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Teaching Textbooks doesn't seem to be working for my 5th grader.


mama2cntrykids
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It seems like it's moving on to new concepts too quickly for him. It also isn't enough review along the way. He keeps forgetting how to work the problems and it's becoming frustrating for him *and* me.

 

I'm thinking we may have to switch to something else, but what? We've tried Singapore (I'm not mathy enough to teach it) and MUS (didn't like it).

 

Help!!:bigear:

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Could you slow down? Find extra worksheets to print out or make up some of your own problems on the same concept? That is what I'm doing with my dd with another program. She was bombing everyday so I've found extra worksheets on that same concept and had her work on those each day. It seems to be helping. It is going to take a while to get through this level but at least she'll understand the work.

 

Kelly

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It seems like it's moving on to new concepts too quickly for him. It also isn't enough review along the way. He keeps forgetting how to work the problems and it's becoming frustrating for him *and* me.

 

I'm thinking we may have to switch to something else, but what? We've tried Singapore (I'm not mathy enough to teach it) and MUS (didn't like it).

 

Help!!:bigear:

 

 

I would get the key to series and calculadders masterpaks! Use those to supplement whatever your dc is struggling with.

 

Did you use the placement test to ensure you placed him at the correct level?

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I would get the key to series and calculadders masterpaks! Use those to supplement whatever your dc is struggling with.

 

Did you use the placement test to ensure you placed him at the correct level?

 

TY for the suggestions. Yes, I did the placement test. I like the other poster's suggestion about worksheets, but that would be more work me b/c I'd have to go on-line and try to find the right one;). I'm already feeling overwhelmed with trying to school three kids and tend to my newborn...ack! Where's the smiley with the guy pulling his hair out;)?

 

ETA: It already takes him a solid hour or more to get the TT lesson done and then we have to go over it and correct the wrong answers. It doesn't help that I'm NOT good at math myself and I have to call my mom to ask how to do somethings b/c *I* have forgotten:glare:. Poor kid (ds not me:lol:).

Edited by mama2cntrykids
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Did he place a grade or more ahead on the placement test? If so, perhaps he just isn't really ready for that level and you should put him at his actual grade level. I never even bothered with the placement test and just put my daughter at her actual grade level last year (which was also TT5) because I figured if it was mainly a year of review and/or confidence building, that was just fine with me. That ended up working out great for us (and I really didn't even end up thinking it was as "behind" as a lot of people seem to think it is). She was able to understand everything, did well with it, improved vastly on standardized test scores in math (and, yes, built confidence, too!).

 

ETA: Even if you did put him at his regular grade level, maybe you should consider backing it up a year anyway. And if you don't want to do that, maybe just try extra review in other ways, as other people have suggested, and slow the curriculum down some.

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Another thought is to take the number of problems he normally does in a day and cut it in half, then the next day before he does the problems have him re-watch the DVD. Don't worry about how long it take him to do the work, worry more about solid understanding. A child who is a bit "behind" but has a solid understanding is much better off than a child who is "ahead" but is barely grasping the concepts, kwim?

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Did he place a grade or more ahead on the placement test? If so, perhaps he just isn't really ready for that level and you should put him at his actual grade level. I never even bothered with the placement test and just put my daughter at her actual grade level last year (which was also TT5) because I figured if it was mainly a year of review and/or confidence building, that was just fine with me. That ended up working out great for us (and I really didn't even end up thinking it was as "behind" as a lot of people seem to think it is). She was able to understand everything, did well with it, improved vastly on standardized test scores in math (and, yes, built confidence, too!).

 

ETA: Even if you did put him at his regular grade level, maybe you should consider backing it up a year anyway. And if you don't want to do that, maybe just try extra review in other ways, as other people have suggested, and slow the curriculum down some.

 

Another thought is to take the number of problems he normally does in a day and cut it in half, then the next day before he does the problems have him re-watch the DVD. Don't worry about how long it take him to do the work, worry more about solid understanding. A child who is a bit "behind" but has a solid understanding is much better off than a child who is "ahead" but is barely grasping the concepts, kwim?

 

Thanks ladies, good ideas.

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I think I may throw in Key to fractions and slow it down for him. He really needs a firmer foundation. I may switch programs too after TT5 is finished, which will be soon.

 

Any suggestions for a program that a non-mathy mom can teach that has a mastery type approach, but also has good built-in review?? Does something like that even exsist??

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Dd11 want through the exact same thing. Tt5 just wasn't clicking with her. This year she is doing Systematic Mathematics level 6. It is not easy for her but she really gets what she is learning. It is great for a non mathy Mom because the kiddo just watching Mr. Paul's short video lesson and then does the lessons. She moved through TT5 but did not retain anything. In SM she is going a little slower but is finally having the AH-HA moments!

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Well, I checked out the Key to Fractions and it might do the trick. I'm just afraid with cutting the lessons in half and adding in KtF, ds will get behind and get frustrated. I DO agree that he needs the concepts cemented though.

 

Ack, I feel like I'm in a math hell (I really and truly have never liked math and hsing isn't helping my loathing lololol).

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I was going to recommend Saxon as well. I used that program with my dd for a few years before we switched to TT. It moves slow and is very repetitive.

 

I used the TT discs with her last year in 5th, but for 6th we have been just using the workbook. It is going alot easier, believe it or not :tongue_smilie: The lectures on the discs confused her and I would have to keep coming over and helping her answering questions (kind of defeats the purpose of TT). It was just easier for me to teach her the lesson, then use the workbook for the problems.

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