Shellydon Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Just wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I started with a 4th grader, who is now a 5th grader. We do math for an hour every day. But, we don't do the same thing for the whole hour, usually. I have found that if we break things up - do different activities - we can sustain attention on math much longer than if we just plug along at one thing. Last year in 4th she did 2 pages of MM and 3 LOF elementary chapters 4x per week (that took an hour). This year, 4 days a week she does a MM lesson, which can be 2-4 p long. On rare days that takes the whole hour - today being an example :glare:, but yesterday it only took 20 minutes. So she spent the rest of the hour doing some CWP and HOE word problems. The 5th day each week she does LOF (just finishing Fractions) - usually 2 or 3 chapters, and then still has time for some HOE or Zacarro challenge math or something else. Variety is the spice of life and all . . . ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I schedule an hour for everyone for math and always have. Depending on their age they may work on just one concept for that whole hour and then spend the next day on the same concept (9th grade) or they may work on a new concept then some review, or they may spend their time doing new and old concepts and then games or flashcards (1st grade). I would say that for 3rd, 4th and 5th my dc spent\spend about 15-30 minutes learning about and practicing a new concept then spend the rest of the hour doing other math things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swiegers Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I have a 3rd grader and math takes between 45mins to an hour every day. We have had longer days, but those were the times when she spent too much time daydreaming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 40-60 minutes. She does Singapore, Beast Academy, Primary Grade Challenge Math, and Crewton Ramone stuff so it's not always the same old thing every day. And sometimes we just play math games or make up hard problems to do on the white board. I don't have a set time. We just go until one of us wants to stop... unless she wants to stop because she doesn't want to put any effort into solving a difficult problem. Then I make her work through it because we don't quit when things get hard! It usually works out to be about an hour or less, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePW Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I am using Singapore Math (standards) with a 2nd and 5th grader. Today my 5th grader was doing a couple of pages of review, it took him 45 mins to an hour, but mainly because he was arguing and had a bit of a melt down in the middle of it (tired, not math related really) :) If he had just got on and done the work it would have taken less than 30 mins. Todays pages for the 2nd grader involved some simple multiplication and it took him about 15 mins. It can take longer when we are introducing new and more difficult concepts, but I usually cap it at about and hour because they start to lose focus and it just becomes difficult for all involved. I would say we average about 30 - 45 mins per day, sometimes less, the 2nd grader has less to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I have between 30 minutes and an hour scheduled (for all of mine--1st through 6th grade), depending on the day. My 4th grader rarely works on his main math (Singapore 4a) for an entire hour, though. If he burns out, or if he's finishes an exercise with extra time left, he works on multiplication tables (hot dots) or does some Brain Pop math, or we do Beast Academy for awhile, or some other math activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Ds is older 2nd grader (due to b-day and cut-off) and doing 3rd grade Math. He does 1 hr daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Usually about 45-60 minutes for 4th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelsi Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 My 3rd grader does 2 MUS worksheets a day. Takes him about 7-8 minutes. Sometimes he chooses to do Beast Academy instead but even that only takes him maybe 20 minutes to 2-4 pages. He's super mathy and always just gets it right away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Dd (4th grade) takes any where from 1/2-1hr a day. She is doing Saxon 76. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheApprentice Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 We are using MM4. If the lesson is 2 pages, he does the entire thing, no matter how long it takes him (with breaks if necessary). If the lesson is 3 pages, he does the first two pages one day, and the third page the following day (how ever long that takes him). Math facts review daily. He is usually done within an hour, usually less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 My 3rd grader spends 40 minutes, plus a 5 minute flash card drill with me. My 5th grader spends an hour and ten minutes, plus a 3 minute worksheet drill later in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccolopy Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Anywhere from 20-40 minutes for my 3rd grade DD. She's using MUS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petepie2 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 My 3rd grader takes an hour for math. She's doing Rod&Staff 4 and occasionally some Singapore math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 My 4th grader takes one hour, sometimes longer per day. We use Horizons math plus CWP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 About an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 (edited) Geez, I shouldn't even open these threads. No one else has attentional issues? How do you get your 8 y.o. to focus on math for a solid hour? That is so far beyond my reality that it is crazy. ETA: Plus, logistically how does this work out? If you spend an hour on math, then I would need at least an 1.5-2 hr for LA, plus another hour for the K'er and we're up to 4 hrs of work per day w/o any extras at all. Add in science or