math is a mess

[debi21]

My 7 y.o. son's math is a mess, and I know it's my fault. And I really value math - it's one of the things I really wanted to work with him on at home. I need help prioritizing, or something. Due to our schedule, which isn't really fixable this year, we just don't have that much time schooling at home - basically Monday morning, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning - and then whatever I can fit in evenings and weekends. On those other days he gets lots of art, social studies, reading, PE, field trips, and even some science, but not math. And I am jumping around all over the place with math. I want him to do ALL the math curriculums, but we don't have time for it. Last year he did Saxon 3 in a charter.

 

This year, we have done/finished:

Singapore FAN Process Math Grade 2 Workbook

Balance Math & More Level 1 Workbook

 

We have done some of:

Math Mammoth 4A - halfway through Ch 3

Challenging Word Problems Grade 2

Singapore Math Challenge Workbook (Grade 2 - but man this is hard!)

Beast Academy 3A - did 2 chapters

Primary Grade Challenge Math - did 5 chapters/units

Balance Benders Beginning

 

I also have the Borac book for his level and all of Miquon which I'd love to use with him too. We also do XtraMath for multiplication facts 3x/week (almost done - he pretty much knows them) and are on our second Logic workbook of the year. He does well with the MM but hates it. He is slow-ish with computation and the multi-digit multiplication seems to take forever. On the other hand, he needs help/scaffolding from me for most of the others, at least for the most challenging problems.

 

My two current thoughts are 1) get back on track with MM4 and keep this as our spine. He needs the least help with this and this is moving him forward, but is it pushing acceleration unnecessarily? OR 2) finish CWP2 and PGCM, then do either FAN Math3/CWP3 or Borac. Of all of them I think I want to wait with BA - I think that has to be supplementary because I don't think he's mastering the concepts by the time he's done with the workbook problems. Honestly, I have fears about what he's retaining long term with most of the challenge materials, questioning whether I am getting him to the point where he could tackle these problems alone and without frustration fits. He is a bright student and I think has lots of potential in math, but is not a genius.

 

I feel like I am tinkering when what I want is to provide a super solid math foundation. Give me a good talking to.

 

 

 

 

 

[mom2kando]

I have been there. I think in order to give him a solid foundation you need to stick with one program as a base. Math programs vary so much by grade and progression and if you skip around you may miss something. Maybe just stick it has MM and add in some challenging work as time permits?

[mtomom]

If I have to scaffold the Singapore word problems, I do them on a white board. Then I have the child re-do it--either when the book is done (works well for FAN math) or as we go (works better for the longer Singapore workbooks). You will cover less ground, but I think the retention is better.

 

The other thing is that you are doing so much extra. Especially given the little time, why so much? I'll give an example from my experience. If he's needing scaffold for the Singapore books, I would pick the best of the bunch (I favor FAN math over CWP for example), and make sure it's truly mastered.

 

If MM is a slog, you might think about Math in Focus (Singapore) as your spine instead. It's still conceptual. You could add c-rods easily along with a book or two of the Singapore supplementary stuff if you needed it.

 

[Code Lyoko]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug: 

 

I want you to take a deep breath.  Find a very calm place in your mind.  Now think through what you posted.  Think about all of the resources you are trying to use with your very young son.   I have to agree with the others, your list of math resources you are trying to work through with a 7 year old is mind boggling (and I use multiple math resources myself).  

 

I would do as the others suggest, pick ONE THING to focus on.  For both your sakes.  Add in some fun math games as you have time.  Maybe do some challenge word problems and/or Beast Academy as there is time AND INTEREST, but make it a side thing, done periodically.  :)  

 

Help your son to build up a better relationship with math before he starts absolutely loathing it.  And I encourage you not to push hard on math facts.  He has a lot of time to learn his math facts and may learn them much more quickly if he is not overloaded with a zillion different resources.  At 7 he has many, many years ahead of him to learn math.  Giving him a chance to breath it in and explore it with you in a fun and engaging way while he is still young enough to maybe develop an affinity for math would probably be far more productive than trying to cram math down his throat from many different resources.

 

Hang in there.  Don't panic.  There is time.

