My 6yo hates math... need help/curriculum

[hollyh]

Well, I'm ashamed to admit that my 6yo detests math.  Being a former PS teacher, it's even more embarrassing - you would think I would be able to figure out a way to present info to her in some way that would spark her interest!  On top of that, her dad is a math teacher! LOL.   :rofl:  I totally get that she is her own person and am grateful for where her talents lie- she is very gifted in Language Arts and other areas.  Basically any other subject she LOVES and excels in.  I'm just stuck b/c I don't like that she has such a negative attitude so early on for learning (granted, only this subject, but still...).  Her reasoning is that math makes her "think" and she doesn't like to do so.  :tongue_smilie:  I know that for her every other subject is interesting and has come easily (very early reader, etc.), so part of it is just the fact that she is challenged.

 

She is starting 1st grade right now.  She has about 3 weeks left of 1B to finish and then I assumed we would move onto 2A.  I did purchase RS B before but with 3 more little ones under foot, I just couldn't get to it.  It was too time intensive.  However, math lessons are really dragging at this point because she dawdles and doesn't pay attention, so maybe I might as well do that. :glare: I don't believe it is too hard for her at all.  I think, as she said, it makes her think, and she is annoyed at that.  I have to sit with her to help her through each problem on the worksheets.  I'm not actually doing them, but she needs the redirection and confidence of having me there or she will just draw on her paper. What do you think I should do?

 

We did just take a 2 month break from math for the summer (although I don't usually recommend that) and I thought we would have to backtrack quite a bit.  She was able to pick up right where she left off.  A little rusty on her math facts but I know they will come to her quickly.  I was hoping that the time off would improve her attitude... not so much.

 

Is there a different program you think might fit her better?  She loves Miquon's C-rods (and uses those as her main manipulative), but doesn't seem to like the worksheets.  She seems to like games, but when it is clearly a math game, she gets annoyed.  We have a few LOF books that she seems to enjoy reading somewhat, but doesn't want to do the math in them.  She doesn't even like me to do simple kitchen-like math with her.  I feel like I have ruined her attitude toward math forever, and I'm not even sure how.

 

 

[lorisuewho]

Does she like to do "work" in other areas. . .is she okay with having to think and things not coming quickly in other areas? Or is it just math?

 

I'm wondering if it is math or if it is work itself?

 

Sometimes a curriculum doesn't mesh with a child, but sometimes it wouldn't matter what curriculum was used. I wouldn't be quick to switch around programs, but I might try different approaches instead. .. adding manipulatives more, working through problems together on a white board, jumping up and down or racing around the room as a reward for problems solved, etc.

 

I think no matter what program you use it is going to require a lot of you (and it sounds like you already feel a little thin spread) at age 6. I find having lots of littles challenging.

[umsami]

Try some of the Right Start B.  It's fully scripted, which helps.  There's not a lot of writing which might help as well.

 

Another option to consider is that you don't really need a curriculum for 1st grade.  You could do the Miquon Orange book.  You could also just let her experiment.  If she leaves the year knowing basic addition up to 10s, her doubles, and some basic subtraction, shapes, calendar stuff, she'll be fine.   You can print worksheets off the web of things she struggles with.  

[freesia]

I can commiserate! I, too, am a former primary teacher. The parents would rave about how I made the kids love math, but,yes, my kids all tell me they hate it. For the same reason as your dd. (And dh was a certified math teacher at one time!)

 

One thing that I've done that has helped at the age your child is, is to back up a bit. She is "ahead" in math and there is a developmental leap that happens around 7 or 8 that makes certain concepts easier to learn. It's not that she couldn't do it earlier, it's that it's harder earlier and easier later, iykwim. Singapore, imo (I use 1-2), does require alot of abstract manipulation at a young age. I suggest taking a bread from Singapore and play games with her to consolidate the concepts and let her brain grow up. You have nothing to loose and could gain a great deal. I've done this with both my sons. My oldest was ahead and I slowed him down and did another curriculum. He was no longer "ahead" but later skipped sixth grade math so ended up in the same place.