history and we are looking at 5 solid hours of school everyday w/o breaks. When I put breaks in like lunch, recess, etc. we're at 6 hours at least just like PS. Are people really putting that in everyday? Are the kids doing this math on their own? Are there no other kids to school? What about meltdowns that derail everything and add an extra hour to the day? Sorry, if I sound frustrated, this has been an incredibly tough year so far and I can't figure out how to manage it any better. Edited October 30, 2012 by FairProspects Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jane Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 (edited) It depends on the kids and the grade - I think there's a difference between 3rd-5th Last year my 5th grader easily spent an hour or more. My current 4th grade daughter spends 30 minutes on her main math and 30 minutes on supplemental math. My special needs son (technically in 4th) spends 20 minutes and 15 minutes later on in the day on supplemental or fun stuff. It also depends on the day. Edited October 30, 2012 by Just Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Third graders. It varies. I aim for 30 mins to an hour every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jane Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Geez, I shouldn't even open these threads. No one else has attentional issues? How do you get your 8 y.o. to focus on math for a solid hour? That is so far beyond my reality that it is crazy. ETA: Plus, logistically how does this work out? If you spend an hour on math, then I would need at least an 1.5-2 hr for LA, plus another hour for the K'er and we're up to 4 hrs of work per day w/o any extras at all. Add in science or history and we are looking at 5 solid hours of school everyday w/o breaks. When I put breaks in like lunch, recess, etc. we're at 6 hours at least just like PS. Are people really putting that in everyday? Are the kids doing this math on their own? Are there no other kids to school? What about meltdowns that derail everything and add an extra hour to the day? Sorry, if I sound frustrated, this has been an incredibly tough year so far and I can't figure out how to manage it any better. Don't compare, do what works for you and your kids. If you're moving forward that's all that matters. I'm sorry your having a tough year. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 My 3rd grader does 60 mins/4 days a week as after schooler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Jo Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 30-45 min for my 5th grader, probably 20-30 min for my 3rd grader. Even though today they were listening (and participating) in each other's lessons, so it was longer. I try not to let it drag on, and I look for other opportunities to bring up math IRL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoGal Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 It varies, but I would say about 30 minutes per day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 30-45 minutes for 3rd grade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama25angels Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 30-45 min. for 4th grade, sometimes he goes longer, especially if it's game day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Middle Girl does an insane amount of math: depending on the day, up to 3 hours, but not all at once, and not more than 30-40 minutes of "lesson-y" math. "Math" can include morning Daddy math (usually some fun new concept - this morning it was finding powers in non-base-10 systems), math team once a week, arithmetic, or post-lesson Alcumus, as well as her regular AoPS lesson of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 (edited) Geez, I shouldn't even open these threads. No one else has attentional issues? How do you get your 8 y.o. to focus on math for a solid hour? That is so far beyond my reality that it is crazy. ETA: Plus, logistically how does this work out? If you spend an hour on math, then I would need at least an 1.5-2 hr for LA, plus another hour for the K'er and we're up to 4 hrs of work per day w/o any extras at all. Add in science or history and we are looking at 5 solid hours of school everyday w/o breaks. When I put breaks in like lunch, recess, etc. we're at 6 hours at least just like PS. Are people really putting that in everyday? Are the kids doing this math on their own? Are there no other kids to school? What about meltdowns that derail everything and add an extra hour to the day? Sorry, if I sound frustrated, this has been an incredibly tough year so far and I can't figure out how to manage it any better. :grouphug: Well, I'm just hs-ing one; I have only 1 child at home from 8-2:30. So that makes it a lot easier. But yeah, it is 5 solid hours of school every day. I take dd6 to school at 8, come home and eat some breakfast/check the boards while dd9 is eating, then we start school and go from 8:40-2 with a 20 min break after math and a 1 hour break at lunch, (so 4 hours) and then try to do another hour of either history or science, including dd6, in the later afternoon. Then it's dd6's homework, then it's time to start dinner . . . It is gruelling, and I get pretty much nothing else done all day, but I do recognize that it is infinitely easier than what people are doing who hs multiple kids. So kudos & all. :) ETA: also, I could not possibly sustain attention this long without changing up what we are working on - this is a big part of why we do 2 core programs and 2+ supplements . . . we can do a lot more math if we switch up than if we tried to do 1 thing for a whole hour. Edited October 31, 2012 by rroberts707 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Geez, I shouldn't even open these threads. No one else has attentional issues? How do you get your 8 y.o. to focus on math for a solid hour? That is so far beyond my reality that it is crazy. ETA: Plus, logistically how does this work out? If you spend an hour on math, then I would need at least an 1.5-2 hr for LA, plus another hour for the K'er and we're up to 4 hrs of work per day w/o any extras at all. Add in science or history and we are