How much math time/day for 2nd grade?

[Sahamamama]

How much time does/did your 2nd grader spend on math work (including drills, games, songs, hands-on, etc.)? So far this school year, we have been setting the timer for a daily one hour Math Block (but for all three students, so I'm moving around between them). The work is usually broken up into review, lesson, practice, card drill, computer drill, math songs, game, hands-on stuff (not all in one day). To some extent, I do feel as though I'm forcing her to plow through it, but I think this student needs a big push in math this year. She's not "behind," though.... just.... not where she should be?

 

If we do anything less than 60 minutes with the 2nd grader, for some reason it feels like it's "not enough" for her at this season. IDK, we're not exactly trying to "catch up," just work our way to the proper starting spot. I don't feel comfortable jumping to a higher level with her, either. Just when I think she "has it," and we could jump ahead, she surprises me with the need for more practice.

 

Will one hour a day be okay, at least for a while? I don't want to burn her out in math, but I think making less progress is more likely to lead to burn out than working hard each day will do. Any thoughts?

Edited August 22, 2012 by Sahamamama

[Soror]

30-45 minutes here on RSD. It doesn't feel like enough to me as we've always spent around an hr on Math. I'm thinking of adding some other stuff in. I have BA but haven't started it yet as I haven't decided how and when to add it in.

[freeindeed]

When my dc were in second grade, it took us about 45 min. We use Saxon.

[Dinsfamily]

Ds8 did 30-45 min last year and it's the same so far this year. Singapore usually takes him about 20 min and then he does mental math and a supplement.

[Sahamamama]

I wanted to add that some of the need for one hour a day is related to her dawdling/day-dreaming (only in math, BTW). She knows how to stretch it out, and sometimes is slower than molasses on a winter morning.

 

With all her other work, she is very focused and mature. Math seems to make her flaky and silly. Not sure what's happening inside the brain. LOL. My intuition is telling me to set the timer for 60 minutes each day. Next, I require a focused effort, without chatter (she would talk through the entire Math hour, if I let her). Every time I see her staring out the window, I "deduct a piece of snack." That really motivates! :) When the timer goes off, wherever we are in the work, I say, "That's Math for the day."

 

She doesn't openly express a dislike for math, exactly. In fact, she says (to other people) that she likes math! But she approaches it with a certain kind of avoidance of the work/mental effort/concentration it demands of her. I can see the daily hour changing something in her approach to the work, making her more willing and able to handle it. It's like a longer workout increasing the body's ability to do more exercise.

 

I suppose I'm wondering if there's another parent out there who's had a similar experience with a somewhat math-reluctant student at this age. Did you "up the ante" and require a long(er) work session? Did it pay off? backfire? build math stamina?

Edited August 22, 2012 by Sahamamama

[Soror]

As I said we routinely spent 1 hr a day for the last 2 yrs- in k and 1st (although ds is older due to the way his bd fell). We did more than that as well at times. Math is his thing though and he has always loved it and it was a good place for him to excel, while reading was much harder. So, I think it depends on the kid. But it didn't scar dh and we had fun.

[Dinsfamily]

I wanted to add that some of the need for one hour a day is related to her dawdling/day-dreaming (only in math, BTW). She knows how to stretch it out, and sometimes is slower than molasses on a winter morning.

 

That could make quite a difference. Ds8 doesn't daydream or dawdle. Now ds6 can take anywhere from 5-45 minutes to do 1 easy page of Singapore PM1A. His dawdling kills me, but I just let him sit there with several gentle reminders to get back on task. Sometimes I just cut him off after an hour because I'm annoyed and ready to get on with the day, not because he's burned out. Thankfully, he's getting better week-by-week.

[Sahamamama]

That could make quite a difference. Ds8 doesn't daydream or dawdle. Now ds6 can take anywhere from 5-45 minutes to do 1 easy page of Singapore PM1A. His dawdling kills me, but I just let him sit there with several gentle reminders to get back on task. Sometimes I just cut him off after an hour because I'm annoyed and ready to get on with the day, not because he's burned out. Thankfully, he's getting better week-by-week.

