You're hanging onto what you think is perfect and missing getting anything done.

 

Both of those have online placement tests. I would give both and put him in the curriculum that gives him the higher placement.

 

You'll get there. Just take the first step and get something that gets done every day, no matter what.

 

And no, not Math Mammoth. It's not the right conceptual level for a struggler. CLE, R&S, Horizons. All of these are very solid curricula that will be a better fit.

Edited March 9, 2011 by OhElizabeth

[5LittleMonkeys]

Pam,

 

I guess I'm wondering if your son can't work independently through MUS (watch the dvd on Monday or have mom teach on Monday, then work through the pages independently the rest of the week, take a test on Friday) then how is he going to work independently with any other program?

 

What I'm saying is, if you are going to commit at this time to sit and work with him every single day then just stick with the MUS, which you say you love. Why switch? Granted getting through Epsilon, Zeta and Pre-Algebra in a year and a half seems daunting but you could do it if you stick with it. Let's see, you are on lesson 17 and I think Pre-algebra has 30 lessons too, so you have 73 lessons to get through. That is 1 year and 21 weeks. So if you start next week with one lesson a week, taking no breaks, you could complete Pre-Algebra the first or second week of August 2012. That is assuming that you might not be able to double up some of the easier lessons.

 

Is he just at a rough spot with fractions right now, is that what is holding him up? Do you use the fraction overlays? Have you tried having him watch some of the video presentations on Khan Academy? Perhaps if you tell us specifically what he doesn't understand we could come up with some ideas for getting the concept through to him. I don't mean to pressure you to stick with MUS if you really feel you need to drop it but I have tried to place dc into other programs from MUS and because of the different scope and sequence they always end up very far back.

 

:grouphug:

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

Elizabeth: thanks for expressing your love and concern. I really needed that so much that I am crying a bit right now. Everything you said in your post is right. I would probably write the same thing to someone else. Thank you so very much.

 

Anne: thank you for reminding me that I do love MUS and there is time to get it done. You asked the specific problem....

 

Here it is....When he was in the:

4th grade - eye sight problem found. We spent the year catching up with reading. Math took a back seat. Started Gamma.

 

5th grade - Reading well, but felt "stupid" in math. Confidence problems lead to motivation problem in the fall. Grandmother in hospital all of January, needed constant care all of February, March found out we were moving in April, actually moved the first week of May, started school late may. School was done very spotty from Jan to May and MATH was the subject that was done least. Finished Gamma and started Delta.

 

6th grade - Now he really feels stupid in math, can't remember time tables because math had not consistently been done in 9 months!!!! Start reviewing Gamma. Switch to Horizons for a change of pace. He HATED Horizons. By now he felt like he HATED any math. Switch back to MUS. Finished reviewing Gamma. Began Delta again in January.

 

7th grade - Now he does not WANT to do math alone. He can and does work well independently in every other subject. He is capable of doing math alone just not confident with it. Finished Delta in summer and started Epislon. I started working part time in October and math has not consistently been done since October.

 

As much as I do LOVE the MUS program, I think we may both need a "change of pace"... a "fresh start"... so neither of us feel like we are beating our head against a brick wall.

 

In TN for high school we must have Algebra 1 and 2, geometry, and an advanced math for graduation. I can blend together PreAlgebra, Algebra 1 and 2 in the 9th and 10th grades.

 

But, I need something to get us through the rest of 7th grade and 8th grade next year.

Help!

 

Thanks for reading through all this!

[PeterPan]

Pam, you don't have to give up MUS. You just need to structure it or add on something so that math is definitely getting done every day. He's not wanting to work alone. Why? Personality or that the math is too hard? Pudewa said something at a convention that really got me: Kids LIKE to do what they CAN do, and they ENJOY doing what they can do WELL. In other words, he may be struggling at that level.

 

CLE is a bit more pleasant than Horizons. They have online placement tests, and they'll send you a free light unit to try.

 

Who is he with while you're working? If he's with someone, can that person supervise his math?

