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What do I do with this child??? (Math-related)


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This is my dd who hates math. She takes forever to get through a math lesson, and she has melt-downs on a regular basis because it's all so "tedious". (Her math fact recall really is tediously slow.) I have switched her to TT6 because we were butting heads all the time over math. She doesn't like TT any better than anything else we've used, but at least math isn't damaging our relationship anymore.

 

She likes to do word problems, so she also does CWP occasionally. Today she was doing some word problems out of CWP, and she skipped one that she couldn't figure out how to do. When I looked at it, I told her that I could figure it out with algebra, but it would take me a while to figure out how to do it with bar models. Her response was, "Ok, teach me how to do algebra." :lol:

 

I did show her how to solve it algebraically, and she understood most, if not all, of what I was doing. It was fun when she saw where I was going with it and she lit up and finished solving it.

 

So...what can I use with her to get her engaged in math? I don't want to switch math programs again, but I'd like some kind of supplements that she can do to start exploring algebra (or any other interesting math topics) while she is finishing up elementary math.

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You could check out:

 

Hands on Equations

 

Or

 

http://nlvm.usu.edu/

National library of virtual manipulatives--look under algebra for online algebraic balances similar to hands on equations.

 

Also, math mammoth has 'make it real learning' with a lot of engaging math problems.

 

ETA: My boys had a hard time with math fact recall, but conceptually they were interested in more challenging, thought based problem solving. I struggled a long time trying to figure out how to deal with this. We ended up moving on to more interesting math and kept a multiplication chart handy. For my older son, this worked out very well and he has acquired excellent computation skills through the exposure. DS #2 didn't acquire the computation recall as easily, but when he was older he was able to do the drills (Xtra math was great and ipad apps) and in a short period of time gain proficiency with little frustration. My kids seem to be on a different schedule from most math curricula. Now in 8th and 9th grade they have caught up, so to speak, and my 9th grader is in AoPS Geometry and my 8th grade is using Lial's Algebra. They now have few struggles. When they were younger, I had a hard time imagining math ever becoming so easy to deal with. Hang in there! :)

Edited by Trilliums
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This is strange, but ds11 has been much happier since switching to AOPS Algebra from Saxon. AOPS is much harder and I thought it may lead to more meltdowns. However, he loves computers so he enjoys the online video lessons and alcumus. He does them voluntarily! He also appreciates doing many fewer problems a day even though they are harder. He appreciates the cleverness in the text...he was very excited the day they talked about the computer project to identify big prime numbers. So sometimes you just never know :)

 

Occasionally we still have battles when his brain shuts down before the lesson even starts. We are supposed to do math 1st, but on those days putting it aside until afternoon has worked.

 

Brownie

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You could check out:

 

Hands on Equations

 

Or

 

http://nlvm.usu.edu/

National library of virtual manipulatives--look under algebra for online algebraic balances similar to hands on equations.

 

I looked at Hands on Equations briefly last night. It looked like there were a lot of parts. What would I need to start?

 

Also, math mammoth has 'make it real learning' with a lot of engaging math problems.

 

Unfortunately MM was what we just switched from. It took her 8 months to get through 4A, and I realized that she just gets too bogged down doing the same kind of problems over and over again for weeks.

 

ETA: My boys had a hard time with math fact recall, but conceptually they were interested in more challenging, thought based problem solving. I struggled a long time trying to figure out how to deal with this. We ended up moving on to more interesting math and kept a multiplication chart handy. For my older son, this worked out very well and he has acquired excellent computation skills through the exposure. DS #2 didn't acquire the computation recall as easily, but when he was older he was able to do the drills (Xtra math was great and ipad apps) and in a short period of time gain proficiency with little frustration. My kids seem to be on a different schedule from most math curricula. Now in 8th and 9th grade they have caught up, so to speak, and my 9th grader is in AoPS Geometry and my 8th grade is using Lial's Algebra. They now have few struggles. When they were younger, I had a hard time imagining math ever becoming so easy to deal with. Hang in there! :)

 

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm sure she'll do better with math once she gets to algebra and geometry. I'm just afraid that she will have already decided that all math is boring and hard and tedious.