 

What gets me is when I think she's finished her do-it-yourself work, only to turn to check it and find....

 

 

• She's 1/4th of the way down the page
  
• BECAUSE she put curly-cues on all her numbers
  
• AND smiley faces inside them
  
• BECAUSE she was tired of making them straight
  

In truth, she is a delight and I love the sweetness of her personality each day.

 

 

But, :svengo:, could we just MOVE ALONG with the MATH already? :lol:

[Forget-Me-Not]

I voted 30-45 minutes, which is what it usually takes her to get through two pages of Math Mammoth. But that's dependent on cooperation and focus :D

[SilverMoon]

I voted for 30-45 minutes. That seems just right for my new second grader, and generally gets her through the oral class time with me and two "independent" pages in her book.

 

She's a good math student and enjoys conquering challenges in math, but it's not something she loves. I think pushing her to an hour a day would quickly burn her out.

[Dinsfamily]

What gets me is when I think she's finished her do-it-yourself work, only to turn to check it and find....

 

 

• She's 1/4th of the way down the page
  
• BECAUSE she put curly-cues on all her numbers
  
• AND smiley faces inside them
  
• BECAUSE she was tired of making them straight
  

In truth, she is a delight and I love the sweetness of her personality each day.

 

 

But, :svengo:, could we just MOVE ALONG with the MATH already? :lol:

 

My ds likes to use crayons or colored pencils and switch colors for each number. He also likes to make the numbers looks interesting. He is my artsy boy so I shouldn't be surprised. It does drive me crazy when I have to tell him to do each and every problem. "Mr. C, can you please do the next problem now? I mean right now, like this minute." He is also very sweet and obedient, just VERY distractable.

 

Thankfully, he's been great this week and getting a ton done in record time. I almost didn't know what to do with him yesterday when he finished school so early. It seemed like we were missing something. :D

[Sahamamama]

What gets me is when I think she's finished her do-it-yourself work, only to turn to check it and find....

 

 

• She's 1/4th of the way down the page
  
• BECAUSE she put curly-cues on all her numbers
  
• AND smiley faces inside them
  
• BECAUSE she was tired of making them straight
  

In truth, she is a delight and I love the sweetness of her personality each day.

 

 

But, :svengo:, could we just MOVE ALONG with the MATH already? :lol:

 

Yes, I'm quoting myself. :D Reading this again, I suddenly realized why we never have time for Art. :001_huh:

[Soror]

Ds doesn't generally dawdle too much, although the other day he took like an hr to do a sheet that should have been like 10 min. Most of our math time is one on one (although that is just starting to change this year) so our time is fairly focused. He likes it much better that way and I do notice he stays on task if I'm right there whereas if I send him to do a sheet on his own he is much more likely to take more time.

[Sahamamama]

Ds doesn't generally dawdle too much, although the other day he took like an hr to do a sheet that should have been like 10 min. Most of our math time is one on one (although that is just starting to change this year) so our time is fairly focused. He likes it much better that way and I do notice he stays on task if I'm right there whereas if I send him to do a sheet on his own he is much more likely to take more time.

 

You see, I am right there. All. the. time. She thinks it's "Let's have a chat" time (because these numbers on the page just aren't speaking to me, right?). It's as if the sight of numbers and symbols turns on her Chatterbox switch. "Oh, Math. Time to talk. Time to stare out the window."

 

Perhaps I let that slide too much last year? But it was 1st grade, so I'm excused for being lenient. ;) This year, she will not make progress with a mere 35 minutes a day, because at her normal, unpushed pace, that's a page (one side) -- and that's not enough for a bright 2nd grader. At that rate, she will not make enough GAIN in what the material is, so then we'll simply be slogging through more material that could not possibly be challenging to her by the time she gets to it.

