" I hate math" - every thing we have tried

[CarenM]

my dd is just 7 and " HATES" math already! I tell her she has a long road of it ahead of her and it doesn't matter where she does school she will have to do it.

 

She has an attitude every day over it.

 

We have done Saxon, MM and now CLE. Nothing is enjoyable in the least for her. Every other subject we do she loves but math results in whining.

 

How can I make it better for her?

[Lily_Grace]

Saxon drove my child to tears. He didn't like everything about it - the drill, the spiraling...all of it.

 

I had to sit down and really think about how he learned and try to find something that matched that. He is a visual/hands on kiddo, so for him the answer was MUS. I got a level below where he should have been and we just focused on mastery. Turns out when he thought he was good at math...he ended up being good at math!

 

There's something out there for your dd. Something that will make her feel successful and comfortable with the subject.

[ChristusG]

We're going through Abeka math for 2nd grade with my 7 year old. We are halfway through it and she doesn't mind it. The pages are colorful. It's not the same old, same old every day because the curriculum is spiral and it goes over different things on different days. Plus, sometimes I will substitute the curriculum for a game that day. We play Money Bags, monopoly (really helps with counting money), Think Dice, etc.

[Carol in Cal.]

I think that expecting our kids to love everything they have to do is unrealistic.

 

I would decide what math curriculum is best for your family, and get it over with first or second every day, and just not talk about it very much. Get a set of good fraction/decimal/percentage rods and assign her to play with them for 10 minutes, coming up with equalities that are new each time. Get one of those math scales and alternate with it. Do some easy 'mind benders' every so often. Get a cash register and teach her to make change. Buy the game 'Equate'. Buy Family Math and implement some of those numbers sense games. Pick one of those to do in addition to 'normal math' most days, and very occasionally (once or twice a month) let her pick 2-3 of them to do INSTEAD of math as a treat. Also, find a fun math facts tool (we used Quartermile Math) and consider it a separate subject from your main math curriculum, and have her do it every day for 15 minutes. Otherwise, be pretty matter of fact about it, and just get it done.

 

What she is learning at this age isn't really math, it's arithmetic, kind of like the ABC's of math. So don't let her get too entrenched in this thinking, but have the perspective that elementary math is what you slog through, generally, to get to actual math, just like ABC's and phonics are what you slog through to get to literature.

[bairnmama]

My dd doesn't like math either. It's VERY, VERY hard for her to understand even the simplest concepts. When she was 7, I had to be very sneaky with math lessons. If they looked like anything resembling an actual lesson, she would tense up, mentally freeze, and end up crying. We unschooled math for a few years. Now she's older and still doesn't like it, but has to buckle down and just do it. The concepts are still hard, but now I know that she has some learning disabilities and we do the best we can.

 

Have you asked her exactly what she doesn't like about the math you've done? Does she think it's too hard or too easy? Is there not enough color or are the pages too busy? We're now doing an online math so that I don't get so frustrated with my dd's lack of comprehension and forgetfulness. The computer can repeat the same lesson 6 times and never lose patience, lol.:grouphug:

[Lara in Colo]

Sometimes it the method you use to teach. I have MM and my 9yo works well alone, but the smart (er) 11 yo will sit for hours staring at the page----until I sit and do it with her. We do each problem independently and have a contest to see who finishes first. Sometimes I get the answer wrong just so she feels ok when she is wrong and so I can show common mistakes.

 

I prefer Miquon for my littles (they sort of learn math while playing)

 

There is also teaching textbooks which is more fun (I am thinking about this for my 11yo, but it is $150/year)

 

Lara

[CarenM]

My dd doesn't like math either. It's VERY, VERY hard for her to understand even the simplest concepts. When she was 7, I had to be very sneaky with math lessons. If they looked like anything resembling an actual lesson, she would tense up, mentally freeze, and end up crying. We unschooled math for a few years. Now she's older and still doesn't like it, but has to buckle down and just do it. The concepts are still hard, but now I know that she has some learning disabilities and we do the best we can.

