math mistakes/grades

[choirfarm]

He REALLY does this on math, but also on his science tests as well. If there are two parts to a question, he will only answer one. I count it wrong, but when I ask him he easily gives me the second part of the answer. He doesn't read carefully!!! He flunked his first Geometry test mainly because there were only 16 questions and one set of questions asked for the perimeter and the area. He only gave the perimeter!! Yes, he is redoing them, but he needs to read carefully!! And he doesn't really care about his grades for me, particularly in math. ( He does care more about science because his friends at co-op compare grades.) He wouldn't redo things if I didn't make him. How do you teach this skill????? And seriously, his grades from me in Biology, English, and Geometry are going to be B's and C's so far. It looks terrible.

 

Christine

[creekland]

He REALLY does this on math, but also on his science tests as well. If there are two parts to a question, he will only answer one. I count it wrong, but when I ask him he easily gives me the second part of the answer. He doesn't read carefully!!! He flunked his first Geometry test mainly because there were only 16 questions and one set of questions asked for the perimeter and the area. He only gave the perimeter!! Yes, he is redoing them, but he needs to read carefully!! And he doesn't really care about his grades for me, particularly in math. ( He does care more about science because his friends at co-op compare grades.) He wouldn't redo things if I didn't make him. How do you teach this skill????? And seriously, his grades from me in Biology, English, and Geometry are going to be B's and C's so far. It looks terrible.

 

Christine

 

We have this same problem in ps. Yesterday I was grading a quiz where a teacher simply asked for them to write a bizarre word ("cottonball" for example) to get an extra credit point. She put her request right at the end of the directions for a 4 point question. Only about half the students saw it and wrote the word...

 

I guess if pointing it out to the student didn't work, I'd have a policy where, if they missed seeing part of a question, they had extra homework problems to do of some sort (redo that section? extra practice questions in general?). Generally extra work will "train" the brain to choose an easier option quickly.

 

I wouldn't be negative about it. I'd also even let the student know exactly why the new policy was in place (working to physically train the brain) - I'd be "fun" about it, but I'd still enforce it to see if it worked. It might take more than once to create a new brain path.

 

I also wouldn't "keep" grades based upon this without first trying to correct it. We are still dealing with teens and their brains are still developing. They don't need to be "punished" for it unless it is willful disobedience or they truly don't know the material IMO. At ps we don't have the option to work on what is needed first (brain training). Homeschoolers do have that option.

[Candid]

For homework I'd ask for redos on these types of errors and other minor errors. And maybe ask that he do an extra problem for each one missed. BUT on tests you will want to drive home the idea of checking over a test and doing your absolute best work. So I'd require a full new test for these kinds of errors if the grade is not above a certain level (and I'd move on and have the next day's homework on each following day) until he gets it right. Make the penality hard and steeper than the amount of work it would have taken to do it right in the first place.

[choirfarm]

So I'd require a full new test for these kinds of errors if the grade is not above a certain level (and I'd move on and have the next day's homework on each following day) until he gets it right. Make the penality hard and steeper than the amount of work it would have taken to do it right in the first place.

I like this idea, but how in the world do I create a whole new test. ( Using Chalkdust)

[Candid]

I like this idea, but how in the world do I create a whole new test. ( Using Chalkdust)

 

I am not familiar with Chakdust, but in general I'd suggest just plugging different numbers into each problem they are given with an eye on the answer since many times numbers in problems are set up to make the actual calculations relatively simple.

 

Or if you don't do all of problem sets, you could go and get some problems from them.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

This happens all the time here. I usually say, "you did not answer everything. please do the problems you skipped." If it comes back a second time, I take points off.

 

In math if a problem asks for perimeter and area, then that problem is worth 2 points instead of one point.

 

If a history question has 3 parts, then it is worth 3 points.

[ilovemy4kids]

Okay, I'm a meanie. If the question has part a and part b and they leave part blank, I count the whole thing wrong. We use Saxon for math and this is what Art Reed suggests. It really has made a difference in their attention to detail. Especially on labels etc.... 35 in not 35 inches or 35 boxes etc... no label, it's wrong. I know it seems harsh, but honestly I think when they go to college if they haven't learned it now it will be that much harder then.

 

Son got a B on his Algebra 1 last year. Could have been an A if not for the careless mistakes. He's being much more precise this year with Alg II.

 

Sandra