 

I keep thinking she needs MORE time-on-task, and more gentle pressure from me, at least for now, in order to cover more material, until she comes to the point of really meeting up with something new in Math. Since I don't know where that point is, I don't know how to jump to it. Math Mammoth seems to be the fastest way to get to her true "starting point" for the year. She says she enjoys it. She always says, "Oh, good, Math Mammoth, I love Math Mammoth!"

 

Obviously, I haven't figured her out yet. :confused: But I am certainly there, throughout the entire math time. We're interacting with each other and the material. I'm teaching, we're working it out with manipulatives, she's working away.... slowly and with an evident desire to engage in day-dreaming and/or verbiage. She is comfortable with words. :001_smile: Numbers, not so much. I feel like I'm building up her math stamina. KWIM?

 

I do not do this sort of "tooth pulling" for anything else in her line-up, only Math. Sigh. The more I thought about it over the summer, the more it seemed that kicking it up a notch from 35 minutes to an hour per day was the solution. Today I'm trying to figure out why I thought that. :D

[chepyl]

It took 30 minutes today, and he wad being slow. I try to stick with short lessons as much as possible. He seems to retain more when each subject is 20 minutes or less each day. We can typically get through oral lessons, manipulatives if needed and 1-2 written exercises (2-4 pgs) in 20 minutes. He is my mathy child.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I wanted to add that some of the need for one hour a day is related to her dawdling/day-dreaming (only in math, BTW). She knows how to stretch it out, and sometimes is slower than molasses on a winter morning.

 

With all her other work, she is very focused and mature. Math seems to make her flaky and silly. Not sure what's happening inside the brain. LOL. My intuition is telling me to set the timer for 60 minutes each day. Next, I require a focused effort, without chatter (she would talk through the entire Math hour, if I let her). Every time I see her staring out the window, I "deduct a piece of snack." That really motivates! When the timer goes off, wherever we are in the work, I say, "That's Math for the day."

 

She doesn't openly express a dislike for math, exactly. In fact, she says (to other people) that she likes math! But she approaches it with a certain kind of avoidance of the work/mental effort/concentration it demands of her. I can see the daily hour changing something in her approach to the work, making her more willing and able to handle it. It's like a longer workout increasing the body's ability to do more exercise.

 

I suppose I'm wondering if there's another parent out there who's had a similar experience with a somewhat math-reluctant student at this age. Did you "up the ante" and require a long(er) work session? Did it pay off? backfire? build math stamina?

 

Buckling down with DS9 backfired big time. Maybe your DD "doesn't openly express a dislike for math, exactly" now but it is a serious risk if you don't figure out why her performance and attention in math are not equal to that in other subjects and adjust for that. That sounds harsh. It's not harsh, I promise! It's my hindsight kicking me in my own butt. :lol:

 

Is your DD a pleaser? DS9 is, so naturally he always "loved" math. Until he hated it. :lol: I have since (many times, quite like a skipping record) explained to him the difference between mathematics and arithmetic. Now he likes math. Hates arithmetic. Whatever. I just want him to choose to be a veterinarian or chemist or engineer later if he wants to be...

 

Yes, I'm quoting myself. Reading this again, I suddenly realized why we never have time for Art.

 

Quick aside, I would consider not having a set time for math and just choosing a daily workload...however much looks appropriate to you (not just one sheet, like you said) and say, "As soon as we get finished with math every day, we'll do art! If you get math done in ___ minutes, we'll have even more time for art!" Big motivator for my DD...but then she's not the mathy thorn in my side; DS9 is. :tongue_smilie: Anyway... Just in case your problem isn't quite so severe. (Double aside, there's a lot out there for math art if you're interested.)

 

FWIW, DS9 was/is very advanced in his mathematical thinking and just didn't/doesn't want to be bothered with arithmetic. It's a real problem for me. :tongue_smilie: It's also why MM failed here, as it spoon-fed him (in baby-size pieces) the math that he already knew and what, if he didn't already know it, he would have been better served by figuring out for himself. But I digress...

