Does it matter what math program?

[melmichigan]

Does it matter what math program you use with a child with signicifantly lower processing speed and working memory? My DD's numbers are very significantly different than her overall abilities, as in between 3 and 4 standard deviations differnet. I posted about different math programs for my DD's on the K-8 board but I wanted to know if this would impact our choices.

[wapiti]

I think it might. I have a ds who has a processing speed subtest score 3-4 standard deviations from his general ability, but he does not have a working memory issue, so take what I say with a grain of salt. He goes to school, but I have found, while working with him this summer, that he understands concepts quickly but problems take him forever to do. He doesn't need a lot of practice, thank goodness because it takes so long, LOL. My approach has to be very individualized with him. I bought a little SM but mostly we're using MM. I jump ahead in concept instruction whenever necessary, but I have to limit the amount of practice problems to be done at any one sitting. IMO, Saxon, for example, would be the absolute worst program for him, because of the inflexibility in accelerating through sets of problems, concepts, etc., due to the way it is organized. So far, I find MM to be simpler to jump ahead (than SM; maybe because there's only one "book") when I need to, or print out "plain" worksheets for practice problems from the worksheet maker if the MM page seems too busy for him. Bottom line is that I'd have to tailor just about anything to his needs, and thus far I find that I can do that on the fly a little easier with MM.

 

I have to run, but about your other post, I was wondering whether you knew any particular aspects of SM that they "hated." One aspect might be that it makes them have to turn on their brains, LOL, so there's little to be done about that. Another aspect might be writing, though I don't think of SM as heavy on that. My ds was complaining about having to write, but that's going to be an issue with just about any math program, maybe less so with a program that's more workbook-like (as you have with SM), but especially with word problems where the student needs to be the one to set up the written arithmetic. A white board might help. Do you have them supplementing with EPGY?

 

ETA: one issue we're having is ds not wanting to write anything but the answer, LOL, in part to avoid the writing. But the problems are often multi-step, and then he gets things wrong.

[peacefully]

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[EKS]

My son has this profile--WMI and PSI on the WISC are 3-5 standard deviations lower than his GAI. His GAI is in the gifted range. He is now 15, but what I've found over the years is that what works best for him is use programs that don't have a huge number of problems because everything takes so long. So, for example, Saxon was a poor choice for him, but Singapore worked well (and I wish I had used it as his primary program). RightStart might also have worked well for him. MUS was pretty good, but he has/had motor planning problems that made the more complex work with the blocks and fraction overlays frustrating for him.

 

This doesn't just apply to math actually. Any program that has fewer exercises or questions, but the questions that it does have are more thought provoking works better than one with a whole slew of lower level questions.