 

Have you asked her exactly what she doesn't like about the math you've done? Does she think it's too hard or too easy? Is there not enough color or are the pages too busy? We're now doing an online math so that I don't get so frustrated with my dd's lack of comprehension and forgetfulness. The computer can repeat the same lesson 6 times and never lose patience, lol.:grouphug:

 

 

She just hates it. Too easy, too hard, too boring..........and today all she had to do was clock work. Every day its a struggle

[bairnmama]

She just hates it. Too easy, too hard, too boring..........and today all she had to do was clock work. Every day its a struggle

 

 

Well... in that case I would make sure to get it done and over with first thing. Maybe set a timer and only do math until the timer dings whether the actual lesson &/or page is completed or not and pick up where you left of the next day - providing actual effort was made and she's not just biding her time 'till it dings. Have a fun subject or activity ready for right after math is finished.

 

HTH

[TracyR]

One thing I've found is kids hate things that they aren't good at.

Your daughter sounds like my oldest and to be honest your not going to find the 'perfect math program' that will make her like it either.

 

I've used BJU, Calvert, K12, Saxon , and now CLE.

I've found that out of all those math programs and CLE is the one I like the best because she is actually improving. Whether she likes it or not I'm going to use something that works for me this year. Because no matter what I use she just isn't going to like it.

 

As for the struggle I always tell my daughter, " Well there is plenty of things in my life that I have to do that I don't like to do." Its part of life. So get used to it.

[OrdinaryTime]

Lots of good suggestions.

 

I used Miquon thus far with my almost 7 year old. He has come to love math. It could be a good fit because it is so creative and different. Plus I only did math 3 times a week for maybe 20 minutes last year, but saw amazing results. Maybe an approach that is very creative and efficient will allow a "break" from math for her awhile.

[Guest submarines]

This is probably an unpopular suggestion here, but my DD is enjoying math on mathwhizz.com. She went from "I hate math," to "I hate math, but Matwhizz is tolerable," to "I don't like math as much, I love mathwizz," to actually saying out loud to herself, while doing math on mathwhizz, "I'm good at it!" She sill doesn't *love* math, but she recognises that she is good at it, and likes it enough to work hard on it.

 

I don't think tha a child need to love something in order to do it, but it sure helps when there's no fear and anxiety.

[She Reads a Lot]

Hi! I might have missed it, but I don't think anyone mentioned RightStart Math yet. Don't know if you are interested in a new curriculum, but RightStart is AMAZING!!

 

If you are already familiar with RightStart, you can ignore the rest of my message 'cause I'm going to go on and on about how much we love it now :tongue_smilie:

 

We had to bring my DS (7) home from ps in the middle of first grade last year b/c it was too many worksheets/too much sitting still. He is a wiggly/high-energy little boy.

 

I was thinking "how am I going to teach this child math?" since I was an English major and still (gasp) find myself counting on my fingers for some things. Enter RightStart. In five months of using in last winter/spring, we did 10 worksheets. Total. It's all manipulatives with base 10 cards and the abacus and math card games (he loves Addition War)

 

This child, who could only add 1 to anything when we started, can now do any addition up to 5 + 6 = 11. It's amazing. And it's fun! I asked him recently what his favorite subject was. His answer was math! He left one lesson a few weeks ago saying "I am a math genius!" (which, given his self-esteem level when we pulled him from ps is a miracle in itself).

 

Hope this helps and isn't too much on and on. I just really feel blessed to have found a program that makes math fun.

 

Best of luck,

christina

[CarenM]

Thank you for all your words of wisdom. It help to know we aren't the only ones going through this.

[Paige]

Try a free trial of dreambox learning. My girls hate math. Just thinking about doing math was making them cry. I tried a lot of styles but they hated everything. I tried other computer games/programs, and they hated them. They love dreambox, however. I had them do it this summer and they would actually ask if they could do more! They learned a lot too.

[regentrude]

I agree on picking the right curriculum, but I had another thought:

Do YOU love math? Sometimes kids pick up our subconscious attitudes about subjects. Are you truly excited about math, find it fun, love to play around with it? Or did you not like it in school, are you apprehensive or worried about math, do you see it as useful but not fun? Kids have very fine antennas...