 

 

[Code Lyoko]

Also, I wanted to mention that most children need to work WITH a parent for many years before they can be expected to function pretty independently.  I'm not sure how independently you are expecting him to be but I wanted to mention this one thing in particular.  There are a ton of threads where parents tried having their children work independently long before they were developmentally ready and the child ended up taking 10 times longer to do their math problems/developed a really bad attitude towards math/learned things incorrectly and the parent had to move them back quite a ways to correct the misunderstandings/created frustration and a sense of abandonment in the child/etc.  Some kids can work independently from a very young age.  Most can't.  

[Syllieann]

Do you leave him to do math mammoth on his own but work with him on the others? If so, consider the possibility that the thing he hates about mm is the lack of interaction. I would try doing mm with him, crossing out at least 1/3 of the standard practice problems (do all the word problems and puzzle corners) and working through two chapters at once rather than straight from cover to cover. You could replace some of the xtra math sessions with game-style apps; I like math evolve and sushi monster. Fan math and balance benders look from the samples to be largely redundant with mm. If you want to add extra challenge, you might pull from borac, ba, or cwp once per week, but only after you let go of any notion that you must do all of a supplement before you can move on.

[calihil]

He's 7... If he has his times tables already memorized, I wouldn't say his math is a mess. Actually, you might want to just pull way back for awhile, sounds like he's doing 2 to 3 levels ahead. Burn out might be on the horizon.

[lexi]

I also vote to pick one as a base and just slow down. Kids at that age need help and most don't work independently. My daughter who is nearly 11 has just recently become somewhat independent in her work. He's clearly not ready yet and it's ok.

[fralala]

You've received some fantastic suggestions, but I have another idea since you're out and about so much.

 

Have you already spent some good, solid, deep time reading up on teaching math and also just on interesting math topics, focusing especially on living math and the way math relates to our lives? Now, I can already see that the problem with this advice is that you might immediately feel like you're having to add on MORE to what you're doing, which is already way too much, but what about paring down to the bare basics of one program, getting that done three days a week, maybe playing some math/logic games on the weekend or during family time that he enjoys, and then using all of your time together out and about to notice all the ways math is a part of your lives? And just let him see you reading grown-up books about math and logic (there are some good ones recommended in the latest version of TWTM) and doing math games and puzzles on your own without asking him to participate in any way.

 

Now, the one caveat is that incorporating living math in your day can become groaning "leave me alone Mom can we NOT do school right now?" if done in a certain way, and you know your child best, but if you don't already do this, I think it's a far superior way to make kids more numerate than simply adding more programs and more workbooks...

[SparklyUnicorn]

It's not that bad.  The way I see it, at this age, as long as you are regularly doing math it's ok if you are using various things.  Anyhow, I would just pick one to simplify your life.  If MM is working well then stick with MM.  Think of the skills that need to be in place before higher math (algebra and above).  I bet all the books you listed work on those skills one way or another.  So it's all good.  You haven't messed up. 

 

 

[RoundAbout]

I don't think it sounds like a mess either, but with your limited time I would definitely pick one program and just work from it at a steady pace. In addition to simplifying your life you will probably feel like more progress is being made. If you really, really need supplements (and I'm the queen of math supplements so I understand the temptation!), I would save it for holidays like Christmas or Spring Break then you can also assess whether the main program is working based on how he handles the supplements. 

[Guest]

I am reading that he finished Saxon 3, is that correct?

 

YOU want to do all the math curriculums [btdt]....go right ahead. Sit yourself down with a pencil and work through them.

 

Meanwhile, choose a thing and just do it. One thing. Once you get going on that, if you want or need to add something else, then do.

[Tanikit]

I like lots of math curricula - my eldest did a number and my younger child has only really used 2 different ones - and I'll be honest my elder has a better grasp of math concepts - but I think she always would have as she was always good at recognising patterns from a very early age. I would choose one basic math curriculum and then have a day or two a week for different types of problems - maybe pick them from all the math curricula you have lying around - only doing some of the more interesting problems from these. That way you get to see them all but have to choose wisely. Set a time limit on his Math - and for a 7 year old that should be very short - my two children are using Singapore and Life of Fred but because they are now at school too Math may not take more than 15min a day and it is usually being done at bed time - and this is fine. They are both working well ahead of what is being done in their schools even despite the eldest having been moved ahead at school. It may feel like a loss to let some things go, but sometimes once you get over that, it becomes a relief and you cope with it and your child is happier for it.

[Nart]

Since your son is 7 doing 4th grade math, you should repost this on the accelerated forum. You will get different viewpoint.