What is going on here? 7 yo

[Halcyon]

My 7 yo is accelerated in math, and ONLY likes to do word problems. When faced with other sorts of problems, he intentionally rushes through them, refuses to show his work, amd then gets the answer wrong, and then has a meltdown when i tell him he needs to redo his work. Today, he worked on the end of chapters review (final review of all chapters) for mm and he got most of them wrong the first time, although he knows how to do the work. I asked him to do the work again, this time, please show your work and move slowly and carefully. Got a few more right, but really, just wanted to finish so he could return to his DIY.org project. Now, i encourage his love of projects, crafts, etc. he does a lot of them. A lot. Hours every day. And he only is required to do about 2-3 max hours of formal work a day, with some of this me reading to him, or drawing, or such.

 

Why wont he do the work correctly the first time, when he knows how to do it, and KNOWS, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he will need to repeat work he gets wrong?

 

Eta: this is a relatively new problem. He has never been totally gung ho about math, but that is mostlymbecause he would rather be doing his OWN projects at all time, and not do any formal school work. For example, he is writing a story for nanowrimo(obciously missed the deadline, but still plugging away), learning tesselations on his own, drawing Fibonacci trees relentlessly, teaching himself how to make eggs benedict, planted a flower garden in the yard yesterday......)

[acurtis75]

When dd was doing this I realized it was because I was moving too slowly. It was too easy and she was bored. What you describe is exactly what we were going through (minus the love for word problems...she just hated all math). After getting some input here we starting testing out of chapters and accelerating at a more rapid pace. Basically, I agreed to let her move faster/work less problems on a particular subject and she agreed to do her best and have a better attitude. It hasn't been a perfect solution but it's better. We also started supplementing with some stuff she considered fun a few days a week (LOF, beast academy, a book of algebra puzzles, etc)

[sunriseiz]

I don't have any brilliant ideas, but the problem is a bit too familiar. Actually, it sounds almost exactly like DD9yo :( DH does most of the schooling, but I definitely hear about it and see enough. I have tried to add a few "fun" things recently for DD9yo and DS7yo such as more word problems, LOF Fractions, Geometry for Every Kid (? van Cleave), Kenken and random brain teasers. I try to give here someithg small every day or 2. It seems to at least break up the monotony. I will be interested to hear what OPs say!!!

[Serenade]

My oldest son was like that, probably still is to a certain extent. I know when he was tested once (Woodcock Johnson) the test administrator was not concerned at all when he scored a lot higher on word problems than in any other type of math problem. She told me not to worry, and that eventually he would catch up in the other areas, because he understood the concepts well. And she was right. I think maybe with him, that he felt that solving word problems made more sense that solving a bunch of math calculations that were out of context -- just pure calculations for no reason perhaps didn't make sense to him. Part of his problem at that age was also that he didn't have all of his math facts memorized, so solving tons of calculations was quite tedious. In the context of a word problem, however, it made more sense to him and he could easily figure out the calculations without memorization.

[Crimson Wife]

Oldest DD dislikes straight-forward equations because she finds them boring and much prefers word problems and "puzzle" problems. I try to cut down on the number of basic equations I assign and substitute more intellectually engaging problems as much as possible. So when she was doing Singapore PM, she used the IP and CWP in lieu of the regular wb.

[Alte Veste Academy]

When dd was doing this I realized it was because I was moving too slowly. It was too easy and she was bored. What you describe is exactly what we were going through (minus the love for word problems...she just hated all math). After getting some input here we starting testing out of chapters and accelerating at a more rapid pace. Basically, I agreed to let her move faster/work less problems on a particular subject and she agreed to do her best and have a better attitude. It hasn't been a perfect solution but it's better. We also started supplementing with some stuff she considered fun a few days a week (LOF, beast academy, a book of algebra puzzles, etc)

Oldest DD dislikes straight-forward equations because she finds them boring and much prefers word problems and "puzzle" problems. I try to cut down on the number of basic equations I assign and substitute more intellectually engaging problems as much as possible. So when she was doing Singapore PM, she used the IP and CWP in lieu of the regular wb.