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Take a look at Life of Fred. It might be up her alley.

 

Thanks for the reminder. She was using Fractions alongside MM last fall, but she hit a point where she really needed to solidify her long division and multi-digit multiplication skills before she could do any more. I think she's probably ready to pull it out again. She's very verbal, and loves all the silliness in Fred.

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This is strange, but ds11 has been much happier since switching to AOPS Algebra from Saxon. AOPS is much harder and I thought it may lead to more meltdowns. However, he loves computers so he enjoys the online video lessons and alcumus. He does them voluntarily! He also appreciates doing many fewer problems a day even though they are harder. He appreciates the cleverness in the text...he was very excited the day they talked about the computer project to identify big prime numbers. So sometimes you just never know :)

 

Occasionally we still have battles when his brain shuts down before the lesson even starts. We are supposed to do math 1st, but on those days putting it aside until afternoon has worked.

 

Brownie

 

I have been dying for an excuse to buy AOPS. ;) I would have loved that approach, which makes me think that she will hate it. :tongue_smilie: I think she would like the wordiness and the fewer problems, but I'm not sure how she would do with the discovery approach. What level of Saxon was your son on when you switched?

 

I have had her doing math first, and it ruins her whole day. This week I am doing a trial to see if she does better with math in the middle of the day. I might even offer to let her stay up late doing math at night. She's a night owl who does all her best thinking after 9pm (she keeps herself up late just laying in bed thinking).

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DS was 1/3 of the way through Saxon algebra 1/2 when we switched to AOPS bc he claimed he was bored. Thus, some of it has definitely been a review (though much needed and the problems are harder). You don't have to teach it totally discovery. I do a lot of the problems with ds and explain them. He doesn't have the patience or time to use discovery on every problem. It still teaches him stuff Saxon never bothers to explain...but that's a whole 'nother, very long thread.

 

Brownie

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I have had her doing math first, and it ruins her whole day. This week I am doing a trial to see if she does better with math in the middle of the day. I might even offer to let her stay up late doing math at night. She's a night owl who does all her best thinking after 9pm (she keeps herself up late just laying in bed thinking).

 

I would definitely try doing math at a different time of day. I have the exact same problem with my dd, she is a total night owl and gets revved up after 9pm. She gets really creative and alert at that time and starts drawing pictures, reading, etc. I am not a night owl myself so I try to meet her in the middle and I will give her math assignments in the afternoon for her to work on on her own anytime in the afternoon/evening and turn into me the next day.

 

My dd tends to get bogged down with the repetitiveness of math problems as well so I try to change gears every now and then. Here is an example: we were working in the Key to Percents books and about 3/4 of the way through the book I could tell she was getting bored and overloaded with working percents problems, so I took out a different Key to book, Key to Geometry and assigned her some problems from that book. So, I try to change topics if possible, use different workbooks, occasionally we take a break, just to give the math topics a chance to sink in and her not to be so overloaded.

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My Ds has a slow processing speed, so recalling math facts is very difficult. Our therapist suggested we go ahead and offer a calculator to accomodate. He is capable of learning advanced math concepts, but not if he has to bog down on the basics. So we made the choice to move him forward and skip the tedium of fact recall. For a child with no difficulties I can see where that would seem like a cop out. But I am certain that we spent enough time working on recall- it's just not gonna happen.

 

FWIW, he really enjoys learning math now.

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She sounds exactly like the mathematical long-lost twin of my own almost-10 yr old dd. I'd think it was puberty related, except it's been going on for some time. All I can suggest is Life of Fred and Murderous Maths. But it doesn't solve the problem of procrastination and daydreaming and complaining about math when she does SM.

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but she hit a point where she really needed to solidify her long division and multi-digit multiplication skills before she could do any more.

 

Have you looked at Jump Math? It is very incremental. I have not used it myself, but I have heard from folks who say it helped their kids so much. Generally, those were kids who were totally lost at sea with math.

 

I know the program suggests an older kid start with their fractions unit. I think their website has a bunch of free stuff.

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