How to help dc improve Math Computation scores (standardized testing)?

[TrixieB]

I just received my dc's IOWA test scores. My 5th grader scored very low on the Math Computation section in comparison to all of the other sections. This has been a problem area for her on the IOWA every year and I just don't know how to help her improve her abilities. I'm sure she can do the problems because none of them are more difficult than the math problems she solves every day; she just can't do them fast enough to finish very many within the allotted time frame. Plus she gets very stressed by the timed aspect and she starts hyperventilating and making mistakes.

 

She knows her facts and practices them with a Flashmaster daily. I tried having her do Calculadders for a while earlier this school year (more freaking out about the time factor).

 

How can I help her speed up her problem solving?

[Brindee]

My dd always tests low on the computation as well. It's a short 5 minute thing, I believe, and they're s'posed to do as much as they can. The fact that it's short plays with her mind, I think. She has no problems with any other section on the ITBS! I'm not sure how to improve this either, so am hoping people come along with great ideas!

 

:lurk5:

[TrixieB]

Bumping...

[Pongo]

Why don't you try the pass test if your worried about time. It may not be so much that she can't do it, it may be a matter of the timed element that causes stress. If you feel she KNOWS the information and it's just a matter of time, I wouldn't worry. If your not sure, then I would attempt an untimed test.

Do some practice tests through out the year so she is well prepared like Spectrum test prep so she gets used to testing.

HTH's:)

[TrixieB]

Why don't you try the pass test if your worried about time. It may not be so much that she can't do it, it may be a matter of the timed element that causes stress. If you feel she KNOWS the information and it's just a matter of time, I wouldn't worry. If your not sure, then I would attempt an untimed test.

Do some practice tests through out the year so she is well prepared like Spectrum test prep so she gets used to testing.

HTH's:)

I know she understands the concepts and can do the problems (her scores on the concepts parts of the tests are quite acceptable and she easily completes those within the allotted 30 or so minutes; it's the 8 minute timed problem set she bombs every year).

 

What I'm looking for, I think, is some type of daily mixed problem practice that she should hopefully eventually be able to complete in 10 minutes or so per day. It would have multi-digit addition/subtraction/multiplication/division, decimals, percents. I don't know if something like this exists online, to print out worksheets? Or bound and ready to buy? I thought maybe if I had her do problems sets of the same difficulty every day, and then had her try to beat her time, maybe she'd eventually get over the 8 minute freakout?

 

Dh says not to worry too much, but to address and resolve the problem. Therefore, I'm only worrying a little as I try to figure out what to do.

[Pongo]

I know, it's hard not to worry, but it keeps us accountable and thats a good thing:001_smile:

How about this:

IOWA test Prep

[abbeyej]

It sounds like you've got a good start... FlashMaster is a beginning, though I don't think it does the complexity of problems included at that level of the ITBS math computation, does it?

 

For Calculadders, what if you start by simply having her *do* it each day. Don't time her. Let her know that you're not timing her. Just let her know that you want her to focus and work as quickly as possible, but that the actual *time* doesn't matter -- but the sooner she's done, the sooner she's, well, *done* with that wretched assignment. ;) ... Once you have begun to see an improvement in her speed (from simple observation and encouragement), tell her that you would like to time her, but you aren't trying to make her finish in a certain amount of time -- you just want to see how long it takes her. You should probably surreptitiously time her *before* that to see if thinking about being timed slows her down.

 

So now, you occasionally (doesn't have to be every day) time her and note the time it takes her to finish a page. Don't make a big deal of it unless she has reduced her time from one day to the next -- if so, then praise the increase in speed!

 

Continue to spend a short time each day on drill -- but instead of expecting her to fit into a certain time, just record her times and praise her liberally when her speed increases.

 

At *some* point, when she becomes comfortable with that, you can make a switch and say, "Let's see if you can finish this page before the timer beeps." Set a time under which she should easily finish. So if she's been doing the current page in 8 minutes, set the timer for 10. You want her to succeed even if the added pressure slows her down a bit. Make sure that *she* knows you're setting the timer for a generous amount longer than she usually takes. Later, once she's comfortable, you can reduce the time she's given -- but always with the idea of keeping her successful and giving her practice at handling the pressure of the time.