 

:iagree:

 

Fewer, harder problems is what worked here. The whiteboard and a rainbow of color choices didn't hurt either. I now put all CWP on the board, in colored markers, switching out the subject matter and names to relate to the the kids' current interests.

[8filltheheart]

I sit w/my 7 yr olds while they do their work, so it is a non-issue. I don't move from their side while they complete their school work. Mistakes are caught "in-progress" and sloppy work doesn't make it beyond a few pencil strokes before I make them erase and re-do it.

 

 

[Embassy]

Fewer, harder problems is what worked here. The whiteboard and a rainbow of color choices didn't hurt either.

 

:iagree:

 

When dd was doing this I realized it was because I was moving too slowly. It was too easy and she was bored.

 

:iagree:

 

I'd guess that it was too easy. If it is too easy then why the mistakes? My guess is that there isn't as much focus on problems that are too easy.

[acurtis75]

 

 

:iagree:

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

I'd guess that it was too easy. If it is too easy then why the mistakes? My guess is that there isn't as much focus on problems that are too easy.

 

 

In our situation, too easy means she is bored with it and therefore daydreaming about tinkerbell in the middle of a multi-step multiplication or division problem. I always sit with her while doing math and correct the problems as she makes errors. When it is too easy she just isn't engaged. I can see her drifting mentally in the middle of the problems. There's a fine line between too easy and too hard. I wouldn't say we've perfected it yet.

[Halcyon]

I cant say what he is doing is too easy. He just doesnt want to sit and think for a moment, he just wants to put something on the paper. I got frustrated today and made him redo him work twice, but i dont think that is the solution. Older would have straightened up quickly, but younger doesnt.

 

I think i will try fewer problems and see if that helps.

[blondeviolin]

What if you appealed to his creative side and had him write the answers in rainbow or a pattern of his own choosing? Or have him build each answer with lego blocks rather than write it down?

 

My oldest has days like this. For multi-step problems, she's busy staring out the window when decomposing a ten and forgets what she was doing so she's incorrect. (And then she has the drama of "It's TOO HARD!" even though she has completed such problems for the last month without issue. :glare:) Even if her answer is correct, she's usually written it sloppily. She likes to make shapes out of c rods or add curly endings to her numbers. Sometimes if I can get her to draw the answer with bubble numbers, it helps.

[rachsr]

I am interested in hearing from more people about this. My younger DS has a similar problem but its the opposite- he always wants me to sit with him and read thru the problem and explain what they are talking about. I am sure he can understand the SM 3 word problems but he often asks me to explain. If I send him back to work on his own its often work that is subpar - steps not shown or even just doing some random thing. Making him redo multiple times is not really helping he is my strong willed one.Hopefully its just a phase.

[rachsr]

What if you appealed to his creative side and had him write the answers in rainbow or a pattern of his own choosing? Or have him build each answer with lego blocks rather than write it down?

 

My oldest has days like this. For multi-step problems, she's busy staring out the window when decomposing a ten and forgets what she was doing so she's incorrect. (And then she has the drama of "It's TOO HARD!" even though she has completed such problems for the last month without issue. :glare:) Even if her answer is correct, she's usually written it sloppily. She likes to make shapes out of c rods or add curly endings to her numbers. Sometimes if I can get her to draw the answer with bubble numbers, it helps.

LOL I so relate to this we have faced this at our home as well. The drama of "Its too hard" is played out here as well - arguing how difficult it is for a 6yo to understand 3rd grade questions.

These days mine is trying to write what he thinks is "cursive" I let him just so that he completes his work and This makes him happy. So a little bit of give and take to keep peace.

[alwayslearning]

That's our scenario too - my oldest does not have the patience to do what he knows how to do without their being a purpose. Solving problems for the sake of solving problems drives him batty. (That is why worksheets have never worked for me). I have to it from the assessment approach ... I just need his cooperation so I can see that he really understands it. When he does, I say ok... can you show me this? When he doesn't, I say ... ok, you aren't getting this or you are right there, but I think this is still confusing you. Then we will do another one.