[Ellie]

Do you actually do Miquon with her, or do you just give her the worksheets?

 

Maybe she just really doesn't like the math materials you're using to teach her with.

 

What about Don Potter's math? Which really isn't *his*; he just put it on his website, lol.

[SorrelZG]

I went through the same thing with my oldest but during kindergarten. He was actually beyond first grade math. We skipped over a lot so he wouldn't have to endure so much because sometimes it's suggested that since they are obviously ahead, they might actually be bored. That may have sometimes been the case but most of the time, he just didn't want to think about it - not even basic thinking, not challenging thinking and not either kind of thinking for even ten minutes a day. I got burned out and started hating math myself.

 

Right about then someone asked me to consider leaving off the formal math. That was very much against my grain but I was too exhausted at that point to resist the persuasion. For the next year and a half I didn't go "formal math" free but it was much more relaxed and nothing was consistent over a long term besides regular word problems and mental math and talking about math as it came and he was interested (time, money, weight, measurement, etc.). Now he is in 2nd and didn't suffer from this period. He has matured greatly over that time, has a very different attitude and is flying through 3rd grade math, soon to hit 4th.

 

I couldn't recommend it as the answer for every child. This particular child understands concepts with little assistance required and I don't have experience yet with different learners. But, with consideration for the child, It is something to consider as a legitimate possibility even if it goes directly against your grain to do so.

[dbmamaz]

checking the website livingmath.net - she went free-form with math to help with attitude problems, and her kids were still on track for middle school math.  you can read a lot of math readers - check the library.  you could stop making her do worksheets for a while.  you could try some math apps or programs to make it more fun.  but imo playing a game of wills over math is just not something you want to do.  It sounds like shes' bright and she WILL get there.  We stopped around the end of 2A, did some time4learning, read some murderous maths and other math readers (polar bear math was a fave here), then some primary challenge math, and some random fun 'supplement'-type worksheets.  and he's still ahead . . . 

[Farrar]

I think you're getting some good suggestions.  I really second trying to "do" Miquon (look at Education Unboxed for more guidance on using the rods if you need it), looking at livingmath.net for the book lists, and considering Right Start - you could also just do the games.

 

The good thing is that, if I understand correctly, she's starting first grade, but finishing first grade math already.  In other words, you could spend an entire school year doing nothing but things that get her to enjoy math and even if she didn't learn any new concepts (though it seems likely that she would anyway if you were trying some other curricula, playing with manipulatives, playing games, and reading books), she still wouldn't be behind.  So I say the most important thing is to let go a little, trust that you can improve this situation, and be willing to take some risks to do so.

[ErinE]

We were (are?) in the same situation. Dd flew through Singapore 1A&B and then hit a wall. Since we were switching to Math Mammoth, I decided to have her re-do the first level. Using c-rods, we made trains, built tens, grouped and re-grouped, and essentially spent a year playing games. I don't think there was anything magical about MM (or wrong with SM) other than DD needed time. She especially enjoyed adding big numbers: 2+2 is 4, 200+200 is 400, 2 million + 2 million is 4 million, etc. I think she felt she was doing "real math" as opposed to drilling math facts in the single digits.

 

Even though she did both SM1 and MM1 when she was 5&6, she nearly finished 2A towards the end of first grade. We took a few weeks off and she switched back into "math is hard" mode. So we spent a few days drilling math facts and she's back to the "math is easy" attitude.

 

TL,DR: spend time playing with math rather than pushing ahead. Better to solidify the concepts now than to realize there a big gaps later on or worse, kill any joy math might bring.

[Chris in VA]

You said:

 

I have to sit with her to help her through each problem on the worksheets. I'm not actually doing them, but she needs the redirection and confidence of having me there or she will just draw on her paper. What do you think I should do?

 

This from your post jumped out at me--yes, in first grade, I would expect to sit beside my child and go thru each problem with her. At the end of first grade/age 7 or so, I'd expect a few problems by herself, with me still right there or maybe across the room and checking in every few minutes.:-)

[SorrelZG]

I thought I'd add that I had to "de-math" DS for a while. I didn't insist on addressing the subject in some form. He too was highly suspicious of math games, books, etc. at first and it took a while but his defenses did eventually come down and his interest did rise. That was when we began revisiting the subject in a relaxed manner (games, books, word problems, living math, etc.).

