I need math help for my 10yo.

[mazakaal]

I'm at my wits end with her. She's a bright girl, but it's definitely more creative than mathy. I started her out with Singapore Math and she hated it and didn't understand it. Then I tried MEP, but she didn't like it either. She didn't mind the worksheets so much, but she hated all the extra stuff that I was supposed to do with her from the teacher's guide. So then we switched to MM. She doesn't like it either, but I've dug my heels in and said that I don't want to switch to another program because she's already behind (two months into 5th grade and still doing MM4) and she seems to slip further behind every time that we switch programs. But now I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should switch her because she is going so slowly through MM that I'm afraid that she slipping further and further behind instead of catching back up to grade level. I am absolutely at my wits end. Should I stick with MM and just up her time (we usually do 30 minutes of math per day), which she would absolutely hate because she can barely handle the 30 minutes that we do now? Or do I switch to yet another program? And if so, which?

[I.Dup.]

We went through the same thing during 3rd and 4th with my now-10 year old. Finally she is caught up. We started with R&S, switched to Singapore (WAY over her head), then to MUS, and now finally to CLE.

 

CLE has been a great fit, and we worked through last summer to get her caught up. We will definitely be staying with CLE, but I totally understand the need to switch if something isn't working.

 

From what I understand, MM is very close to Singapore so it makes sense if Singapore was just way over her head that MM may be as well.

[wapiti]

It depends - what does she dislike about the math, specifically? When my kids tell me they "hate" something, either it's (a) boring, (b ) tedious, © it involves turning on their brains, or (d) they are having difficulty understanding. With regard to MM, some people dislike the page layout and the small increments of the lessons.

 

I would not switch unless/until you figure out what the issue is. You may also find that MM is pretty tweakable for certain issues, though it depends on the problem. For a bright kid, I'd make sure she's at the right place and not moving too slowly (I would not assign all the problems unless she needs that much repetition - the author recommends assigning some fraction of them. If you have been assigning all the problems, that could be a reason for the slow pace).

 

Whatever program you use, I'd probably increase to 45 minutes per day, even if that means breaking it up/adding another 15 minutes later in the day. Also, I would plan on math 2 to 3 times per week over the summer, both so that there's less forgetting and to make sure she catches up.

 

where is she in MM4?

[winoelle]

I had a similar experience with my dd who is 10 also and bright but not "mathy". We tried Singapore, I loved it, she cried every day. We tried supplementing with other programs, and then switched to Math Mammoth. Math Mammoth was better than Singapore, but still really slow going and some days a lot of tears. I don't think it teaches to the student adequately if that student is not math inclined. I am VERY "mathy", my undergraduate degree is mathematics, and sometimes I found the instructions a little baffling. I switched dd to CLE for fourth grade and it changed everything for us. She doesn't love it, but she gets it and we have worked up to grade level by going through the summer. I don't assign all the problems, I supplement with Beast Academy which is below grade level, but so challenging that it works (because she LOVES it). CLE gets the job done and she likes the straightforward way it presents everything. It isn't perfect, but it has made life a lot better and I am confident that she is learning what she needs to know.

 

Noelle

[mazakaal]

I have thought about switching to CLE in the past. It seems to be highly recommended by people here.

 

Wapiti, I think the problem is just that she doesn't understand it the way that it's taught there. I do have her do all the math problems because she seems to need the practice. It's hard to say exactly where she is in MM4 because someone here recommended a while ago letting dd choose which chapter she wanted to work in, giving her a bit more control. She had already finished chapters 1 & 2 last year. She's part way through ch3, has done a bit of ch4 and most of ch6. I've also taken a couple of breaks from MM this year to try to reinforce her multiplication facts which she struggles to remember.

[dereksurfs]

Another recommendation for CLE. We switched from MUS and also own MM. MM just never really seemed to fit for any of our children as good as it sounded. MUS is about as straight forward as it gets if a child thrives with mastery as our son did. However our daughters didn't like it as much. So we switched them over to CLE and they seem to be doing much better with CLE's approach.

 

Whether you switch again or stay on course is really up to you. That's always a tough decision. I think it boils down to the child and the possible reasons for not liking or doing well in their current program. Do they simply not like math as a subject or does the material itself not really work for them? If you suspect the latter is true then it doesn't hurt to at least have her try CLE or another option such as R&S or MUS. Sometimes letting a child test the waters first helps them to gain a sense of ownership if/when you do switch. At that point they seem to become more committed even not their favorite subject.

