Math Poll

[frogger]

What is the most productive way your family has studied math?

[frogger]

I probably should have seperated large versus small familes. 

[Junie]

The first option -- the child works independently and comes to a parent -- is pretty much how we school everything here.

[SilverMoon]

I think I've done all of those at least once. 😂 

My 10yo is a combo of independent Beast Academy (time oriented) and math enrichment with me (Hands on Equations, Math Olympiad problems, cherry picked Singapore sections...). This works amazingly well for him. He's pretty much always had a combo of time with me and time alone. 

My 12yo prefers to work alone and come to me when stuck, and likes to work out mistakes with me nearby. 

The junior is *fiercely* independent. I don't schedule her at all anymore. She'll stay ahead of a schedule when left to her own devices, and if she actually slows down she clearly needed it. 

The senior is more like the 12yo. We discuss and/or work some math together daily, and he does a large volume on his own. 

I wouldn't dream of gathering them all around for math time anymore. The teens would be ridiculously offended and the little two would make a game of answering each other's math. 😛

 

My graduated Marine was just like the junior. She dual enrolled for alg 2+. 

The graduated tbd kid had to be at my elbow for his entire homeschooled math career. He had a private math tutor to get through alg/geo and went to a small charter school after that. I haven't gathered everyone around the table at the same time since he was in mid-logic stage though.

Edited November 4, 2020 by SilverMoon

[Drama Llama]

My three kids needed 3 different things.  

[MeaganS]

My oldest has special needs and math is challenging for her (likely dyscalculia), so she's an outlier. She requires a lot of help from me.

My 10yo and 8yo do math independently and come to me with questions. And they both have since they could read fluently for the most part. It just works for them. They're both in BA right now. 

My 4yo needs me for directions and a little instruction, so I sit with her. But I'm guessing she'll take after her next oldest sisters and will probably be fairly independent in a year or two. She adores math, seems to really grasp it, and I always have to cut her off or she'd go for an hour or more. 

[kirstenhill]

I voted "we've done it all" but it's not quite true -- the one thing that is totally unproductive here is multiple kids sitting around a table at the same time.  We tried that a couple times and that was completely unproductive.  I think the other strategies have all worked well at different times with different kids.  I did math one on one with all my kids in K-3rd.  Youngest who is dyslexic I will probably be doing one-on-one with him for longer.  At different times and with different curricula we've done either goal oriented (complete 1 lesson per day, or whatever) or time oriented (please work for 30 minutes, 45 minutes etc).  And they bring me the work to correct or to ask questions. DS13 is doing both an outsourced class and working independently on a second math topic independently this year.  In terms of time vs. goal oriented, I don't think one is always more optimal than the other.  I've had kids that were motivated by the need to complete a lesson and will work more efficiently, and I've had times where the only thing that makes sense is a time goal (especially with AoPs books) because different lessons and even different problems within a lesson can take vastly different quantities of time.

[CTVKath]

I voted "other". We're 3rd and 5th and most days it is at the table and Mom helps as needed. I go over the 3rd graders new math. The 5th grader prefers to do it on her own. They choose the order of their subjects so they might or might not be doing math at the same time. Sometimes they end up on the wood floor or by the front door or sitting next to a vent. Sometimes one will ask to do it in their bed. I'm fine as long as you do it and bring it back to me. One lesson a day.

[Momto6inIN]

I voted one on one is the only way because I had in mind elementary and middle school age since it said "child". But if you include high school then I would add goal/time oriented with patent available for questions as well. 

[ScoutTN]

We did one on one for elementary and middle school , then outsourced for high school.

[Sarah0000]

We do all of those all the time. It just depends on the day and what the kids and I happen to be doing at any given time.

[LMD]

From about 7th up, it is number 1 & 2 about 90% of the time. But remember to check on their work periodically!

Up to 6th its a combo of #s 3 (everyone at the table so I can check) & 5 (one on one). Basically it starts off as one on one and as they gain independence it moves to #3, then to numbers 1&2.

[freesia]

I said one-on-one, because I really think keeping up with and being involved in the teaching leads to better understanding and catching misunderstandings early.  In reality, in our home, there has been a level of independent learning for Geometry, pre-Calculus, Calculus and Algebra 2 for my older children.  In those cases, they watched a video (TT, math without borders, this year math-u-see), did the assignment and I checked the assignment and met/meet with them if there is a problem.  I had 3 younger children with my oldest and him doing it independently as much as possible was necessary.  My oldest dd just likes to be independent.  For both of them, I wish I had been able to continue to teach them one on one longer.  I am determined with my next two to continue (except Geometry, TT has worked really well for that.) And Alg 2 is going the most smoothly for my third for sure.

So, as with many things in life, there is my ideal and there is living in the reality I find myself in.  Now, if you are just talking "success" it completely depends on your definition.  Even my older two, who were more independent than I wanted, scored above 700 on the SAT and completed (or are near completion) of Calculus (Saxon for oldest, mus for next).  Oldest has taken some math classes at college for fun (but tell me he didn't find maht fun in high school.) But I don't think either had a deep level of understanding of high school math (beyond Algebra) that I would have loved them to have.

[Not_a_Number]

I teach one on one, but I do very minimal algorithm teaching. Rather, I introduce concepts, then give questions that practice those concepts. 

I also find it very useful to talk about DD8's logic out loud. 

[Miss Tick]

For a long time having everybody at the table was helpful so that I could Rotate through answering questions, giving guidance, and nudging people back on track. Now my olders are independent and with just my youngest left it looks like one on one unless i have to empty the dishwasher or work on food tasks
in which case it is independent.

[Syllieann]

For my 4th and 6th grader it is goal oriented independent.  My 2nd grader needs to be one-on-one.

[bensonduck]

Accelerated 11 year old - one on one. As far as we can get in an hour or so. I can give her a few problems to do and get up for a few minutes but she works best with me by her side and having someone to bounce ideas off of as she goes through the lesson. 
 

9 year old/4th grade: we’re using Math Mammoth. He does 3 pages a day and likes to read the directions and try it himself, then have me check it. I think my explanations are too wordy for him and he just likes to get right into it. 
 

6 year old K/1: Singapore. I teach the lesson and he does the workbook. We’re just bouncing along slowly as learning to read is taking 99 percent of this kid’s effort right now. 

[kiwik]

Ds11 this is the third full year he has been home and the first we have managed to stick to one thing.  He is doing the CK 12 free kindle book.  We have a kindle each and read through the lesson together.  We do the questions orally but a few times a week I writeout  or download a worksheet.  It isn't perfect but at least he gets done and he is actually progressing.  I don't think we want to do the next book though.

[silver]

I do time based, one-on-one. I go over the lesson part with them and they work on problems with me there to check answers and answer questions if needed.