When your child is really into one subject

[Dmmetler]

How do you balance time?

 

DD7, this morning, has done math for about 3 hours, straight. And I'm talking focused, concentrated study and work. We're about at the time that I usually figure her school day is over except for outside classes/activities, piano practice, and reading independently, and she's done one subject. I hate to stop her when she's working focused on one area-but at the same time, I'm very aware that we're not doing nearly as much in other areas as I have planned, and that there are some subjects that have really fallen down this year (languages, especially).

 

So, how do you balance your child's strong drives? Or do you? I know what my local HS group would say-but a lot of them are in the camp where they believe that spending 6 hours a day playing World of Warcraft or watching Jerry Springer and Soap Operas is educational, and who have trouble believing that any child would CHOOSE to sit and spend hours trying to solve math problems at all.

[LittleIzumi]

She has to do the other absolutely required subjects first (math and phonics here) and then she can play with science or art or writing to her heart's content. On other days she's fine to do a balanced day and I get the other subjects in. While we're waiting for crystals to grow, I'm sticking in logic and handwriting.

[sunriseiz]

I would let my 7 year old spend 3 hours on math. :D

 

I guess it would depend on the subject, the age of the kid, and what effect it had on the other subjects.

 

When my son gets obsessed with something for a time I make him do it last if it's starting to get in the way of everything else.

 

:iagree:

It's one of the advantages for home schooling, right? If it keeps up on a daily basis, I might move the other subjects around so that math is last and it can continue for the rest of the day.

[Arcadia]

When my son gets obsessed with something for a time I make him do it last if it's starting to get in the way of everything else.

 

:iagree:

They would spend all the time on Legos and their least favorite writing would never get done.

[AK_Mom4]

I still see this occasionally with DD11. My rule is that you get to do that for ONE DAY. The next day, that favorite subject is put away on the shelf and not touched again until all the other work is completed.

 

That may mean that the kid doesn't get to do math again for a couple of days while they get caught up, but it's a good balance.

[regentrude]

At that age, I would let them do whatever they want. Let he do math to her heart's content. I would make sure her reading skill are progressing, but beyond that, I would not worry about any content subjects.

[happyWImom]

At that age, I would let them do whatever they want. Let he do math to her heart's content. I would make sure her reading skill are progressing, but beyond that, I would not worry about any content subjects.

 

:iagree::iagree: I regret not letting my dc explore their interests & passions when they were younger & we were just starting hsing. I want them to love learning.

 

And, if they wanted to spend hours on things like math or reading, I would definitely let them.

[quark]

I would let her spend the time on it. If she clearly needs to be fresh and do math first thing in the day then I would let her do it first thing in the day. She's 7 and already so ahead. I don't think you need to worry at this point unless you think she is being affected by it negatively in some way.

 

There's so much time for other things. Now, I know that I wouldn't do the same if it was computer games but that's just me. :D

 

For my son it was chemistry. He wanted to know everything he could about chemistry at that age and would pore over books and websites or experiment for hours. We let other things slide...like your DD he is an only child so when he was ready to be interested in something else, I had enough time to teach/ guide him in those other areas. His reading skills did not suffer. His knowledge of history or math did not suffer either because 15 minutes a day in those other subjects were more than enough to "catch up". Or we could just choose a documentary on Netflix or a short game with Manga High if needed.

[kiana]

I wouldn't really worry about it unless she's actively behind level in other subjects. I see nothing at all wrong with a student who is good at (but not interested in) a subject working at a lower (but still acceptable) level in them in order to focus time on primary interests.

[Embassy]

I would first have her do the minimum on her other subjects and then spend as much time as she wants on math.

[FairProspects]

I've basically decided what I consider an acceptable amount of work in LA - 1 hr or so a day (along with additional reading) and as long as he can get that in, we spend the other 2 hours on math and another hour on science or history. I'll probably be doing the reverse with his younger brother in another couple of years. :D

[Mélie]

Unless she's struggling or "behind" in another area, I'd let her use her time as she wants.

 

My son sometimes wants to do math for 2-3 hours, and that's fine with me. He's weakest in writing (and he wants to improve) so we always do that first, then move on to math. I check with him after a while to see if he wants to do science or history, but if he wants to stick with math, we do.

[Beth in SW WA]

How do you balance time?

 

 

I don't.

 

I never interrupt when they are sucked into math or other 'skill' subjects (reading, writing, music). The rest will get done eventually. We have lots of time for the other content subjects.

[2smartones]

I have a list of things that HAVE to be done. After those are done, they can spend as much time as they want on a single subject (which, for the moment, seems to be world geography).

[Storm Bay]

I think that this is fine, especially at only 7. Kids that are passionate about a subject year in and year out often excel in it.

 

If math is her passion, you can add other subjects using math. Life of Fred can be used to help with English (I haven't read the books before Fractions, but many love those, too) as there are engaging stories you can read to her (or she can read on her own) & he teaches some literary devices, etc, as footnotes; English loving dc often like to to math with LOF for this reason, but my mathy dc like it, too, even if we don't always use it as our main math books (depends on the dc & the math class.)

 

Also, books like the Murderous Maths series & The Number Devil (we hate the name of that one, but the story was very mathy). If those are a bit too old for her to read on her own, there are picture books such as the Sir Cumference series http://www.enasco.com/c/math/Teacher+Resources/Literature+Books/Sir+Cumference+Series/ .

 

She may also be interested in learning about women in math, and you could even do the history of math. Sophie Germain https://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/germain.htm was a French mathematician who taught herself during the French Revolutions, for an eg of a combination. You could also teach some aspects of history via math problems, such as population growth, distance problems (eg explorers, conquerors, kingdoms, empires, etc).

 

As for music, she might be a bit young for some of the concepts covered, but we love the songs in Doggone Math, Got Math & Do the Math. These aren't those boring math facts songs (okay, those can work well & we have them, but the tunes are so repetitive.)

 

Science can be done with math problems, too, particularly if you choose something like Chemistry.

[brownie]

Consider yourself blessed that the child loves math and is self-motivated. Let it go. As long as the child is learning to read, can print and is doing math (not a problem in your case), nothing else will matter down the road. At 7 history and science don't matter, nor do languages. Enforce 30minutes doing what you want to get done so she learns that you are in charge and she doesn't think she can do WHATEVER she wants and then let her go with the math. Math is hardly the same thing as playing with legos.

 

Brownie

[srs]

I would put it last, and then let her go with it, assuming it doesn't cause massive meltdowns if she gets overinvolved. My DD will do the hyperfocus thing, but it can mask other issues, like she will get hungry and ignore it and then totally lose it later.

[Donna]

I would do as some of the others have suggested and bring her other learning into the math realm...read math related books, learn about some history of mathematics, and I am sure you can find some science experiments with a math-y twist. We did this and still do this to some extent with my dd's interest in anything music-related.

 

At 7yo it is so easy to go off on their tangents, follow their bunny trails, and let them take in as much as they want. The interest may last or they may be one of those kids who jump from one area of interest to another. But I'd run with it. If you feel like you need her to do something else, maybe try to get that done first thing in the day and let the math be her "reward" for finishing the other subject(s).