Just wow

[Mom-ninja.]

We took a little over a week off lessons. I gave my ds a review of the last 5 chapters in math. He BOMBED it. He spent 2 hours on it and still didn't finish. The review really shouldn't have taken more than 30 min. Plus, he got more problems wrong than right.

 

Obviously, I have just figured out that this kid needs spiral and not mastery. I don't want to change math programs because I like what we are using. I just need need to give him more review. As in every day. Cause his head is like a sieve. Apparently.

 

This is when I try not to feel like I'm failing. :banghead:

 

No, it's a new year and this little exercise has given me the opportunity to assist my ds in retaining what he has previously learned. (Still frustrating though)

[Arcadia]

My boys go into "brain freeze" if they have a one week break. How about giving your child the same test again another day.

[speedmom4]

Today was our first day back as well. My boys acted like they had been drugged! They could barely read between all the yawning. It took them forever to do their math facts practice! Good grief. It makes me not want to take breaks longer than two days. It just takes so much effort (and patience) to get some momentum back.

 

I so feel your pain!

 

Elise in NC

[FairProspects]

I've discovered this as well. Fortunately. I'm now learning to expect and plan for it after a break. Usually the concepts come back pretty quickly after a review though, since ds had learned them well previously. It just takes a bit to help him figure out where he stored the info and retrieve it in his brain. :)

[Mommy_of_4]

We only took about a week off and yesterday DS was totally out of it. I asked him what sound long U makes and he had no clue, even though he has known what sound it makes since he was 3 yrs old. I even said "Long U says its name. What sound does long U make?" He still had no clue. I finally told him and he said "Oh yea, duh!" LOL

[Ewe Mama]

I have learned that my kiddos cannot have more than a normal weekend off. That's why we school year-round, without breaks. Even on Christmas Day, they were doing flash cards with each other and watching a Magic School Bus DVD. We don't do a full workload, of course, but even just a smaller amount of work seems to help them retain a lot more in all their subjects.

 

Plus, it helps to keep them out of whiney mode because they have to do more work when they start whining.

[Lolly]

Maybe try doing a few days of review and retest. Sometimes, the brain just goes into overload shock and shuts down. I'm guessing you put too much shock on his system. So, review everything quickly. (You could use the test you gave him.) Make a new, but similar, test. And try it again. He may not have really lost everything. It just got buried. It may not take much digging to retrieve it!

[JessReplanted]

When we used Singapore Math, my son would do the same exact thing.

 

Now that we are using CLE though, he was able to just jump right back into it. (I love CLE math)

[Crimson Wife]

We do regular Singapore lessons M-Th, and then spend Fridays doing reviews and this has helped cut down on the "I know I learned this but now I can't remember" issues. They do the end-of-chapter reviews staggered 1 semester behind.

[Kuovonne]

Even on Christmas Day, they were doing flash cards with each other and watching a Magic School Bus DVD.

 

Lol! I thought I was the only mean mommy making kids do flashcards on Christmas day!

My kids also watched Magic School Bus on Christmas, but that's because it was a Christmas present.

 

I agree with limiting breaks on certain subjects. For my younger DD, that subject is spelling. For my older DD, that subject is math. Dd did okay taking Christmas day off from math, so I thought it would be okay to skip math on both New Years Eve and New Years Day. I found out this morning that was a mistake.

[mskelly]

Love this thread! I was just shocked this morning when we tried to do some work. I asked my son if he was just testing my patience or had he really forgotten so much. He laughed. He told me it was because we haven't done school in too long! HAHA! I guess no more breaks for that kid. His K brother didn't miss a beat though, he was even answering big brother's problems.

[kristinannie]

After he wrote about the ugliest word I have ever seen (in which it seemed like he didn't know why there were lines on the paper), he told me that he forgot how to write. And this was after a very long session of math in which he was making shooting noises while slamming the beads on the abacus while not at all listening to the numbers I was giving him to add. You have to love the first day back after a break. I hope tomorrow goes better!!!

[CyndiLJ]

We have been at it since July, and took 2 1/2 weeks off with a start back date next Monday. I am SO dreading it!! I know it will take us 2 weeks to get back in the groove. One son, in particular, I probably shouldn't have taken that much time off with, but I realized last year that I need a break even if they don't! Otherwise, we pretty much do year round with a week off here or there. Guess I'll be starting my own "Ugh!" thread Monday around 9:00 AM! Hahaha!

[Dmmetler]

I've learned never to test until the 2nd week back. It takes a few days for my DD to get back into a routine and shake the cobwebs out of her brain-even when she probably did about as many learning and educational activities over the break as she would have done at home.