kwickimom Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 We have been doing MM since 3rd grade. She has never done that great because she hates math and is not strong in it. We have spent 4 weeks reviewing MM4 because she didn't remember anything and now I am grading each worksheet we do in 5A and she is getting a big fat F. She retains nothing and we go over and over and over the stuff and she just cant get it. I am sick of Math taking forever with no retention. She cannot read the directions and do what it says. Part of it is her attitude and part is the fact that she needs constant review (as in daily) or she forgets it. I hate to buy another math program but obviously I need to. What do I buy? I am sick of Math and researching curricula and I just need someone to point me in the right direction before I go insane. thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 I'd recommend CLE in this case. It has plenty of daily review, clear instructions, easy to use, and it often turns around math-hating kids. My friend's DD was terrified if you asked her in 3rd grade what 2+3 was. Now in 5th grade, she's about to move into the CLE 500 level (they started with 200 partway through 3rd grade and have been playing catchup), and she now is GOOD at math and has confidence. She even LIKES math. Totally opposite of what she was before she started CLE. My friend had tried MM3 with her, and it was like a deer in headlights. Just not a good fit. ETA: Even working about 1/2 a grade level behind in CLE, she still scored well in math on her standardized testing last year. Very well. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 We use a series called "Math Minutes" for a daily review of math. It takes a minute or two and is just a mixed review... very non-threatening for non-math-lovers. You might consider pairing it with whatever program you decide on. Have you looked into "Jump Math"? It goes back and reviews basic concepts such as counting and adding, but on an age-appropriate level (so she could be in the 5th grade book and not feel like she was doing 'baby' stuff). This is from the 4th grade book. http://jumpmath1.org/sites/default/files/JUMP%20Math%20CC%20Ed%20AP%20Book%204-1%20Sample.pdf Another program you might consider is "Knowing Mathematics" by Liping Ma. It is also aimed at 4-6th graders who are struggling with math. You can pick up used copies on amazon for cheap. I've never seen it in person, but I respect Liping Ma's work. Finally, I've had success using the "Key to..." series for fractions and decimals and percents with kids who are overwhelmed by multiple steps to problems. It's not as conceptual as I'd like it, but it is very gentle and incremental. And cheap -- so you could try one of the worktexts for just a few dollars to see if you like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 (edited) Does she have trouble reading and following directions in other subjects or just math? My older dd went through a math-hate more than once and refused to understand the directions in math, but that is different than not being able to follow directions. My younger has vision problems and does math better orally and better one little topic at a time over and over. So, does she have trouble reading and following directions or does she have problems with math? Edited October 10, 2012 by Karen in CO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplyme99 Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 :grouphug: I don't really have any advice, but I can say I have your daughter's twin in my house :D. My 5th grader hates math too and has struggled a lot! She still has not memorized her multiplication tables, which hurts her performance greatly. We just started on Teaching Textbooks (like yesterday) after reading many, many great reviews here and elsewhere. I am also working with her on memorizing her facts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 She sounds like my dd. I think I have used just about every mastery-type program with her, because that's what I would like. But I finally I came to the conclusion that she needs a spiral program, so she gets more review of past concepts, and doesn't get bored with a month or two of the same subject. Right now we're doing MEP. It's very teacher intensive, but that's probably a good thing with her right now. I'm still in the honeymoon stage with it, so I'll spare you the gushing. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 Does she have trouble reading and following directions in other subjects or just math? My older dd went through a math-hate more than once and refused to understand the directions in math, but that is different than not being able to follow directions. My younger has vision problems and does math better orally and better one little topic at a time over and over. So, does she have trouble reading and following directions or does she have problems with math? She isn't great at following instructions in other subjects but she can. She is scatterbrained and has to concentrate but in subjects she loves, like in Science, I don't have to help her read the directions. She can grasp a topic in math and then forget it the next day. I do try and go over and over it while going forward a little too but we could literally get stuck on a topic for weeks then. I think maybe at least trying a new program, one that is spiral might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebacabunch Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 Have you tried math games? Or math literature? Maybe supplement with Life of Fred? My daughter struggles with memorizing mult tables so we do a lot of math games and even go outside and bounce a giant ball back and forth to see how far we can get in our x's tables (like I will bounce the ball to her and say 6. She will bounce it back and say 12 until one of us misses. We start over until someone misses again.) We also just review about 4 times tables a day with flash cards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 I'd recommend CLE in this case. It has plenty of daily review, clear instructions, easy to use, and it often turns around math-hating kids. My friend's DD was terrified if you asked her in 3rd grade what 2+3 was. Now in 5th grade, she's about to move into the CLE 500 level (they started with 200 partway through 3rd grade and have been playing catchup), and she now is GOOD at math and has confidence. She even LIKES math. Totally opposite of what she was before she started CLE. My friend had tried MM3 with her, and it was like a deer in headlights. Just not a good fit. ETA: Even working about 1/2 a grade level behind in CLE, she still scored well in math on her standardized testing last year. Very well. :) :iagree: Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but CLE really changed the game here. We've even tried MM as a subject supplement over the summer and it was a terrible experience, much like Singapore & Saxon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rootsnwings Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Well I have to vouch for your daughter! Fifth grade math is hard! And confusing! All of a sudden they are thrown from the basic arithmetic operations into fractions, decimals & percentages!! It's really a lot of tedious work! We did Singapore 5A & 5B last year (just finished 5B) and it was tough but Singapore just CLICKS with my oldest! I know MUS moves VERY slowly and has a lot of review (it's a mastery program so they do the same thing everyday, all year). It also comes with manipulatives to show them, concretely, why the math works. Rightstart math is another great manipulative (& game!) based program I am using with my younger son. He is learning math with the alabacus and it is completely amazing FOR ME. I never knew how an abacus worked til we started RS, but you can use an abacus to teach up to highschool level math...!!! Maybe look into some of those options? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Have her try the TT sample online. My son loved it and asked me to get it for him, we have had smooth math time since. When did you start with her? Was it 3rd grade? I am asking as I started homeschooling my son in 3rd grade. We did SM to start, and we found so many holes in ds's math education. So we tried MM, and a few other things. I finally read this blog post http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/124221.html I had ds try the online sample, ordered it, installed it on the computer and other than scrolling through the scores once a week to make sure he was doing the work, I took a 3 month break from teaching him math and let the computer do it. We were both happier. That break then led both of us to not dread math. We then discovered LOF and BA which we do as supplements to TT as spine. I don't think we could be doing "fun" math without TT doing the spine. With dd I am doing Miquon and eventually will do SM with her as I think it is more rigorous (I am NOT saying TT is behind, I think it is right on level, it is just not ahead) and as I am homeschooling her from the start that should work. I would have loved for ds to not have had all the problems, but, I really hated him hating Math. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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