Rosy Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I am at a loss right now.:001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I'd just switch subjects and come back to it the next day. It was amazing how much things changed overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 My little girl (when she was 7-9yrs) would cry and cry over learning math facts - rote memorization. I'd have her stop and exercise, then work on it just a little more. Jumping around, doing jumping jacks, running, etc. helper her calm down emotionally. This same girl fought me tooth and nail over every math program out there (I thought surely if I switched programs, she'd cooperate! Alas, it wasn't the program's fault!). But, I made her math choices (falling apart over lessons and fighting the learning process) exactly that - her own choices. She had to live with struggling over algebra in high school and reap what she had sewn - she had to take time later to learn things that she "rejected". Now she is in college algebra and doing fine. No other advice, just my story to go along with a :grouphug:, Bee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Ditch it for the day. The next day back up some to an easier time and find out where the problem is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 give it a break for a week or so, then review your programme. Saxon is an excellent programme but no one programme suits all kids. There are lots of others out there (and lots of saxon refugees!) Try asking a HS friend if you can borrow another programme for a week or 2. My money is on MUS, but we went through 4 programmes before we got there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Duct tape. We math teachers are mean. Curious. Does your child do worksheets? Does he have manipulatives? What is the age and what is the curriculum? Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Hood Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 We are not exactly on target for their ages, if that tells you anything. We are a year behind where I'd like to have mine because of the wasted time on melt downs, but because of that their comphrension is good. It is easier when they are ready to learn. As far as how to handle the meltdowns? I am not the one to ask. I have not handled things well in the past, but this year is going well so far. All 3 days of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaMamaMama!! Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 For us the meltdowns came down to a hole in her math facts. Once I figured that out and started drilling math facts she was doing better. Then I noticed she was feeling overwhelmed by the shear amount of math problems to work on. So I started giving her half the problems for the day. Havent had a math meltdown since I started doing that last week. (See my Horizons Math post) I think when they are having a meltdown its from something just not making sense or being too hard. We need to simplify for them. Find out what the real issue is. Are they tired? Is the page too long? Is there a concept they just cant get a mental image for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyboys Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I think when they are having a meltdown its from something just not making sense or being too hard. We need to simplify for them. Find out what the real issue is. Are they tired? Is the page too long? Is there a concept they just cant get a mental image for? I used to get stern and annoyed (fortunately only at the very beginning). Now I hug. Often ds would sit on my lap while we talked through the problem at hand (briefly). Then we'd move on to another subject or take a creative break. What has helped alot for dc here is to acknowledge the mastery and move on. It was tedious and frustrating for them to get something and yet still have to do the problems. So if I can see that they get a concept or technique, we don't belabor it. Happier them, happier me. The fine line here is not to miss a good foundation in math facts, quick recall with multiplication tables, etc. I try to keep it lighter and none of us like flash cards, but it seems to be working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 we have a little jumper in the room...and when those math facts get too emotional the child can either jump(and count to 100) or do jumping jacks. the movement breaks the concentration on being whiny, lol, and it allows me to calm down and get them excited about it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 Curious. Does your child do worksheets? Does he have manipulatives? What is the age and what is the curriculum? She is in 2nd grade and just starting Saxon 54. We have used manipulatives, and I'll still let her use them if she needs to. She works out of the book and I explain things as we go. Today she was doing one of the tests and got really bogged down with the number of problems. She skips around looking for the easiest problems on the page and then gets frustrated because it's taking so long. And then she gets to the point where she "can't remember" what 9-2 is (she normally has no problem with two digit addition & subtraction, including borrowing and carrying). We are working on doing more drill so the facts are easier for her to remember quickly, but she is completely capable of doing the work she's given. She just gets into this mindset that she can't, and the easiest thing becomes impossible. Usually I can talk her through it, but today I lost my patience...I guess I was having a math meltdown too. Thanks for your advice, everyone--next time we'll just take a break and then come back to it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowan-tree Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Thanks for your advice, everyone--next time we'll just take a break and then come back to it. :) This homeschool mom has two very different children who both experience math meltdowns. She uses different approaches for both, and different curricula. I highly recommend her as a resource. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 By having one myself?:lol: (Calling DH on the phone, "They're never going to get fractions and percents , and they won't get into college, and it will be ALL MY FAULT"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 By having one myself?:lol: (Calling DH on the phone' date=' "They're never going to get fractions and percents , and they won't get into college, and it will be ALL MY FAULT").[/quote'] Now why didn't I think of that earlier today??? That definitely would have helped!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverfront Headmistress Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Usually with chocolate and wine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Rosy, I had similar issues with my accelerated child. She could handle some pretty advanced math concepts, for a short period of time, then she would just plain get tired. I could literally watch it happen. Her eyes would glaze over, and she would go flaky on me and be unable to solve 2+2. She began to hate math and would cry that she wasn't any good at it. We got to the point that her anxiety would begin as soon as I announced a lesson. I started tailoring her lessons according to what I felt she could handle. I would have her do only the odd problems, for example, or limit the writing because that was also a struggle. I watched closely for the signs of burnout, and I got to be very good at ending the lesson on a positive note before she reached that point. This approach plus a curriculum switch did the trick for us. HTH :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 do the flashcards on basic facts to make sure she is solid on whatever level she is supposed to know. math is extremely frustrating if just basic addition etc facts are too slow to recall. we use singapore and with my six year old it has worked well to assign an amount of time at the same time each day to do the workbook, instead of a number of pages. he receives a reward when he completes a workbook so that is his motivation. on average he completes one workbook every 4-5 weeks without my ever having to assign any particular number of pages. and with this method if a particular section is more difficult, he can do less pages without any issue, and if the section is easy, he just goes more quickly. it all evens out in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted September 5, 2008 Author Share Posted September 5, 2008 Rosy, I had similar issues with my accelerated child. She could handle some pretty advanced math concepts, for a short period of time, then she would just plain get tired. I could literally watch it happen. Her eyes would glaze over, and she would go flaky on me and be unable to solve 2+2. She began to hate math and would cry that she wasn't any good at it. We got to the point that her anxiety would begin as soon as I announced a lesson. I started tailoring her lessons according to what I felt she could handle. I would have her do only the odd problems, for example, or limit the writing because that was also a struggle. I watched closely for the signs of burnout, and I got to be very good at ending the lesson on a positive note before she reached that point. This approach plus a curriculum switch did the trick for us. HTH :grouphug: That's EXACTLY what we're dealing with--and not all the time, but it's been a lot worse since I introduced Saxon 54. With reading, I find that there's a gap between her ability and her maturity, and I think that's what we're facing here as well. The work is adequately challenging, but she's having a tough time with the format. I'm trying to take it as slow as we need to, but it's hard to keep things in perspective when we're both emotional. She seems to do fine if I'm sitting with her and talking her through the problems. I think I'll try to do that more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in Monterey Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I feel like a broken record because I'm always recommending this book, "Games for Math," by Peggy Kaye. It is filled with wonderful games that you can make at home with a couple of markers and some paper. Some involve dice and counters. It's a great way to practice math facts and skills without feeling like math. Most libraries have this book and her others, "Games for Reading" and "Games for Writing." They are perfect for your age group. Rumikub is great for sequencing, multiplication and reasoning. Keep the faith and try to stop no matter what before the meltdown. There is never much learning going on at my home in the middle of a meltdown. Math needs to be fun. It might be worth backtracking a bit or even starting your math session with real easy math (even if you know they are capable of much more), adding more challenging math and ending with easy math. I'm a Speech Therapist by trade, we often use this strategy in a therapy session; easy, hard, easy, hard, easy. If meltdowns are happening with your oldest, try having them teach a younger child. It might be a way for him/her to be successful while reinforcing a skill that is emerging. I hope something here helped. I've been there! Julie in Monterey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beansprouts Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 She seems to do fine if I'm sitting with her and talking her through the problems. I think I'll try to do that more. I would describe my dd's learning style as "relational" ;) She does far better if I sit right there with her and at least listen while she talks through every. single. problem. Be patient, Mama :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 My son goes ballastic when he can't figure something out. Here is what I do: 1) I sit down with him and work out the problem with him. OR 2) I make him do something active like jumping jacks or go out and play with the chickens. Then come back in and try it again. Most days it goes well. He just get really frustrated. I also had him put math aside and get back to it later. He is 13 yrs old. So in his case I have to make him get back to it eventually that day. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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