Need strategies for my accuracy challenged dc

[JenniferB]

Can I get some tried and true strategies from someone who has experience dealing with math accuracy problems? Here is my situation in a nutshell: I have a dd age 10 in 4th grade, using K12 Math 4. She is excellent at math concepts (scored 91st percentile, and 96th percentile on her last 2 standardized tests), but struggles in math computation accuracy (61st percentile and 63rd percentile on the same tests). Aside from tests, that was just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about, she shows the same trend in her everyday math work. She knows how to solve a math word problem, and she writes out the correct number sentence, but then when it comes to actual calculation, she gets one digit wrong in a multi-digit problem.

 

For instance, on her Thursday work, there were 18 word problems, she got the first 8 correct, then out of the next 10 problems she got 6 wrong each one with the same problem, one digit was miscalculated. She got the concepts correct on all 18, and the number sentences, but out of 18 she got 6 wrong from one digit being miscalculated. She knows her number facts, if I drill her she gets them quickly and accurately, but when it comes to doing problems on paper with multi digits, she'll almost always have too many incorrect (1 or 2 OK, but 6 out of 18 is too many). It's usually from one miscalculated error per problem. This has been a consistent problem, and I don't know what to do about it. Side note, we've used many programs, and I don't want to switch programs, I just need some teaching (coaching) strategies.

 

When I sit down with her and watch her she does better, especially when I prompt her to double check her work. I'll ask her to double check it right after each problem, whether it's right or wrong, and if it's wrong she catches her mistakes quickly, but if I leave her alone to do her work and tell her to double check it after it's all done, then she has trouble catching her mistakes. It's only when I'm right next to her asking her to double check her work after each one that she can catch her mistakes easily.

 

I want to be a good teacher to my daughter, so I would really appreciate some strategies to help my her become more accurate in her work, and to grow into more independence, and to help her to take more pride in accurate neat work. BTW - her writing is terrible also, and this may or may not be part of the problem?? She seems to be able to read it, but it's difficult for me to read, and harsh on my eyes. :blink: I've had her eyes checked by an optometrist who deals in visual learning disabilities, and there seems to be no recognizable visual problems. And we've also used graph paper, which seems to help a little, but not always.

Edited April 5, 2009 by JenniferB

[Mandamom]

HOw about require her to check each problem using the opposite. So, if she had an addition problem she has to subtract it out to see if it is the same. LIkewise, if if it is a multiplication problem she has to perform the division to make sure it is correct.

 

It might get burdensome but it might also prove a point.

 

I'd love to see what others suggest.

[*********]

:lurk5: I'm always asking Zee if he checked his work before I do. Then if I find something wrong, he always says 'Oh, yeah, I thought that might be wrong'. :glare:

[JenniferB]

New rule, she has to start checking every problem before moving on to the next one even if you are not right there. I might add in rewards for perfect papers or those with 2 or less wrong.

 

I'm going to try this. Thank you.

[JenniferB]

Is there anyone out there who's done tutoring, or watched a tutor work with a struggling child like mine? I wish I could see how a professional would work with her, without actually hiring someone. :D

[katemary63]

You know, I actually think this is an easy problem to solve. I told my DD that she only had to do half of the problems assigned. If she got 95% or more correct, she would be done. If she got less then that, she had to do the other half. Problem solved. No more accuracy errors.

[JenniferB]

You know, I actually think this is an easy problem to solve. I told my DD that she only had to do half of the problems assigned. If she got 95% or more correct, she would be done. If she got less then that, she had to do the other half. Problem solved. No more accuracy errors.

 

I'll give this a try. Whatever works, I'm in for it.

[Amy in TX]

I'm not a tutor, but Jann in TX, who is one, told me that this type of thing is *very* common even among older students. My 14yo dd is still doing exactly what you describe. I've been using the strategies others have suggested with her, to no avail. She gets the concepts very well, but forgets a negative sign, or just writes the wrong digit, and misses a lot of problems because of it. She gets very frustrated about it herself. Jann said that it's often just a matter of maturity. So...definitely do try the suggestions in this thread, and if something helps, great. If not, maybe it's a matter of waiting? Perhaps Jann will weigh in here too. Good luck!

[JenniferB]

Jann, I would really like to know what a tutor would do in my daughter's case. :001_smile:

[Laura Corin]

The first thing that I did was to write a list of things to check - I was telling Calvin (similar problems to those your describe) to check his work, but he really didn't know what that meant. I taped the list to the table; it ran something like: Did I understand the question? Did I use the right method? Did I copy the figures correctly? Did I calculate accurately? Did I transcribe the answer correctly? Did I answer the question?

 

Once he had his list, he was warned that careless work would lead to another maths exercise being completed in his own time. This only happened a few times and it was enough. He's very careful these days and no longer needs his list.

 

Laura