Strayer-Upton: how much time for third grader?

[Guest]

ds now-8 will be switching from Saxon Primary to Strayer-Upton. He's kind of burned out on Math, so I was kind of hoping to keep it slow and steady for third grade and leave him time to grow in other areas.

 

Does anyone have experience and advice about this? I envision setting a kitchen timer for 20-30 minutes and saying, "Okay, that's all the time we have for math today. Finish up and come meet me on the couch/in the backyard for (other subject or project)."

 

I haven't used Strayer-Upton before, if that makes a difference. One adult kid went with Saxon all the way and another switched to Jacobs when Saxon stopped working. ds8 is "behind" in math by WTM standards but not by family standards, IYKWIM, and has not been tested for dyscalculia.

 

TIA

Edited April 18, 2016 by Guest

[featherhead]

I haven't used it yet, but have it waiting for my 4th grader for fall. I would think a timer for 20-30 minutes would be sufficient.

[Guest]

SU works best ime if you sit there and work through it with him. I mean you read the questions, play the games, etc. That also helps with burnout.

 

But yes, 30 minutes of working diligently every day should be good for 3rd grade imo.

[Guest]

Thanks bunches, okbud.

 

It sounds perfect for what we need to do next year.

 

Breathe, IEF, it will be okay. ;)

Edited April 18, 2016 by Guest

[FO4UR]

Yes, you are on the right track.

 

I will add my sticky note technique.  Work in 3 different sections at one time.  Put a sticky note wherever you are in each section.  (For an 8yo, I recommend +-, x/, and then some geometry or measurements or something non-calculation based. Just start wherever he is in each section.) When you sense a slack in enthusiasm, switch sections.  He might work in one section for the whole 30min, or he might work in two sections one day, or he may really need to move on through all three daily.  Either way is fine, and it may change day to day, week to week.

 

No biggie.  Move the sticky note and carry on.

 

(I have done this in Singapore and S-U.  Works like a charm, though some think I'm crazy and inconsistent. It is how I survive teaching long division. :coolgleamA: )

[mama25angels]

(I have done this in Singapore and S-U. Works like a charm, though some think I'm crazy and inconsistent. It is how I survive teaching long division. :coolgleamA: )

 

Thank you for mentioning this, long division is older ds' arch nemesis and we're doing it again now, I think I'll try doing something like this for him also.

[birchbark]

This is how we do it: We sit together on the couch with the book and a lap-sized whiteboard. I read the the story problems or the introductory problems and DS works them on the board. This goes for maybe 10-15 min. When we get to a bank of problems, he goes to the table and does a portion of them (maybe one row) independently on graph paper. This would be around 20 min of work. Some days it's only couch time, some days only table time, and some are a combo, so it really varies as far as how long we are working each day. The average would be 20 min I think. 

[FO4UR]

Thank you for mentioning this, long division is older ds' arch nemesis and we're doing it again now, I think I'll try doing something like this for him also.

 

 

One LD problem a day. 

 

Week one:  Mom works the problem on the board, talking through each step.

 

Week two: We are still working the problem on the board, and mom is writing but we are weaning the child onto the talking part.

 

Week three:  We are still working on the board, but now the child holds the marker and mom only talks through as needed.

 

Week four:  Child works the problem - still only 1 problem - and checks with mom.

 

Week five+:  Maintain one problem per day for a long while, but vary it between word problems, straightforward problems, etc...

 

 

 

The key is to offer more help than you think is really needed for longer than is utterly needed.  Then they are ready to move on.  One problem per day?  Anyone can survive that.

 

And working through several sections in the math book allows that sort of snail's pace in whatever concept or procedure is tricky.  While working through long division, review in other sections.