 

It sounds like you're pretty overloaded and overwhelmed. We had the eye problems too (did VT, lost 9+ months to it, ugh), and then I had the overwhelmed feeling from lots of therapy trips for speech, OT, etc., so I KNOW how you feel. I know why math isn't getting done, btdt. And what solved it for me was getting a curriculum she could do every day, no matter what. Keep working on it. You'll get there. Try to get some extra sleep. Have him work beside your bed: you sleep, he works. Oh, and give him a multiplication table for the math facts. He'll see them, memorize the patterns, and get faster very naturally. Worked for us.

[5LittleMonkeys]

Pam,

 

I can sympathize with you completely. My dd11 hates math and had to stop at Epsilon because she just kept getting more and more frustrated and overwhelmed. She did not have a solid foundation due to ps and processing issues. It is very difficult for her to remember order of operations and she has memory retention\recall problems so memorizing math facts is very difficult.

 

I will tell you what we have done but I don't know that it will help with your situation.

 

 

I had originally moved her all the way back to the 2nd grade level MM but realized quickly that she was wasting a lot of time with concepts that she didn't need help with. We pinpointed that the problems were centered around multiplication and division. I ordered all of the Blue Series multiplication and division books from Math Mammoth and started her all the way back at the level 1 multiplication book. Once we complete this she will move back to Epsilon and then Zeta but I will have the MM Blue Series fractions, decimals and percentages available so she can get additional practice and come from the concepts from a different angle if she needs to.

 

Going back to the first level of multiplication has really done a lot for her confidence and because it was easy she didn't feel she needed my help. I actually saw her working on a word problem today. She was drawing pictures to help her but she wasn't panicked and when I asked if she needed help she said that she was fine.

 

I know Elizabeth originally said the MM wouldn't be good for a struggling student but individual topic books have made all the difference with my dd. I do agree with her about letting your ds use a multiplication chart though. Although I have to say that since dd has been doing MM she doesn't seem to need one anymore. I think every other page or so they fill one out anyway.

 

Maybe doing a few of the topic books would give him enough of a break to give him some confidence. I know that might put you farther behind, which was a concern for me to but I found a cover school that only requires 3 math credits for a college-prep diploma so we might have to go that route for her.

 

I wish I had a magic solution for you because I know how frustrating it can be and how hard it can be to figure out how to proceed. I hope you and your son can find a path to take that will help you meet your goals...peacefully. :grouphug:

[Negin]

it is my fault. I've been working so much since October that I have not been teaching him math near as much as I need to be teaching.

First, stop blaming yourself. :grouphug:

 

He thinks he can't do well if I am not here to help him. He absolutely HATES the word problems and we usually work through those together.

That's quite normal.

 

What would you do?

Change programs? To what? Keep in mind that I WORK outside the home!

What are my choices for 7th and 8th grade math programs anyway?????

 

I have no experience with MUS. For some reason, and I can't remember why, it never appealed to me.

The Key To series are fabulous for giving confidence in doing independent work. They really and truly are my favorite math program. I got the entire series for both my dc. And we're going through them slowly.

The Kumon Books (although no algebra, sadly) are also great. You can get these on amazon, at B&N, etc. They give lots and lots of drill in all the essential areas - decimals, fractions, etc. Do not look at the grade levels for these books. Sometimes they're quite advanced. Don't think that they're necessarily simplistic. My dc are doing the Geometry books in these at levels that are below their grade level.

Those are my first choices to get him up to speed.

We use both these programs. We also use Calvert Math and a bit of Singapore. But again, Key To and Kumon would be my top choices in your situation.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

Thank you all. I've been thinking of the "Key To.. " and that might be one good option for sure. I looked at Kumon books last night at B&N. I loved the look of the Kumon books but they did not have an appropriate level in stock. I did buy a few other little workbooks for immediate use while I make my decisions.

 

Actually, our B&N now has a huge selection of workbooks and educational materials!