 

IMO its better for them to be somewhat behind and enjoying math rather than hating their daily math tasks. You can also work harder to catch up by doubling up on lessons for a season or simply spending more time devoted to math until grade level skill is achieved. We had to do that with our middle daughter after switching to CLE and now she is just about caught up.

[Alicia64]

I have twin nine year olds and a mom friend w/ an 11 year old girl (who is also creative) was raving about Teaching Textbooks. So we switched from Math U See which was working, but very dry, to Teaching Textbooks. It ramps up slowly so at first you'll think, "My kid will be so far behind!" But over time it gets into the meat of the math for the particular school year.

 

One of my boys is on the gifted spectrum and one fights math like crazy. Both love Teaching Textbooks. Just fyi: I also pair it with time spent each day on Xtramath.com so they can practice their math facts.

 

My husband used to work w/ a math major who said learning those facts is everything when it comes time to successfully do the higher maths.

 

Alley

[NotSoObvious]

Yep, sorry, another CLE recommendation here! My verrrrrry creative, language-focused child loves CLE. She is a perfectionist and a little OCD with her work. CLE is gentle and truly spiral, so she always feels confident in about 90% of the lesson. She needs that. Just make sure to supplement with other things like Dreambox, CWP, games, etc. to make sure she is grasping concepts.

[1pageatatime]

:iagree: Same here! Be sure to take the placement test. Then get her going for a few weeks, then gently start accelerating her by skipping quizzes, review sections she knows(like every other lesson), or doing every other problem.

 

A common obstacle for kids & CLE, is that it's 4 pages long. BUT, it is SO nicely spaced and easy on the eyes. It's not like a MM page x 4. ;)

[LearningMomm]

We absolutely love MUS Pre-Algebra! I teach it to my dd10 though instead of relying on the DVD teacher like some. She still also needs manipulatives so we use them. We supplement with LoF and any other fun stuff I find. Before this year we used a lot of different resources and I taught her. I haven't personally used the lower levels but I probably would like them too. Their scope & sequence is different then most but I think that's an advantage in your position so you can revisit topics that she is struggling with and you can easily complete two levels in a year if needed. Personally I'd switch to something else if MM is not working.

[2squared]

While I have no experience with any of the curriculum listed, I do have a bright 10yo dd who is not naturally mathy. She is successful with math when I teach her directly and when I sit next to her as she does her work. Also, working problems on a white board seems to be easier than using paper. :bored: My dd is not successful (yet) working by herself. She is very capable of working by herself ability-wise, but she clearly has a mental block about math. Before switching curriculum again, I would try working more closely with her to see if that helps.

[thebacabunch]

I do a lot of supplementing for math. It is my dd12's least favorite subject. First of all we do an hour a day minimum. I set a timer (which stops if she does). That hour includes textbook (we use singapore), supplement (lof), math games like yahtzee, war, 21, or online math games, and math literature like the grapes of math. We also watch "stem"y documentaries about math and science. My dd went through crying jags, tantrums, curriculum changes, pleading, begging, etc. She finally realized that I meant business. I also show her what she has to learn to be on grade level (she doesn't want to be behind). Good luck! Teaching your kid a subject they don't like can be torture for both.

[mazakaal]

Thanks for all the responses. I'll have another look at CLE. Part of my problem is that I just dread switching programs mid-year and having to pay international shipping. I wish I had made this decision last June when I was ordering curriculum.

 

I will up her time for math as well. It's just so hard fitting everything in as it is, I don't really want to add to our school day, but I guess it has to be done.

[dereksurfs]

Thanks for all the responses. I'll have another look at CLE. Part of my problem is that I just dread switching programs mid-year and having to pay international shipping. I wish I had made this decision last June when I was ordering curriculum.

 

I will up her time for math as well. It's just so hard fitting everything in as it is, I don't really want to add to our school day, but I guess it has to be done.

 

 

If you have her try out a CLE sample and she likes it then you will have her attention. It is at that time that you can basically tell her that *if* you decide to switch she will have to work extra hard to catch up. And either way she will need to put in more time as math is a very important subject.

 

Sometimes you have to get back to the basics - the three Rs. Then let otherwise good things be placed on hold for a season until the fundamental areas are strengthened. We had to simplify and let a few go for a time to focus more on math ourselves. For me math is numero uno even when not a favorite subject. While many of the other subjects can be learned in latter years math is one which is hard to just pick up if a child is weak there. They typically have to go back before going ahead since much of math builds upon itself over years of study and hard work.