Math rebellion in 9 year old ... what to do?

[kalanamak]

Unfortunately this has been getting worse over the last month, not better. Kiddo is on a subtle "slow down". He is getting progressively s-l-o-w-e-r with the math facts, more likely to "forget" how to do division, slower in catching onto new subjects. He even used the dread "H" word (hate) last week.

 

Math was never a problem. I've gone extra slow in making sure he has a solid foundation in fractions, including doing the chipper Key to Fractions, but I think he is letting every single math skill quietly slide, so that the lessons are getting longer yet less productive. I don't think he is ill or anything, as his handwriting, Editor in Chief, and WWE are improving right now, and he's even progressing in spelling. He just got over 85%ile in math comprehension and over 95%ile in math computation on the CAT/5 and we are 2/3rd of the way through SM 4A, so I don't think I've thrown him in over his head.

 

I've tried, so far, besides biting my tongue and letting him sit for a long time trying to do it (this hasn't worked a bit), re-covering all the "hints" for remembering math facts, sitting next to him and constantly prompting hie with what to do next e.g. "What step is next?" (Silence) "What do you need to do first to do X [the next step]?" (Silence). Then, when I give him the answer of what to do next, he snaps "I knew that". "If you knew that, why didn't you answer me or do it?" (Silence), and adding a 5 minute drill sheet for addition (one a day, to be done before I get home) with a clear message that these will continue through all the operations until he "remembers" what he knew pat just 3 months ago.

 

I just know I'm not alone in this. :)

What did you do when the union sent out a GO SLOW order?

[Susan C.]

Back it up a year. I found out with mine about 10 years too late.... Better too easy than too hard.

[catz]

I'd require him to do 10-15 minutes of straight drill 4-5 times a week even if that slows math progress. My oldest STILL benefits from this and he's doing Aops algebra. As they say, use it or lose it! We like times attack and xtra math.

[ebunny]

Unfortunately this has been getting worse over the last month, not better. Kiddo is on a subtle "slow down". He is getting progressively s-l-o-w-e-r with the math facts, more likely to "forget" how to do division, slower in catching onto new subjects. He even used the dread "H" word (hate) last week.

 

Math was never a problem. I've gone extra slow in making sure he has a solid foundation in fractions, including doing the chipper Key to Fractions, but I think he is letting every single math skill quietly slide, so that the lessons are getting longer yet less productive. I don't think he is ill or anything, as his handwriting, Editor in Chief, and WWE are improving right now, and he's even progressing in spelling. He just got over 85%ile in math comprehension and over 95%ile in math computation on the CAT/5 and we are 2/3rd of the way through SM 4A, so I don't think I've thrown him in over his head.

 

I've tried, so far, besides biting my tongue and letting him sit for a long time trying to do it (this hasn't worked a bit), re-covering all the "hints" for remembering math facts, sitting next to him and constantly prompting hie with what to do next e.g. "What step is next?" (Silence) "What do you need to do first to do X [the next step]?" (Silence). Then, when I give him the answer of what to do next, he snaps "I knew that". "If you knew that, why didn't you answer me or do it?" (Silence), and adding a 5 minute drill sheet for addition (one a day, to be done before I get home) with a clear message that these will continue through all the operations until he "remembers" what he knew pat just 3 months ago.

 

I just know I'm not alone in this. :)

What did you do when the union sent out a GO SLOW order?

 

My suggestion may be something totally out there, but do you think he needs a change of "teacher/guide"?

I notice that being around my DD 24x7 and shifting between the roles of mom/teacher starts grating every once a while.

Every weekend, I ask DH to review/initiate academics. It helps bring a fresh perspective to the topic and of course, DH and my "teaching methods" are entirely different.

Some ideas..maybe your DH could take over for math for a while..or a tutor...

[I.Dup.]

Back it up a year. I found out with mine about 10 years too late.... Better too easy than too hard.

 

This is what I did with my dd. She just was.not.getting.it. Part of that was starting with Singapore (soooo not good for this child) and switching around too much. So she's technically in 4th grade (very bright in every other subject) doing 3rd grade math. I'm hoping to get through 3rd and 4th this year. She is still throwing DAILY FITS about math, but at least I know she is getting it, understands it, and can do it.

[Jean in Newcastle]

That is exactly when dd9 (almost 10) cratered in math. We stopped going forward for a while and made math fun. We played games and just had a good time. I think she needed a mental break to solidify things mentally before going forward.

[Susan C.]

This is what I did with my dd. She just was.not.getting.it. Part of that was starting with Singapore (soooo not good for this child) and switching around too much. So she's technically in 4th grade (very bright in every other subject) doing 3rd grade math. I'm hoping to get through 3rd and 4th this year. She is still throwing DAILY FITS about math, but at least I know she is getting it, understands it, and can do it.

 

We caught it up in 5-6th grades. The math books were very similar, making it easy to skip chapters in one or the other. We used BJU.

[Sweetpeach]

Back it up a year. I found out with mine about 10 years too late.... Better too easy than too hard.

 

Or just take a break for a couple weeks and play some games, do some quirky, living math bits, find math hiding in the real world.

 

I wanted to throw my ds2 out the window last year this time. I was so annoyed -- this feeling of "you're kidding me, right? You knew this and how can you not know this right now?"

 

One short year later, a bit of maturity under his belt and he's taken huge steps forward in his math learning. I'm shocked. Last year, even saying the words "least common multiple" was enough to put him into a tailspin. This morning, he just fired off a page of questions that would have created serious rebellion last year. Sometimes, their brains don't move forward at the speed of the workbook.

 

Warmly, Tricia

[kalanamak]

Okay, after some thought I'm wondering if I bored him with being SO methodical with fractions. I'm going to move over to geometry (which is his best subject ... and mine, too), try some of the "more challenging" parts of past IP books for SM, keep playing that game Speed everyone was talking about recently, do some hands on measuring again, but keeping up with the drill sheets.

 

I have a lingering fear if I stop all math facts, he'll suddenly start forgetting all his grammar and spelling. But we shall see. You see, he has a new passion: 20th century history. He liked the Greeks, but man is he wild about the 20th century. He wants to slip away from seat work, and get yet another read aloud on his new passion ....