 

You see, I am right there. All. the. time. She thinks it's "Let's have a chat" time (because these numbers on the page just aren't speaking to me, right?). It's as if the sight of numbers and symbols turns on her Chatterbox switch. "Oh, Math. Time to talk. Time to stare out the window."

 

Perhaps I let that slide too much last year? But it was 1st grade, so I'm excused for being lenient. This year, she will not make progress with a mere 35 minutes a day, because at her normal, unpushed pace, that's a page (one side) -- and that's not enough for a bright 2nd grader. At that rate, she will not make enough GAIN in what the material is, so then we'll simply be slogging through more material that could not possibly be challenging to her by the time she gets to it.

 

I keep thinking she needs MORE time-on-task, and more gentle pressure from me, at least for now, in order to cover more material, until she comes to the point of really meeting up with something new in Math. Since I don't know where that point is, I don't know how to jump to it. Math Mammoth seems to be the fastest way to get to her true "starting point" for the year. She says she enjoys it. She always says, "Oh, good, Math Mammoth, I love Math Mammoth!"

 

Obviously, I haven't figured her out yet. But I am certainly there, throughout the entire math time. We're interacting with each other and the material. I'm teaching, we're working it out with manipulatives, she's working away.... slowly and with an evident desire to engage in day-dreaming and/or verbiage. She is comfortable with words. Numbers, not so much. I feel like I'm building up her math stamina. KWIM?

 

I do not do this sort of "tooth pulling" for anything else in her line-up, only Math. Sigh. The more I thought about it over the summer, the more it seemed that kicking it up a notch from 35 minutes to an hour per day was the solution. Today I'm trying to figure out why I thought that.

 

While I agree she needs more time on task, I would argue that it doesn't necessarily have to equal more time on math. (See art bribery plot above. :lol:)

 

What kind of learner is she? DS9 is a visual learner who intuits math and gets frustrated with anything too easy. Easy stuff makes him fidget and hard stuff makes him a dream student. Frustrating paradox but there it is. Maybe step it up a notch in content instead of time? DS9 responds well to living books about math, games, (covert) manipulatives (because actual manipulatives are an insult to his intelligence :glare::tongue_smilie:). Beast Academy has been the biggest hit ever here. Have you looked at the Education Unboxed videos? Let her loose with c-rods? Tried Miquon? She's getting on in years for that though...especially if she's already advanced.

 

Anyway, I would think about what kind of learner she is. Why is math a problem and not other subjects? What could you do to make math more like other subjects for her?

 

I do not have these answers, so I know I have just been so doggone helpful you can't stand it. :lol: Sorry. That's all I've got.

[FairProspects]

Well, threads like this just show me how slowly ds really works. I voted 1-2 hrs per day, but it really goes 45 min of BA (which is usually just 1 page), and another 30 min. block of either word problems or fact practice.

[MrsBanjoClown]

Ok, I read the question wrong (it has been a loooong day around here!). We do NOT spend over 2 hours on math alone a day, at least on most days. Today, he probably has spent that long because he is, as I type this, hanging head first off of the side of the chair instead of doing his math! He worked on it for about an hour this morning, and I told him to put it away and we moved on. This afternoon I had him take it out again after we finished everything else. It's still not happening. For some reason, today is not a good math day for him. I've noticed this happens on the reviews. I may need to start breaking the reviews up into two days to see if that helps.

[Farrar]

Not more than half an hour of seat work. But with occasional math read alouds and games both on the computer and card games and so forth, probably averaging closer to an hour a day.

[Sahamamama]

Buckling down with DS9 backfired big time. Maybe your DD "doesn't openly express a dislike for math, exactly" now but it is a serious risk if you don't figure out why her performance and attention in math are not equal to that in other subjects and adjust for that.

 

Thanks for that, Kristina, I'm sure I'm questioning myself today for this very reason. But then again, my instincts do tell me to just set the timer....

 

Oh, I just had an epiphany! Where is the little Happy Dance emoticon?