looking at 5 solid hours of school everyday w/o breaks. When I put breaks in like lunch, recess, etc. we're at 6 hours at least just like PS. Are people really putting that in everyday? Are the kids doing this math on their own? Are there no other kids to school? What about meltdowns that derail everything and add an extra hour to the day? Sorry, if I sound frustrated, this has been an incredibly tough year so far and I can't figure out how to manage it any better. --I give my younger two kids some fun independent workbooks to start the day, and I start working with my 4th grader teaching him math and grammar for 30 minutes. --I leave my 4th grader to do his math and grammar exercises independently, and then I go to work with my younger two kids on their math and grammar. I teach each of them one at a time, and then let each one finish the exercises independently. --Math and grammar thus take 1.5 hours. --After a break, we do writing and spelling the same way which takes about one hour. --After a break and lunch, I have two at the kitchen table working independently on workbooks (handwriting, vocabulary, reading comprehension, logic), and I have one reading aloud to me for 15 minutes. Then we rotate until all have read with me and finished their workbooks. This takes about 45 minutes. --After another break, we spend the last 75-90 minutes on our "extras". That for us is memory work, history, and a once per week topic (music, science, geography, civics, or art). Add that up, and we work on school about 4-4.5 hours per day of academic time, but with breaks we end up doing school from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. I think that I do quite a bit of the extras, but still we don't do more than 4.5 hours of academic work per day. If I cut out the extras, it would be less. If anyone has a meltdown, then he will do his work for "homework" after school time is over, thus missing out on free/play time. The threat of "homework" usually always does the trick of helping my kids focus. IMO school needs to take this long at least around 3rd grade and up. I don't think I would be giving my kids a quality education if I spent significantly less time than I currently do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 My kids took 15 mins on a good day and 1hr or more on a bad day for math for 3rd grade to 5th grade. That is counting just school work. They can spend as much time as they like on math enrichment. Geez, I shouldn't even open these threads. No one else has attentional issues? How do you get your 8 y.o. to focus on math for a solid hour? That is so far beyond my reality that it is crazy. My turning 8 does not focus on math for a solid hour. Thats why it takes an hour instead of 15 mins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Geez, I shouldn't even open these threads. No one else has attentional issues? How do you get your 8 y.o. to focus on math for a solid hour? That is so far beyond my reality that it is. My oldest dd is in 3rd grade. My goal with her is a 20 minute lesson and then 30 minutes of work for her to do on her own. Unfortunately she can drag it out for hours. She can sit at her desk for 2 hours without doing a single problem, and then will whine about how boring it is. To get through a single Singapore lesson (textbook and workbook) it can take 2-3 hours with constant pushing from me - especially if we are working on subtraction or division. It's painful. I am having a terrible time motivating her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 My ds is older than that, but when he was in 3rd, we did about 15 minutes together and then (at another time) he did about 15 minutes of independent work. By 5th grade it had increased to about 20 minutes together and 20-30 minutes of independent work. So about 30 minutes in 3rd and 40-50 in 5th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 usually 30-45 minutes, occasionally an hour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 (edited) At those ages: Older son: 2 hours Younger son: 30-40 minutes Edited October 31, 2012 by EKS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Geez, I shouldn't even open these threads. No one else has attentional issues? How do you get your 8 y.o. to focus on math for a solid hour? That is so far beyond my reality that it is crazy. :grouphug: Math is mostly games and problem-solving, in short bursts, for us. And Middle Girl is nearly 10; there was a big leap forward in ability to focus about a year ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 My turning 8 does not focus on math for a solid hour. Thats why it takes an hour instead of 15 mins. Yep. DS is the same way. 1 hr math time usually including chatting about school, (we are afterschooler) and go to bathroom couple times. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 My kids took 15 mins on a good day and 1hr or more on a bad day for math for 3rd grade to 5th grade. My turning 8 does not focus on math for a solid hour. Thats why it takes an hour instead of 15 mins. My oldest dd is in 3rd grade. My goal with her is a 20 minute lesson and then 30 minutes of work for her to do on her own. Unfortunately she can drag it out for hours. She can sit at her desk for 2 hours without doing a single problem, and then will whine about how boring it is. To get through a single Singapore lesson (textbook and workbook) it can take 2-3 hours with constant pushing from me - especially if we are working on subtraction or division. It's painful. I am having a terrible time motivating her. Yep. DS is the same way. 1 hr math time usually including chatting about school, (we are afterschooler) and go to bathroom couple times. :glare: Ok, this is making me feel better. I was only thinking of time on task. :grouphug: Math is mostly games and problem-solving, in short bursts, for us. And Middle Girl is nearly 10; there was a big leap forward in ability to focus about a year ago. There is hope then! