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Erin
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| Posted: Feb 25 2011 at 2:44pm | IP Logged
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Ds15 is really struggling with maths, he is working on algebra and is sooo slow. Dh says the problem is he is missing some basic foundation blocks (I feel like I've failed him). The trouble is ds has his heart set on being an engineer.
For some reason he hasn't grasped concepts such as square roots and to the power etc.
Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
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Erin
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Feb 25 2011 at 2:54pm | IP Logged
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Can you get something like the "keys to.." series for the parts he needs? they focus on a concept not a grade.. so you can go back and learn just the concept.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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stellamaris
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| Posted: Feb 25 2011 at 6:28pm | IP Logged
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Erin, is it that he is having trouble actually understanding square roots when you explain them, or was he never exposed to doing problems with them so he has a true learning "gap" in that area?
If it is exposure:
You need to figure out what he missed. Best way I know of to do this is to go carefully over any problems he gets wrong on his homework. Look for mistakes of understanding, especially in these areas:
*working with negative numbers, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing them
*doing operations with fractions; reducing fractions
*squares, square roots, third roots, exponents
*doing the four operations with numbers that have exponents
These are the areas I found my own children had trouble with that really affected their ability to excel in algebra. As you identify a "gap", spend at least 3 or 4 days teaching that subject specifically, even longer if necessary. This will slow him down at first, but then he'll be able to pick up speed once he can master these basic skills. The "Keys to..." booklets Jodie suggested could be helpful in this re-teaching.
If it is comprehension:
Let's say you find an area he's having trouble with (say square roots), and then you spend a week explaining square roots, working on problems with square roots, etc. and he STILL doesn't get it. You will need to keep on working with him and might want to use manipulatives like Math-U-See to demonstrate ideas (this is the best way to teach a new concept, but I have to admit my non-mathematical dd did not like it when I did this with her because it looked "babyish"). If it is really difficult for him to learn these concepts, then chances are he is not a math-oriented person; engineering in the classical sense may not be for him. I say "chances are" because I myself struggled horribly for several years with fractions...yet I still completed an engineering degree. One day they just "clicked". So don't give up hope. On the other hand, computer programming, software design, or maybe other technical fields might be a better fit. I don't mean to discourage you or him, it is just that engineering requires a LOT of abstract, high-level math and that is not everyone's strong suit. My oldest son is an engineer with two degrees-mechanical and electrical; math came easily to him. My oldest dd struggled with converting feet to yards for YEARS...she just doesn't have a math brain, but she's super creative, artistic, and wonderful, and doing great with her English major.
Oh, and as far as you failing him...first  . Then, secondly, sometimes a child will struggle in a subject area because the kind of thinking required is not his own natural way of thinking or problem solving. So, math does require a very specific type of thinking, which can be learned, but does not come naturally to all students. If this is the case with your ds, no one has failed...it's just a matter of working on learning a subject that requires extra effort and attention.
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Caroline
Wife to  dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
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Willa
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| Posted: Feb 25 2011 at 9:46pm | IP Logged
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I usually set aside 10-15 minutes in a day in addition to ordinary math for my kids to work on remedial/review/fluency math. This is even for the more advanced ones. I learned this the hard way since my oldest was brilliant in math and never had a problem, but my second and third weren't so intuitive and needed more review than they got.
I also use this time to give them easy previews of concepts they will cover later.... like my 2nd grader is already doing very simple algebra so he won't get intimdated later on.
So with my later kids especially as they get into the middle years of school I just plan to spend some time working on things they feel insecure about, things they seem to struggle with in the maths book, or things that I don't think we covered very thoroughly the first time through.
I know it's easy for hs moms to feel self-blame but honestly I think that kids at school get these gaps too -- of all the adults I know, I know hardly any that don't groan at the thought of high school algebra and geometry, so I'm guessing that many people in my generation at least did not get a good grounding in these subjects, and I doubt it is much better nowadays. By hsing you are able to target these weak areas now that you know where they are.
Sites I like to use for supplementation:
MEP Maths -- I use lessons that are 1-3 years behind where they are in their books -- there is online interactive material on the site too.
ThatQuiz -- simple practice on helpful concepts.... since it's so simple it allows practice on a topic without a lot of stress.
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
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leanne maree
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| Posted: Feb 26 2011 at 5:51am | IP Logged
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Erin,
Have you tried looking at Maths Online- sponsored by Macdonalds. It may jusy give him the confidence he needs.
Just google Maths online.
Leanne
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Leanne
Loving wife to Dermot and Adoring mother to Louise, Kristie, Kieran & Brid
http://leannemaree.blogspot.com/
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4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: Remedial Help for a Teen