 

:thumbup: (he'll do). The timer is for ME. Duh. The timer is so I am not pushing and rushing and getting nervous about how little progress we're making in 35 minutes. Whew. Now I get it. The timer is for me. :D If I set it for 60 minutes, we have all the time we need for that day's work in Math.

 

In thinking about it this afternoon, I know she's not suffering. ;) She loves her school time with me, all of it, including Math. She enjoys that I pull out plenty of manipulatives -- "Oh, Base Ten Blocks, I love Base Ten Blocks!" Is that a normal 7.5 year old? LOL.

 

And when I think about it, I think the reason her attention and performance in math are not equal to that in other subjects is simply because we've always spent more time on English and read alouds, and less on Math. Really and truly, I think she just needs more time-on-task each day to build up her interest in and stamina for Math (or Arithmetic). I've already noticed her interest rising, as we are able to "get into" a lesson or concept more this year than we did before, when lessons were shorter and concepts were tossed out, more than explored in-depth. Plus, with the full hour, she has time to teach me. I can say, "Explain to me why or how that works," and she enjoys explaining what she's doing in the work. We have time for word problems. Talking through these helps me to understand what she understands (and doesn't), how she thinks about the processes involved. We have time for games, songs, puzzles, and baking ;). So I'm probably not pushing her too hard, actually, just devoting a full hour to Math each day.

Edited August 22, 2012 by Sahamamama

[Soror]

You see, I am right there. All. the. time. She thinks it's "Let's have a chat" time (because these numbers on the page just aren't speaking to me, right?). It's as if the sight of numbers and symbols turns on her Chatterbox switch. "Oh, Math. Time to talk. Time to stare out the window."

 

Perhaps I let that slide too much last year? But it was 1st grade, so I'm excused for being lenient. ;) This year, she will not make progress with a mere 35 minutes a day, because at her normal, unpushed pace, that's a page (one side) -- and that's not enough for a bright 2nd grader. At that rate, she will not make enough GAIN in what the material is, so then we'll simply be slogging through more material that could not possibly be challenging to her by the time she gets to it.

 

I keep thinking she needs MORE time-on-task, and more gentle pressure from me, at least for now, in order to cover more material, until she comes to the point of really meeting up with something new in Math. Since I don't know where that point is, I don't know how to jump to it. Math Mammoth seems to be the fastest way to get to her true "starting point" for the year. She says she enjoys it. She always says, "Oh, good, Math Mammoth, I love Math Mammoth!"

 

Obviously, I haven't figured her out yet. :confused: But I am certainly there, throughout the entire math time. We're interacting with each other and the material. I'm teaching, we're working it out with manipulatives, she's working away.... slowly and with an evident desire to engage in day-dreaming and/or verbiage. She is comfortable with words. :001_smile: Numbers, not so much. I feel like I'm building up her math stamina. KWIM?

 

I do not do this sort of "tooth pulling" for anything else in her line-up, only Math. Sigh. The more I thought about it over the summer, the more it seemed that kicking it up a notch from 35 minutes to an hour per day was the solution. Today I'm trying to figure out why I thought that. :D

 

Well, I'm glad you are figuring out what works for her. Fwiw I've just spoke about my son and what has worked for us. I'm sure that is different for every kid. I was just speaking to the fact that some can do more and it not be an issue. We had days where we did 1.5 hrs straight last year. My ds is obviously the opposite of yours though as we generally spend a lot less time on LA as he doesn't have as much endurance there- I'm working on building that up here for him this year as he seems he can handle more in that regard now.

[Sahamamama]

Double aside, there's a lot out there for math art if you're interested.

 

I'm interested. What is there?

 

Have you looked at the Education Unboxed videos? Let her loose with c-rods? Tried Miquon?

 

I have only recently learned about this (EU), and we're going to explore it more. She loves C-rods, but we still need to pull the Miquon off the shelf. :blushing:

 

Anyway, I would think about what kind of learner she is. Why is math a problem and not other subjects? What could you do to make math more like other subjects for her?

