Math Curriculum for Super-Active 5th grader

[scbusf]

DD is 10, with ADHD and Auditory Processing Disorder. She is also super smart. And cute, dangit. LOL

Anyway, she literally can't sit still for 5 minutes. We do tons of active things - I just need a math curriculum that will keep her moving ahead and learning new things, but will not stifle her spirit.

We have tried Math Mammoth, and Horizons. She is not interested in Beast Academy or Teaching Textbooks. I'm open to ideas - even some out of the box ideas. I've tried being a little unschool-y with her, but I need something structured.

Edited June 20, 2020 by scbusf

[73349]

Hands-On Equations involves moving pieces with your hands to keep two sides equal.

 

Do you have a driveway? That's a good place to switch math from pencil and paper to whole-body movement, with some sidewalk chalk, whatever your curriculum (as long as weather permits):

• number lines, integers, temperature/altitude/etc.
• review skip-counting/multiples
• graphing data
• geometric shapes, bar models, other things you can draw - make it big and colorful. It would help to have a meter stick like this.

[kristin0713]

RightStart is games based.  

[Sarah0000]

Could she use a touch screen and a digital program so she could stand? You can buy desks that raise from sitting to standing to do paper schoolwork. She could stand on a balance board for additional movement.

We have a big exercise/yoga ball as a "chair" at our dining table. Sometimes my kids sit there and it let's them wiggle around while doing tablework.

[Lori D.]

move while working
Some children need to move to stay focused. A yoga ball rather than a chair (as Sarah0000 says above). Or a standing desk, or stand at a counter, where she can wiggle and jig and move her feet/legs/body.

cross-lateral exercises
Try doing 5-10 minutes of cross-lateral exercises right before starting focused "seat work" like math. By crossing the body's midline physically, the student increases brain hemisphere connections and "cross-talk", so there is an increase in focus, concentration, and processing. One easy activity is alternate arm/leg marching in place -- as left knee lifts high, swing right arm forward, then as left knee lowers, swing right arm back, and repeat with right knee/left arm. Also draw big figure sideways eights in the air, first several times with one arm, then the other: follow the motion with eyes only -- do not move the head. The joining point of the sideways 8 is the midline of the body (the imaginary line that runs vertically and divides the body into equal halves). Here are two articles with suggested exercises:
- 15 Easy Brain Gym Exercises to Improve Focus and Memory
- Cross Crawl Exercises

bursts of learning
Also, you might try short "bursts" of learning -- 15 minutes of focused math work, then 5 minutes of aerobic activity -- run to the corner and back, jump rope, trampoline jumping, etc. -- then back to do another 15 minutes of focused math work, then another burst of aerobic activity, and finish up with another 10-15 minutes of math. Stop after a total of 40-45 minutes of math, and whatever didn't get done, loop to the next day, finish it, and then start into the next lesson in short "bursts" of learning. If 15 minutes is too long of a stretch, then go for 10 minutes, with a 3-minute power burst of physical activity/cross-lateral exercises, then another 10 minutes + 3-minute activity burst, repeat a third time. Later in the day, do your final 4th 10 minute burst of learning in math.

feed the brain
Also, be sure to provide breakfast with protein in it, and a snack with protein, about 90 minutes after breakfast, and then a second snack with protein another 90 minutes after the first snack. It's important to keep the brain fed for extended concentration. Also, make sure she is well-hydrated -- a reduced ability to focus or process information is a symptom of dehydration. Drink water *before* you feel thirsty -- apparently, when you register that you are thirsty, you are already beginning to be dehydrated and experience a 10% drop in mental performance. 😵

As for a structured program...
If doing Math Mammoth or Horizons in short "bursts" doesn't work, you might look at Math-U-See -- a weekly video lesson, then short work pages, with lots of white space. The program is incremental/mastery-based, with review of past concepts built into the work pages. MUS worked well for DS#2 with mild LDs (stealth dyslexia), who struggled with math. MUS only took about 30-35 minutes for him at grade 5/6, so all the way through middle school I also used short bursts of a supplement for about 15 minutes later in the day, as reinforcement and to see the concepts from a different perspective. For supplements we used things like Hands-On Equations, Keys to ... workbooks (Fractions, Percents, Decimals), and excerpts from Singapore 4a/b (when he was in grades 5/6).

 

Edited June 21, 2020 by Lori D.

[scbusf]

Great ideas! Thank you, everyone!!!