[CarenM]

I agree on picking the right curriculum, but I had another thought:

Do YOU love math? Sometimes kids pick up our subconscious attitudes about subjects. Are you truly excited about math, find it fun, love to play around with it? Or did you not like it in school, are you apprehensive or worried about math, do you see it as useful but not fun? Kids have very fine antennas...

 

No..I hat it too....but she doesn't know that. She just has my genes though, I guess. Every day I am a cheerleader, motivating her the best I can. Smile, laugh, a let's do this attitude. I just think she is just like me. That's not good in the math department.

[CarenM]

Try a free trial of dreambox learning. My girls hate math. Just thinking about doing math was making them cry. I tried a lot of styles but they hated everything. I tried other computer games/programs, and they hated them. They love dreambox, however. I had them do it this summer and they would actually ask if they could do more! They learned a lot too.

 

Never heard of that but will check it out later when we are done with school today. Thanks for the recommendation

[CarenM]

Right start looks interesting but way out of our budget. Even used I found to be expensive. Of course what I have paid so far for everything else I could have paid for RS to begin with. Right now its just too far out of what I can afford to pay. I also hate to pay so much for something that may or may not work again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi! I might have missed it, but I don't think anyone mentioned RightStart Math yet. Don't know if you are interested in a new curriculum, but RightStart is AMAZING!!

 

If you are already familiar with RightStart, you can ignore the rest of my message 'cause I'm going to go on and on about how much we love it now :tongue_smilie:

 

We had to bring my DS (7) home from ps in the middle of first grade last year b/c it was too many worksheets/too much sitting still. He is a wiggly/high-energy little boy.

 

I was thinking "how am I going to teach this child math?" since I was an English major and still (gasp) find myself counting on my fingers for some things. Enter RightStart. In five months of using in last winter/spring, we did 10 worksheets. Total. It's all manipulatives with base 10 cards and the abacus and math card games (he loves Addition War)

 

This child, who could only add 1 to anything when we started, can now do any addition up to 5 + 6 = 11. It's amazing. And it's fun! I asked him recently what his favorite subject was. His answer was math! He left one lesson a few weeks ago saying "I am a math genius!" (which, given his self-esteem level when we pulled him from ps is a miracle in itself).

 

Hope this helps and isn't too much on and on. I just really feel blessed to have found a program that makes math fun.

 

Best of luck,

christina

[Crimson Wife]

One thing I've found is kids hate things that they aren't good at.

Your daughter sounds like my oldest and to be honest your not going to find the 'perfect math program' that will make her like it either.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

My DD claims that she "hates math" because it doesn't come as easily to her as other subjects. She complained when we did Right Start, she complains when she does Singapore, she complains when we do something out of Math Mammoth "blue", she complains about the Kumon Word Problems books- you get the picture.

 

The only math she doesn't complain about is Life of Fred and the books by Danica McKellar. She loves those and reads them for fun. But that's because they are supplemental and she doesn't have to actually do any problems. She'd love it if I permitted her to just read about math without ever having to pick up her pencil & do a problem set. Not going to happen! :lol:

[jeswa]

I haven't tried Saxon but have used MM. While I thought MM was great both my kids hated it. They both have liked MEP and Professor B.

 

Jes

[Guest submarines]

Try a free trial of dreambox learning. My girls hate math. Just thinking about doing math was making them cry. I tried a lot of styles but they hated everything. I tried other computer games/programs, and they hated them. They love dreambox, however. I had them do it this summer and they would actually ask if they could do more! They learned a lot too.

 

DD did a trial on dreambox too, and *i* absolutely fell in love with it. I think it is great. DD preferred mathwhizz. I do think that for younger kids dreambox is, well, a dream come true.

[Jewish Mama of 4]

My kids hated math too (Singapore), to the point where they were crying everyday at math time. I decided to switch to Teaching Textbooks this year, and it is a miracle - no more crying :D We are using TT 3 with a 5 year old (1 lesson a school day). TT 4 (she is halfway through already - 1 month in) with a 7 year old.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

From the sample of kids I've seen around me here, those who hate math are those who are in the wrong curriculum for them. Once you find the right curriculum, math should at least become bearable.

 

For my daughter, this is by far MUS. She went from crying and crying to doodling little "I love math" all over the place.