 

You're right, I need to assess her with one of those "learning style" inventories. She is a pleaser, too, so she comes across as "liking everything," KWIM? It's hard to know what's working the best for her learning. (Off to look....)

 

I do not have these answers, so I know I have just been so doggone helpful you can't stand it. :lol: Sorry. That's all I've got.

 

You were and are helpful, AVA. :001_smile: I appreciate encouraging feedback on my Second-Guessing Day. Good luck with your school year, too!

[jennynd]

We do 30 min-45 mins for 4 days a week

[boscopup]

I had dawdling problems in math when:

 

A) work was too easy and level needed to be stepped up (not more time spent on stuff he already knew)

 

B) curriculum I was using was too incremental, when DS gets concepts easily and doesn't need that much practice

 

We solved those problems by accelerating, skipping unnecessary problems (when using MM, he did about half the problems, sometimes less), and eventually switching to Singapore, which isn't so incremental.

[Mommy22alyns]

Sylvia is probably right at 30 minutes for CLE and xtramath. She doesn't dawdle and gets right down to business.

[Sahamamama]

I had dawdling problems in math when:

 

A) work was too easy and level needed to be stepped up (not more time spent on stuff he already knew)

 

B) curriculum I was using was too incremental, when DS gets concepts easily and doesn't need that much practice

 

We solved those problems by accelerating, skipping unnecessary problems (when using MM, he did about half the problems, sometimes less), and eventually switching to Singapore, which isn't so incremental.

 

Tell me it's okay to skip. :bigear:

 

As we went through our work today, I was crossing off whole sections with my red pen. She was :001_huh: and :D and :thumbup1:. It was funny, watching her realize that we could and would skip what she has mastered. Tomorrow, we will skip all she knows, so we can get to her true level sooner. Thanks for the encouragement to skip what is mastered.

[hopeallgoeswell]

In 2nd grade, my dd spent 45-60 minutes on math, but only 15 minutes actually doing it. Between the whining and doodling, it took f.o.r.e.v.e.r. She still doodles often and whines occasionally, nothing a cheerful push can't remedy. She does math first thing after Bible; if she dawdles in math, the threat of playtime being eaten into is very real.

[Kathryn]

30-45 minutes, though I really should add in 5-10 minutes of drill.

[Gentlemommy]

30-45 min for seat work, using either MEP or Miquon. An extra 15-30 minutes doing living math books, LoF, or extra C-rod games and activities.

[boscopup]

Tell me it's okay to skip. :bigear:

 

As we went through our work today, I was crossing off whole sections with my red pen. She was :001_huh: and :D and :thumbup1:. It was funny, watching her realize that we could and would skip what she has mastered. Tomorrow, we will skip all she knows, so we can get to her true level sooner. Thanks for the encouragement to skip what is mastered.

 

It's ok to skip. :D

 

In Math Mammoth, I gave chapter tests if I thought he knew the material. He never scored less than 96%. I had made the right decision.

[zarabellesmom]

Well, threads like this just show me how slowly ds really works. I voted 1-2 hrs per day, but it really goes 45 min of BA (which is usually just 1 page), and another 30 min. block of either word problems or fact practice.

( fact practice in our case)

 

:iagree:

 

And that's why I didn't vote! But she loves it and I am the one who calls it quits most days so that we can finish other things (since she decreed "math first"). So you tell me.... Why do those one to two pages of BA take soooooooooooooooo long?

Edited August 23, 2012 by RresaJ

[FairProspects]

So you tell me.... Why do those one to two pages of BA take soooooooooooooooo long?

 

Part of it is the puzzly nature of BA, and that some problems take trial and error of various strategies to solve. Another aspect is that most problems require multiple steps. The last issue is that ds is s-l-o-w at computation and BA is definitely a program written for fast processors. I'm just some skipping stuff now since I know he knows it and is just going through the motions of painfully slow computation.

