Hilltopmom Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 (edited) Sigh. Not sure how to word this post. Dd12 struggles with math. A lot. She's completed MUS through division, but really doesn't grasp multiplication or division. I let her use facts tables or a calculator. She's got memory issues & will still forget how to do double digit addition or subtraction if it's been a few days. Shes dabbled in TT & enjoys it the most (but doesn't get a lot out of it). I got CLE for her this year, but it's not going great. We used the placement tests & moved Her back to level 2. The stuff she knows already (addition & subtraction) she's doing some of the problems for review, I'm mainly using it for things like money which she doesn't know yet. Even with crossing stuff out, it's too much per page (not quantity of problems, but too busy a page, I think. I started a separate post about that). She said yesterday that it "makes her brain feel like she's trying to watch a bunch of different TV shows at once" She specifically asked for " real life math" (after I'd ordered CLE) so I also just got a few Menu math, shopping mall math, etc workbooks. I guess I just don't know what my expectations for her should be. (I'm a former special Ed teacher, but just am having a hard time translating that experience into expectations for my own kid). Her IQ is borderline. I'd like her to be able to add, subtract, multiply, divide, understand Fractions & money.. And when to use each operation in real life. I don't think she'll ever get algebra & I'm ok with that. I just don't know how much to push & what to expect that she "could" understand eventually, kwim? I don't want to short change her with too low expectations either. She's into dance, art, comic con events, Harry Potter. Loves audio books! But. Not. Math, that's for sure. The future scares the heck out of me, now that she's almost 13 & still not grasping basic math. Her reading skills did a huge leap this past year though & she's reading pretty well now, yippie! Anyone want to commiserate or share your experiences or thoughts? I appreciate it, thanks. Edited February 14, 2016 by Hilltopmom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Does she know her math facts easily to 10? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Look up Semple Math -- one of my friends uses it for her kid with a similar IQ and swears by it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 Memorized, no. Truthfully, we pretty much gave up on memorizing anything, ever. We tried some Ronit Bird stuff & she was adamantly opposed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Memorized, no. Truthfully, we pretty much gave up on memorizing anything, ever. We tried some Ronit Bird stuff & she was adamantly opposed. In that case, maybe Semple or Touch Math. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 I'm not ready to give up on math yet, so I'll look into those suggestions. I'm really looking right now though, more for "what the heck is the future going to look like, math-wise for my kiddo" than "what curriculum should we use". Which of course, no ones knows without that crystal ball.... Like- how far can kids with her limitations actually get in math? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleBears Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I like the book homeschooling children with special needs by Sharon Hensley. She describes children with borderline IQ ( between 70-90) as slow learners. They have the ability to learn things well, but everything is "turned down a notch". Her recommendation is to take things slowly at their appropriate level and be prepared to teach things over and over again preferably in a variety of ways. The good news is that once they get it, they've got it. It just takes them a little longer. This is probably the group of kids that can benefit the most (as well as those with LDs) from the flexibility of homeschooling. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I'm a tutor, and am working with a girl who finished MUS division at age 13. She is now in fractions and it is hard. Very hard. She still cannot understand what to do with a word problem. But slow and steady wins the race and we are making progress. She may not get to algebra, but she will not need it. We are on a good path. As for how far someone with a low IQ can go. My family has a long time friend whose DD has Downs. We believe that she is the first Downs student in America to receive her AA. She has applied to a large, well-known, state university and been accepted. I'm not sure of her math skill, but I just want to let you know that some low-IQ kids can get somewhere with hard work. Ruth in NZ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I used Semple with Geezle until he went to school in 7th grade. This summer he started doing Keys to _____________. He made it through Fractions 1 and is slowly but surely moving through Decimals 1. He uses a calculator for all his calculations because his math fact recall is very spotty even after 10 years of working on this stuff. Keys go slowly and use lots of visuals. They don't seem to make any intuitive leaps. They're also broken down into small workbooks so if you top out in Fractions, you can switch to something else. We chose to spiral so that he can do the basics of fractions, decimals and percents and see how they connect before moving on. Keys to can be bought as a digital download so if you have to reteach, you can just reprint the sheets that you need or add in review whenever you need to. I'm hoping he can get through all 3 levels of each topic before he graduates from high school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I was taught to use touch math (everyone was in my district in those days) and it is still my default for addition and even multiplication. If your child is not capable of memorizing facts, this method makes it possible for them to figure out the answers quickly without memorizing a single thing. My SN child has me in the same boat as you. I just started her on Kahn and set her level to basic (or whatever their K level is called) not because I think it will teach her, but because I needed it to reveal where some of the holes in her understanding are. She is capable of a lot, but when there are holes in the foundation, a simple task can become unnecessarily difficult. Seeing her scores has helped me to plan lessons that address those holes specifically. As a bonus, she has been able to see herself succeed when she "levels up" and has developed a newfound confidence. I don't think there is a magic answer in "what to expect" from these kids. We just do our best every day, make sure that they are progressing, and wait to see what tomorrow brings. That said, I intentionally include lots of work on concepts like time, money, and measurement because these are the most necessary for daily life. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauranc Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I have a 16 yr old daughter with mild ID (and possible ASD--- waiting for the completion of testing on that). Her reading scores are always good-- math is a huge struggle for her though. I have tried a combination of different curricula and she is at about a 3rd/4th grade level of math right now. We have worked endlessly with math, and she moves forward so very slowly. I hope to be able to get her to a point where she can use and understand money (and the monetary values of money), and with luck-- and hard work- to be able to understand time better. She has made some gains with time, but it is still very difficult for her to really understand. Those two things, along with being able to use math in the kitchen and other functional math are my goals. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfABunch Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 For my son, I was told that his cognitive level will ultimately be like a neurotypical 9-12 year old. His IQ is lower than you are dealing with, but you can probably look up online the ultimate cognitive level your child will achieve, and that will give you an idea. So, for us, all I have to do is think of what a typical 4th-7th grader knows, and that's where we are aiming. He should be solid on arithmetic, but never beyond that. Abstract math skills will be lost on him, so nothing from algebra or above. If he achieves to a pre-algebra level, then he's done very well for himself. Does that help you at all? Where can I find more info about the ultimate cognitive level? A quick google search yielded zilch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 Where can I find more info about the ultimate cognitive level? A quick google search yielded zilch. I googled a bunch too & couldn't really find anything. I think we'll have to just ask neuro after her next eval Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 I'm tired and sick, and not up for processing beyond a Magic Tree House book. This may or may not make any sense here. https://web.missouri.edu/~gearyd/Hoardetal.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfABunch Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 This might be useful: http://vcbconsulting.com/gtworld/iqgrade.html I have never seen this laid out so clearly before! How interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 This might be useful: http://vcbconsulting.com/gtworld/iqgrade.html According to this, my son's not far off the expected range. That's a good thing because *I* know we're working within his abilities, but the rest of the world (therapists) wants to believe he's typical and just lazy. Yup, he's repeating a 1st grade math curriculum for the umpteenth time because he's lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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