[bairnmama]

DD did a trial on dreambox too, and *i* absolutely fell in love with it. I think it is great. DD preferred mathwhizz. I do think that for younger kids dreambox is, well, a dream come true.

 

 

I did dreambox for a while, too. Ds LOVED it... dd HATED it. She has visual processing problems and just couldn't see the beads quickly enough when they flashed and then hid the abacus on some levels. She bogged down and started crying. That's what made RightStart not work for her, too. It's hard to get "a picture of the abacus in your head" when you never see it the same way twice! She has found Mathwhizz bearable, though.

 

If RightStart is too much money, dreambox would be too... unless they've changed their pricing. I think Homeschool Buyer's Co-op has a group buy on right now for Mathwhizz, though.

[In The Great White North]

You might want to try Waldorf style math - mostly oral, lots of manipulatives, rhythms, stories with gnomes, drawing, etc.

 

You can use a curriculum if you like, so you know what to introduce in some sort of order, but the child doesn't ever see a textbook or workbook (til algebra or higher.)

[Paige]

The people at the HSBC told me they are working on a dreambox group buy. They were supposed to have it in April or May but told me they were still working on it in June. I am anxiously and hopefully awaiting it. I think it could be used as the primary curriculum for younger grades if it is too expensive for just a supplement. It is pricey for a supplement but it is worth it to me to not have them miserable. I think it is thorough but not a typical linear progression.

[moonlight]

i would also check out living math along with all the other ideas...

 

seema

[Denise in Florida]

Okay I am stepping out on a limb and going totally the opposite of the rest of the posters.

 

If she hates math...stop doing it! Give her a break. Particularly if it is coming down to you basically telling her she will just have to be miserable forever because all schools require math. Don't do it.

 

I see from your post that she is only 7. There is plenty of time. I did not start any textbook formal math instruction until 4th grade. Both of my girls enjoy math and do very well at it. Up until 4th we played tons of games, and counted things, and measured things. We played cards and they learned basic math facts, including multiplication tables. We did it informally no textbook not program.

 

Get a used math textbook for the appropriate grade (or find a scope and sequence you like). Use this to remind yourself what skills she should acquire. DO NOT USE THE TESTBOOK.

 

Just tell her what she needs to know. Tell time with real clocks and real schedules, count money with an allowance. Make up 'what if' games (story problems). Make a mural of multiplication (we called it circles and stars). If you are interested I will gladly write out some of the games/exercises/projects we used to do.

 

Do not let math take up more than 15 minutes a day until 4th grade.

[SailorMom]

I'm the mean mom... I admit it.

My kids never thought it was an option - and even though none of us are "mathy" it just had to get done.

Crying over school work??? That would earn extra work and being grounded.

"Yes - I know math isn't something you like, but life isn't fair, and math is part of life. The faster you get it done, the faster we can do something you enjoy more."

I do agree that at her age you have wiggle room to give her a break, look for a math curriculum she might like more, etc.

However, some kids just don't like math and just have to learn to deal with it.

[jec3113]

Math U See = No more tears here

[Farrar]

I think changing programs is a good suggestion. I also think accepting that not every kid will love every subject is good advice. She doesn't have to love it.

 

However, I also think you have to ask yourself if you'd rather push her to be on level but have her miserable and resentful about it or if you'd rather take a little time off or let her do an easier math to build confidence and have her possibly build up a better sense of confidence about it?

 

One of my kids gets this way with math occasionally and I really struggle with it. I have to ask myself that every single time. It's hard not to just plow forward or not to get frustrated that he doesn't get stuff that I think he should, or that he seemed to get before or that he got in the book but can't seem to apply.

[Starr]

I told my little they couldn't complain about math. It just had to happen. It helped a lot.

[JessReplanted]

I think that expecting our kids to love everything they have to do is unrealistic.

 

:iagree:

[awoogala]

I have one kid who adores math, the other (DD) hates it. Spent a year in K and still forgets what subtraction is. LA for her are off the charts amazing, though! We are starting with singapore. She needs simple, clear, non-spiraling, so singapore is the way for her. The other thing she loves is Time for Learning, which is colorful, playful and a game-like approach.