[happypamama]

I voted 30-45 minutes for my second grade son, but it depends on the day. Usually, it's a lesson in Singapore, plus some other activities (the extra stuff from the teacher book, and/or the mental math exercises), plus a practice exercise or two that he does on his own. Or, it's about four pages from Miquon. (We do about two days a week of Singapore and about two of Miquon.) At this point, he's in Singapore 2A, and I think it's actually a little easy for him, but I'm sticking with it to make sure we don't miss anything. He's in the blue Miquon book, and it's had him doing a lot of mental exercises with multiplication and patterns; those take longer to do, but they're also helping him learn his multiplication facts (which aren't 100% solid yet). Otoh, I think tomorrow there is some fraction work, and that should be pretty quick. And a lot of days it depends on whether his mind is on planet Earth or somewhere in a Galaxy Far, Far Away (which his speech therapist tells me is common with 7yo boys). :) But 30-45 minutes sounds about right.

 

ETA: DS1 is not exactly a dawdler, per se. His sister is, but he tends to be more spacey than dawdly, if that makes sense. He goes off on side tangents a lot. Like, he'll give me the answer to a math problem and then give me a long, detailed explanation of why he came up with that answer (which is good, but sometimes I just want to get it done, y'know?). Or he gets distracted by his little brothers, whom he completely and utterly adores (especially if the 3yo comes in, looking for his playtime buddy).

Edited August 23, 2012 by happypamama

[Forget-Me-Not]

What gets me is when I think she's finished her do-it-yourself work, only to turn to check it and find....

 

 

 

• She's 1/4th of the way down the page

• BECAUSE she put curly-cues on all her numbers

• AND smiley faces inside them

• BECAUSE she was tired of making them straight

 

In truth, she is a delight and I love the sweetness of her personality each day.

 

 

But, :svengo:, could we just MOVE ALONG with the MATH already? :lol:

 

I think you have my daughter's long lost twin :lol: It's cat drawings here.

[Alte Veste Academy]

You were and are helpful, AVA. :001_smile: I appreciate encouraging feedback on my Second-Guessing Day. Good luck with your school year, too!

 

Thanks!

 

Here are some math/art resources we like:

 

MathART

 

Math Art

 

Connecting Art to Math

 

Object Lessons: Teaching Math Through the Visual Arts

 

Math for Humans gave me the idea to have dc make their own flash cards. DD loved this. Also check out Robinsunne's multiplication clock. I am seriously thinking about letting DD make her own math workbooks like Waldorf style main lesson books.

 

I also started doing aestheometry with the kids. My 6th grade teacher did this (and called it aestheometry, so that's what I still call it :D) and I was so thrilled to find the Curve Stitching book...until I got it. :tongue_smilie: I can teach it more easily than they present it. Still, it's a great activity and very effective at keeping hands busy during read-alouds.

 

I know we have also done math/art activities that didn't come from these books...probably from some of my general math resources. I have a few books on math games around the world which are good also.

 

For your younger ones, there is Math Arts (although I do not have this one, personally).

[Sahamamama]

Thanks!

 

Here are some math/art resources we like:

 

MathART

 

Math Art

 

Connecting Art to Math

 

Object Lessons: Teaching Math Through the Visual Arts

 

Math for Humans gave me the idea to have dc make their own flash cards. DD loved this. Also check out Robinsunne's multiplication clock. I am seriously thinking about letting DD make her own math workbooks like Waldorf style main lesson books.

 

I also started doing aestheometry with the kids. My 6th grade teacher did this (and called it aestheometry, so that's what I still call it :D) and I was so thrilled to find the Curve Stitching book...until I got it. :tongue_smilie: I can teach it more easily than they present it. Still, it's a great activity and very effective at keeping hands busy during read-alouds.

 

I know we have also done math/art activities that didn't come from these books...probably from some of my general math resources. I have a few books on math games around the world which are good also.

 

For your younger ones, there is Math Arts (although I do not have this one, personally).

 

:party:You are the BEST! Your grade is an A+++. :D (Thanks!)