 

Another thought I had is that you should both expect to sit with her through her lesson and to walk her through problems that provoke a "this is too hard" reaction (but you're confident it is within her ability). DS would judge something on sight and I'd have to play life coach and encourage him to slow down, look and consider and even step him through remembering what he knows and applying it. Eventually he would grow in confidence to do it himself and would be boasting about how easy it was. Any frustration on my part only provoked his bad attitude.

[SorrelZG]

Ok, I have nothing else going on right at this moment so let me share freely what I'm REALLY thinking. :D

 

I may be totally misreading you because I'm looking through the lens of my own experience and previous threads over the past couple of years on this topic so if what I am saying is totally not you, please completely disregard.

 

Your post is thorough and from it I read between the lines (thanks to my own lens) you saying, "Don't tell me to do living math, don't tell me to take a break from math - I've done both and they don't and haven't solved my problem." I read that in there because I've posted about these problems before and thought as much and I've read other's posts about these problems and read as much expressed explicitly so I'm totally projecting onto you what may not be the case with you - I get that. IF perchance it IS you (too, like so many of us), please keep in mind that some of the ladies responding with such suggestions (including me) have felt exactly that way (I've read some people get down right snarky in their irritation) and later recanted (me). No, I found no quick attitude fixers or magical curricula for my particular child but he DID grow and mature over the past year and that really may be all your DD needs. ... Or you might switch her to McRuffy or CLE and never have a struggle with attitude over math again and find yourself crying for joy over the marvelous change. I'm hoping to get to hear from you in the future about what worked for your DD in her own case and what didn't.

[trlt]

My dd is 6 and hated math.  We started with RightStart but dropped that...she hated it.  We did Singapore and she liked it at the beginning but she struggled and hated it so much that I felt that I needed to find something else.  I picked up Math In Focus and she is half way done with 1B and loves it.  It's Singapore but it has different things that she really enjoys.  I really wouldn't have chosen MIF if it was up to me but it was the program that clicked with her.  I think you just have to find a program that works for your dd.  It might not be the program that you would have chosen but if it works it will be worth it!

[AK_Mom4]

My kids have always hated math.  They are all quite good at it, but the whole repetition thing and the "getting things wrong" thing and even the "writing thing" make it a real drag.  I don't think there is a need to change materials (unless its moving too slow) or take a break even.  Mostly we just stomped our way thru it.

 

One thing that worked very well for DD when she was that age was to to the problems on a white board.  I would read them to her from the book and she would work them out on the board.  This gave her the attention from me that she needed (sounds like yours might be looking for that from you too with the dawdling when you leave her side).  It also took some of the pain away from making mistakes - everyone knows you can make lots of mistakes on the whiteboard because it wipes clean so easily (at least - that's what I told her!). 

 

We also dumped some of the repetition - once she got a concept firmly down, she didn't have to do all the extra practice problems.  So it was incentive for her to prove to me that she *knew* the topic because we would move on to something new (and more interesting).

 

Oh! Also the occasional reward of M&M math - using m&ms as counters that day instead of the bars and then eating them at the end of the lesson!.

 

 

 

[Katy]

Is there a reason other than the subject?  Has someone teased her about being great at math when she doesn't feel she is?  Is it a lack of diligence on her part?  Is it possible she's more mathy than you think she is and she might be better off just learning the facts to 12x12 and then skipping to Saxon 5/4?  First I'd ask her why she doesn't like it.  If she still knows most of her facts, she probably finds it really unchallenging so next I'd try skipping ahead quite a bit and seeing if that helps.  If that didn't work or the problem was not challenge-related but more lack of being mathy I'd doing Ray's Arithmetic (free on Google books, all oral work for her, teaches very useful and practical math) or Life of Fred for a while.

 

I might even teach her how to use the computer and set her up with a Khan Academy account so you can get a feel for exactly where she should be placed and what she's struggling with in just a couple of days.