1st grade math problems

[garness]

This was our first year of homeschooling. My daughter did kindergarten at an abeka private school. She did very well in all subjects, although her biggest problem was being distracted and taking a long time to get things done.

For 1st grade I pieced together our curriculum.

For the first 6 months we did Horizons 1 math. I liked it, she didn't like it much. It eventually became a fight/struggle to get her to do a daily math lesson. She always did a good job though and didn't have trouble understanding concepts. We also practiced memorizing addition facts. By the end of the first workbook, I promised her that we would change to a different curriculum (she wanted one that didn't have so much practice).

I thought singapore would work. I bought 1b, it was too hard, so I got 1a. We started working through it and figuring out a new way of learning/doing math. Over the 1a workbook, which took several months. She seemed to have less and less confidence in her abilities to do math. She started fighting me about it more and more. She forgot all her math facts that we already memorized (addition only). We are at the end of the book and I asked her to finish the review at the end and we would be done with it. she agreed. She did the first page. She got to the subtraction problems on the second page and she flipped out. started growning, crying and freeking out. I tried to get her to talk to me with words and tell me what the problem is. I tried to help her and refresh her memory on how to do subtraction problems. (its been a couple weeks since we did math lessons, been travelling ect...) Finally she refused and I sent her to her room.

This is a dramatic example of what it has been like all year.

In her year end testing, she skipped many math problems all together. She got placed at about 1st grade half way through for math. Her reading is excellent and she placed at 2nd to 3rd grade.

She never does anything quickly and now refused to do any math additional fact practice either orally or written drills.

This is a subject that we have fought about so much, I see it as my fault since I have been anxious about it and have made her anxious as well.

I feel like I cannot teach her any math at all now.

I honestly feel like we are at the same place now when we started 1st grade. I am so discouraged and feel terrible that my daughter has so much anxiety about math and that she cannot talk to me about it.

what do I do.

PS we also tried Life of fred math, which she likes better, but she stills freaks about doing the practice problems.

PPS this is a very capable child, that I feel is having obedience problems as well as some time of mental block about learning/doing math.

HELP!

[blondeviolin]

Have you allowed the use of manipulatives? If not, consider investing I some cuisenaire rods while she does math. I don't actually push my children to memorize the facts. They do it on their own (my second has nearly all his facts to ten memorized) because it's just easier to remember the answer rather than find the rods. My niece was very math-phobic, but when my sister told her she could use rods as much as she wanted, she attempted the problem just fine.

 

For the summer, maybe work on some things that aren't written, but just working with the rods. Check Education Unboxed's videos and Miquon if you need help on how to present working with the rods.

[fairfarmhand]

http://www.fun4thebrain.com has fun online free computer games to practice those facts. You can set it up so that it will only do 1's 2's 3's etc. so that she can practice specific fact groups.

[Cassy]

Have you looked at RightStart math at all? It has much less written practice, much more use of manipulatives, and lots of interaction between child and teacher (which has to suit the teacher, I guess). It also makes a lot of use of math games, which my boys have loved. (Oh, and they don't start the dreaded subtraction until a bit later). I have problems with DS7 with math. I always back way off and slow down when things start to get tense. I don't believe any useful learning can happen when everyone's upset. She's only 1st grade, and it's only math. I find when we aim to relax, have fun and make slow, steady progress, then much more is achieved.

[kitten18]

Have you allowed the use of manipulatives? If not, consider investing I some cuisenaire rods while she does math. I don't actually push my children to memorize the facts. They do it on their own (my second has nearly all his facts to ten memorized) because it's just easier to remember the answer rather than find the rods. My niece was very math-phobic, but when my sister told her she could use rods as much as she wanted, she attempted the problem just fine.

 

For the summer, maybe work on some things that aren't written, but just working with the rods. Check Education Unboxed's videos and Miquon if you need help on how to present working with the rods.

:iagree: I would get cuisenaire rods and start working through Miquon.

[higginszoo]

I'd look at something with either a lot of spiral review, hands-on, or both. It's been a while since I've seen RightStart, so I don't remember how much review is built in. I know that Saxon is very spiral, and is also pretty hands-on in the early years. It's not uncommon for children in this age group to need concrete manipulatives to really grasp the concepts, and it also sounds like she does better if she doesn't completely leave off of one topic to work on another (thus the panic over subtraction). Do you know what she disliked about Horions? That is another program that has the kind of review that she seems to need.

[nmoira]

I thought singapore would work. I bought 1b, it was too hard, so I got 1a. We started working through it and figuring out a new way of learning/doing math. Over the 1a workbook, which took several months. She seemed to have less and less confidence in her abilities to do math. She started fighting me about it more and more. She forgot all her math facts that we already memorized (addition only). We are at the end of the book and I asked her to finish the review at the end and we would be done with it. she agreed.

Were you using only the workbook?

[ssavings]

Did you use the HIG for Singapore 1a? A lot of the program is in the HIG, not just in the text/workbooks.

[Mandylubug]

My gals were just like your girly. We ended up taking a break and then started from the beginning with R&S 1. I do own base ten blocks and use them frequently. They also LOVE the whiteboard lessons that the Teachers manual instructs you to teach. It also says to use a felt board with blocks of felt to move around for visual aid. I either have them move little pet shop toys, legos, or I draw pictures on the board. They love anything interactive with them. They are loving Math now. They beg to do it daily. I have another son in 3rd grade level math that we just switched to R&S 3 with. He loves it as well. Another is doing TT3 but will be yanked out of that soon for R&S3 as well (just different page than other brother)

 

I have learned that everything that I THOUGHT would work when we first started homeschooling was not a good fit. We have changed some subjects two or three times and just now seem to have a good thing rolling. Be patient, the right curriculum will come your way :) :grouphug:

[Spy Car]

Have you allowed the use of manipulatives? If not, consider investing I some cuisenaire rods while she does math. I don't actually push my children to memorize the facts. They do it on their own (my second has nearly all his facts to ten memorized) because it's just easier to remember the answer rather than find the rods. My niece was very math-phobic, but when my sister told her she could use rods as much as she wanted, she attempted the problem just fine.

 

For the summer, maybe work on some things that aren't written, but just working with the rods. Check Education Unboxed's videos and Miquon if you need help on how to present working with the rods.

 

:iagree:

 

Bill

[garness]

I have a small set of the cuisinare rods. I can't figure out how to use them from the instructions they came with.

I checked out Miquon math and I was so incredibly confused by it that I didn't buy it.

I do have the HIG for singapore 1b.

I didn't have it for 1a.

We haven't done much with manipulatives because I just feel like I have no idea what to do.

I know my anxiety and frustration about math has been transferred to her and I am so sad about that.

[Spy Car]

I have a small set of the cuisinare rods. I can't figure out how to use them from the instructions they came with.

I checked out Miquon math and I was so incredibly confused by it that I didn't buy it.

I do have the HIG for singapore 1b.

I didn't have it for 1a.

We haven't done much with manipulatives because I just feel like I have no idea what to do.

I know my anxiety and frustration about math has been transferred to her and I am so sad about that.

 

The white rod is a 1-Unit Rod. Figure out what is 2. Make "stairs" of rods (vertically) with each one one more than the previous up to a Ten-Unit Rod (Orange) then work down.

 

Then make "trains." Put an 8-rod down (Brown) horizontally and ask the student to stack all the combinations that make 8.

 

Then have a shorter rod on top of a longer rod. What is the "difference?"

 

Stuff like that. Look at the videos mentioned earlier for Education Unboxed. They will give you the idea.

 

Bill