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joani Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 8yo 3rd grader in MM 4a - 30-45 minutes (1 section) 9.5yo 4th grader in MM 4b - 45-60 minutes (1-2 sections) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 DD 5th does math lesson with me for about 20-40 minutes (we go until we get to a good point of understanding) and then later does 15-30 min (however long it takes her) of work on her own in the workbook. We use SM. In 4th is was about the same, although I do spend a little bit longer on lesson/explanations this year than last. Having the workbook as a separate task is useful for two reason, IMO. First, your brain comes back to the concepts after a break from math - it's like having two mini lessons. Second, DD is ADD and her focus starts to go at about 20 or 30 minutes so we keep it short and sweet (any longer and she wouldn't understand or retain). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyrobynne Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 My 3rd grader spends about 45 min on math. We recently switched from Saxon 5/4 to Singapore and Beast Academy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I set the timer for 40 minutes for my 3rd grader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Thanks everyone. I was told that 45 minutes was WAY too long for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade and that 20 minutes was plenty. Glad to see that our 45 minutes is pretty typical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 It takes FOREVER for my 4th grader to finish his math. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, but he doesn't like math and is already easily distracted. I have him do two pages of MUS each day and he probably could do a page of long division is about 25 minutes, but it takes him much longer. Math is the reason we get behind in other subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 My 5th grader takes about 40-50 min for math daily. It isn't timed. She has a certain amount of work to complete and it takes her however long it takes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzielou Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 We were spending around an hour to two hours with math each day with Saxon in the older grades (sometimes three depending on the day), but we switched this March to MUS. I wasn't fully on board with it until I gave it a try, and have loved the switch. DS11 switched from Algebra 1/2 to Pre-Algebra and while he had an A in Algebra 1/2, I wasn't sure he really "got it." He gets it with MUS and we have went down to an hour or less for Math each day. Switching from Saxon 2-Saxon 3 to MUS also cut our time down. We spend 30 minutes for Math for my DD8 and DS6 and then DS11 takes about 45 (less if he doesn't dawdle). I have an hour on his schedule, though, in case he needs it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 3rd grader spends 20-45 minutes, depending on topic. If it's easy, I might have him do 2 lessons and maybe add in something else that day so he's at least getting 30 minutes of math. I aim for 30-45 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 I've never really thought about how long math takes us, and we are doing math only two days a week because of my part time work schedule. My boys are 4th and 6th grade and using SM - just the texts and workbooks, not any other of the supplementary materials. Some days I'm sure math takes 30 minutes and some days it takes an hour and a half. However, that is rare. They are both very naturally gifted at math (particularly my 4th grader), and they are both learning the concepts and able to continue to advance in the program. I call this successful. I think the answers to this question will vary widely for so many reasons. Some people set aside a particular amount of time daily and fill it with math. Some people have a child who dawdles (so common at these ages) or who needs a great deal of help or repetition in order to understand a concept. My boys are neither dawdlers nor in the category of needing a great deal of help so math does not take a long time to accomplish what is needed. If I didn't work part time, I would likely schedule in a bit more math...but maybe not. My boys are mastering the concepts just fine so I am comfortable with the approach we are taking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 30-40 minutes. My dd is whipping right through Horizon's Grade 4. It wasn't always so. A couple of years ago, math was a painful process which took over an hour! Thankfully, I have a certified teacher evaluate our work each year and I finally asked her about our difficulties in getting through math. She gave us the most wonderful advice for which I am continually thankful. First of all, she loves Horizon Math, praises it highly and told me not to switch until I have to. Secondly, she told me that if my dd absolutely knows the concept in the exercises, it was perfectly fine to do only a portion of the exercises assigned. So, now if the 4-digit addition section has 10 problems, I only have dd do 5 and so forth. If she makes a mistake, I make her go back and do the rest she didn't do the first time (hardly ever happens -- incentive). However, if a section is teaching a new concept, I go over that concept with her, do a problem or two with her, and then have her do all the problems. Now, dd and I go over her math pages together, mark about half the exercises as long as she knows the concepts and move on. This has saved us about 1/2 hour a day and dd is thrilled. Math is no longer a headache for me or a crying session for dd. She actually LIKES math now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 My 3rd graders do no more than 30 min of math a day, 4th grader is about 45 min, and 5th grade is 60 min. My kids use RightStart and Singapore Challenging Word Problems. I expect #2 to be quicker than my oldest, so those times are the max. I, personally, believe in the CM short lesson philosophy. My kids will focus for shorter lessons but they loose efficiency and effectiveness with longer lessons. One of the reasons I picked RS math over other options was that the time-on-task seem to be shorter than other programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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