 

The ITBS for 3rd-8th grade actually gives 15 minutes for the Math Computation section... So it's a little longer than you had in mind. I'd have to go look it up to see how many and which types of problems... I'm thinking you're right that there are some decimals and perhaps some like fractions in there? It's certainly simpler stuff than what's in the concepts portion of the test...

 

... On the one hand, the Math Computation section does not count towards her total math score or the overall composite. So that's good for her! Also, you seem confident that she can do the math. That's great! ... But I do think that speed is worth working on. It will help take some of the pressure off as she works on longer, more complex problems that require many steps, and learning to handle timed tests will be a useful skill as she approaches high school and college.

[TrixieB]

It sounds like you've got a good start... FlashMaster is a beginning, though I don't think it does the complexity of problems included at that level of the ITBS math computation, does it?

 

For Calculadders, what if you start by simply having her *do* it each day. Don't time her. Let her know that you're not timing her. Just let her know that you want her to focus and work as quickly as possible, but that the actual *time* doesn't matter -- but the sooner she's done, the sooner she's, well, *done* with that wretched assignment. ;) ... Once you have begun to see an improvement in her speed (from simple observation and encouragement), tell her that you would like to time her, but you aren't trying to make her finish in a certain amount of time -- you just want to see how long it takes her. You should probably surreptitiously time her *before* that to see if thinking about being timed slows her down.

 

So now, you occasionally (doesn't have to be every day) time her and note the time it takes her to finish a page. Don't make a big deal of it unless she has reduced her time from one day to the next -- if so, then praise the increase in speed!

 

Continue to spend a short time each day on drill -- but instead of expecting her to fit into a certain time, just record her times and praise her liberally when her speed increases.

 

At *some* point, when she becomes comfortable with that, you can make a switch and say, "Let's see if you can finish this page before the timer beeps." Set a time under which she should easily finish. So if she's been doing the current page in 8 minutes, set the timer for 10. You want her to succeed even if the added pressure slows her down a bit. Make sure that *she* knows you're setting the timer for a generous amount longer than she usually takes. Later, once she's comfortable, you can reduce the time she's given -- but always with the idea of keeping her successful and giving her practice at handling the pressure of the time.

 

The ITBS for 3rd-8th grade actually gives 15 minutes for the Math Computation section... So it's a little longer than you had in mind. I'd have to go look it up to see how many and which types of problems... I'm thinking you're right that there are some decimals and perhaps some like fractions in there? It's certainly simpler stuff than what's in the concepts portion of the test...

 

... On the one hand, the Math Computation section does not count towards her total math score or the overall composite. So that's good for her! Also, you seem confident that she can do the math. That's great! ... But I do think that speed is worth working on. It will help take some of the pressure off as she works on longer, more complex problems that require many steps, and learning to handle timed tests will be a useful skill as she approaches high school and college.

Thanks Abbey! I feel much better about the math computation issue now! I think I will do what you suggested - have her do Calculadder untimed, and then work in the timing. Flashmaster doesn't have anything beyond simple fact practice.

 

You're correct about the 15 minutes on the ITBS. I think I was pulling the 8 minutes from the 2nd grade test. Or from somewhere else entirely!

[Capt_Uhura]

... On the one hand, the Math Computation section does not count towards her total math score or the overall composite.

 

Is that true? I'm looking at my son's score sheet. It has a core total which does include Math Computation. Below the core total, is social studies, science, maps and diagrams, ref materials which are not factored into the core total.

[abbeyej]

Is that true? I'm looking at my son's score sheet. It has a core total which does include Math Computation. Below the core total, is social studies, science, maps and diagrams, ref materials which are not factored into the core total.

 

No, Math Computation is not counted towards any other total -- not the Math Total, not the Core Total, not the Composite.

[Brindee]

No, Math Computation is not counted towards any other total -- not the Math Total, not the Core Total, not the Composite.

Interesting. How do they come up with the National Percentile/Math Total score? She scored 98% in Problem Solving and Interpretation and 96% in Concepts and Estimation, and only 25% in the Computation. Her NP/Math Total score was 86%. Are those different things? Where'd the 86% come from?

 

At the very end of the report explaining her scores it says: "All areas of the test are included in the Complete Composite Score." Which sounds to me like it IS all included???:001_huh:

[abbeyej]

Hm, Brindee, maybe different testing companies handle that section differently? BJU does not include it (though everything else *is* included in the composite).

[Brindee]

Maybe I should go with BJU next time then! :D