 

I do this for review and never review the same kind of problem more than a few times (in one session). If he can do it, I know he gets it, we move forward. We finally have a good attitude about math when we do this. I tell him if he gets something we don't have to dwell. It makes him a more eager learning - even if it is just so he doesn't have to do more routine problems, ha!

[boscopup]

I am interested in hearing from more people about this. My younger DS has a similar problem but its the opposite- he always wants me to sit with him and read thru the problem and explain what they are talking about. I am sure he can understand the SM 3 word problems but he often asks me to explain. If I send him back to work on his own its often work that is subpar - steps not shown or even just doing some random thing. Making him redo multiple times is not really helping he is my strong willed one.Hopefully its just a phase.

 

At age 6, my son had to have directions read to him also, even though his own reading level was 4th+ grade level. It wasn't a problem with understanding the words or anything. He just wanted Mom involved, I think. I sat with him for math at age 6 and 7. Now at 8, he's able to work on his own some, but I still need to be nearby.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I sit w/my 7 yr olds while they do their work, so it is a non-issue. I don't move from their side while they complete their school work. Mistakes are caught "in-progress" and sloppy work doesn't make it beyond a few pencil strokes before I make them erase and re-do it.

 

For how long do you do this? I mean, till what age/grade?

 

I have been trying to slowly wean dd10 from having me sit beside her when she does math - I wil be in the kitchen, or at the table in the same room, available for questions, but I'm trying to have her take a stab at things on her own first. Which she will do, but the thing is she likes to have immediate feedback, to know she has done something right before moving on, because she says she doesn't want to practice it wrong. Makes sense, but then I'm involved with every.single.question. Sometimes I feel like she's too dependent on me being there, I'm a crutch, and I worry she should be able to work more independently. But I do think immediate feedback and correction of mistakes is so much better than having a kid do a page wrong then have to go back and fix it . . .

[8filltheheart]

 

 

For how long do you do this? I mean, till what age/grade?

 

I have been trying to slowly wean dd10 from having me sit beside her when she does math - I wil be in the kitchen, or at the table in the same room, available for questions, but I'm trying to have her take a stab at things on her own first. Which she will do, but the thing is she likes to have immediate feedback, to know she has done something right before moving on, because she says she doesn't want to practice it wrong. Makes sense, but then I'm involved with every.single.question. Sometimes I feel like she's too dependent on me being there, I'm a crutch, and I worry she should be able to work more independently. But I do think immediate feedback and correction of mistakes is so much better than having a kid do a page wrong then have to go back and fix it . . .

 

 

Definitely K-2. In 3rd grade, it depends on what they are working on. Something new, I stay with them and watch. Review...I am nearby.

 

However, even when they are older, I often do the work at the same time or am working on something else nearby. For example, my 5th grade dd completes her math book work on her own, but she does HOE near me and we grade each problem as she finishes. Ditto to certain concepts that she might be struggling with (for example the first day she worked on multiplying fractions, I sat with her while she worked and had her explain to me what she was doing and why.)

 

For alg 1, geo, and alg 2, I typically sit w/them and do the math problems while they work them through. (especially geo proofs b/c it is easier for me to grade and understand mistakes or alternative methods when I know what they are doing.)

 

What I don't do is help them work through every problem. Tell them whether or not they are correct, yes, but beyond that, not unless they really need help b/c they are confused.

[Halcyon]

Do you think my son would like right start? I may just have to pull out our right start game box...i own it but we havent been using it to its full potential. He loves Speed! And games in general

[Woodland Mist Academy]

 

For alg 1, geo, and alg 2, I typically sit w/them and do the math problems while they work them through. (especially geo proofs b/c it is easier for me to grade and understand mistakes or alternative methods when I know what they are doing.)

 

What I don't do is help them work through every problem. Tell them whether or not they are correct, yes, but beyond that, not unless they really need help b/c they are confused.

 

This sounds like what we do. I don't see it as hindering her independence--in some ways it is actually fostering it.

[Halcyon]

Okay so today we changed things up. I wrote out the questions from the test on the whiteboard, one at a time, and he did great on all except one particular type of problem, which we will work on. I think having me sit next to him and dole out the questions, one at a time, is less overwhelming. Thanks everyone.