[Dinsfamily]

:thumbup: (he'll do). The timer is for ME. Duh. The timer is so I am not pushing and rushing and getting nervous about how little progress we're making in 35 minutes. Whew. Now I get it. The timer is for me. :D If I set it for 60 minutes, we have all the time we need for that day's work in Math.

 

In thinking about it this afternoon, I know she's not suffering. ;) She loves her school time with me, all of it, including Math. She enjoys that I pull out plenty of manipulatives -- "Oh, Base Ten Blocks, I love Base Ten Blocks!" Is that a normal 7.5 year old? LOL.

 

And when I think about it, I think the reason her attention and performance in math are not equal to that in other subjects is simply because we've always spent more time on English and read alouds, and less on Math. Really and truly, I think she just needs more time-on-task each day to build up her interest in and stamina for Math (or Arithmetic). I've already noticed her interest rising, as we are able to "get into" a lesson or concept more this year than we did before, when lessons were shorter and concepts were tossed out, more than explored in-depth. Plus, with the full hour, she has time to teach me. I can say, "Explain to me why or how that works," and she enjoys explaining what she's doing in the work. We have time for word problems. Talking through these helps me to understand what she understands (and doesn't), how she thinks about the processes involved. We have time for games, songs, puzzles, and baking ;). So I'm probably not pushing her too hard, actually, just devoting a full hour to Math each day.

 

I think you answered your question right here. I often have to remind myself, "where's the fire?". So what if my 1st grader takes 30 minutes to complete a math page. He isn't complaining and he doesn't hate math. I will continue to gently remind him to stay on task, but if it's taking him a long time due to his prettying the page...I'll count it as art too :D. I think if she were crying and complaining or you were pushing her to do more and more work, there would be a different answer. As ds6 gets older, we'll work more on work ethic and buckling down, but some daydreaming in 1st and 2nd is okay, right?

[Woodland_Mom]

We did 30 min. Per day in second grade. I found short lessons to be best for my ds. We almost ALWAYS played some sort of math game during the day, too.

[Sahamamama]

I think you answered your question right here. I often have to remind myself, "where's the fire?". So what if my 1st grader takes 30 minutes to complete a math page. He isn't complaining and he doesn't hate math. I will continue to gently remind him to stay on task, but if it's taking him a long time due to his prettying the page...I'll count it as art too :D. I think if she were crying and complaining or you were pushing her to do more and more work, there would be a different answer. As ds6 gets older, we'll work more on work ethic and buckling down, but some daydreaming in 1st and 2nd is okay, right?

 

This makes me smile. :) Yes, prettying the page is what happens here with Sugar Lump. She is doing art and math at the same time. She's not at all crying or complaining, just prettying the page. Thanks for the phrase, and for "Where's the fire?" :lol: That is going to be my Math Mantra.

 

Thanks, everyone, for putting up with me figuring out that the timer (one hour/day) is for me. It relaxes me. KWIM?

[Dinsfamily]

This makes me smile. :) Yes, prettying the page is what happens here with Sugar Lump. She is doing art and math at the same time. She's not at all crying or complaining, just prettying the page. Thanks for the phrase, and for "Where's the fire?" :lol: That is going to be my Math Mantra.

 

Thanks, everyone, for putting up with me figuring out that the timer (one hour/day) is for me. It relaxes me. KWIM?

 

I need to make a sign for the school room in my eyesight. Ds6 is doing math right now. He finished the first page in 10 mins and is now trying to convince ds4 to let him borrow the "Awesome" stamp. :lol: I do understand what you mean :D

[justLisa]

I think you have my daughter's long lost twin :lol: It's cat drawings here.

 

I cannot even FIND the answers or actual words on DD's paper!

 

DS writes me love notes on his math assignments. :001_wub:

 

We did about one hour last year. That would be my instruction, his independent work, dawdling, falling off the chair, getting water, going to the bathroom....you get it.

 

Then we would spend another 5-10 minutes another part of the day on fact drills. Maybe practicing multiplication facts, or whatever.