| Author | |
Connections
Forum Pro
Joined: June 24 2008
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 268
|
| Posted: July 31 2008 at 9:05am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I would love to benefit from your experience. I have read several past posts (and some blogs) from people who have regretted "pushing" math too early. Or they later wished they had not insisted on "X pages per day" of a math book too early, etc.
I am struggling to develop a consistent philosophy for how to approach math.
Would you mind listing the do's and don'ts you have discovered in working on math with your elementary student?
Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
__________________
Blessings,
Tracey, Mom to DS7 and DS6
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Leonie
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2831
|
| Posted: Aug 01 2008 at 7:04pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
My biggest DO? Listen to and observe the child.
I know this sounds tired and over done, but it has been so helpful and true for me, as a homeschooling mum, a teacher, a Kumon Supervisor. Each child is different - some will flourish with a workbook approach or with structure, others like games or more hands on, all my kids have liked real life maths and problems solving -money, cooking, around the home stuff, for others we've done a "no formal maths" approach for a time and used journalling.
See what works, try something else if need be, observe the child. That's my biggest DO. 
Anyone else?
__________________
Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JEJE
Forum Newbie
Joined: Sept 08 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 42
|
| Posted: Aug 04 2008 at 4:03pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I wish I had realized earlier that you don't have to use every page of a textbook/workbook! I also wish I had started out using more "real-life" math teaching so my oldest wouldn't have gotten so burnt out on math.
__________________
Jenica - Blessed mom of:
 - 11  - 8  - 5  - 1
Remembering Leo born into heaven 7/06
The Rosemary Farm
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
hereinantwerp
Forum Pro
Joined: Dec 17 2005
Location: Washington
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 322
|
| Posted: Aug 21 2008 at 1:25pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
IF you see signs of burnout, take a break for a few weeks, or play math games (like Yahtzee, card games, etc.), or check out some math-lit books from the library. Go at your child's pace. You know, when they are older they are more ready for "sit down" practice with rows of numbers, and can learn concepts very quickly.
My kids learn concepts sooooo well from games. It's amazing to me! Peggy Kaye's "Math Games" book is just wonderful for teaching concepts!!
Try different things for drill. My son did "times tables" orally by passing a football or stuffed animal back and forth with me, or clapping each time.
You know what has worked best for me is not an expensive program, but teaching concepts either through games or just "pencil and paper" (eg, making up our own programs and writing them out in a blank notebook), and then filling in/practice with simple workbooks or pages printed from online. Staples sells the "Spectrum" workbooks which are pretty standard for grade-level content. Just pick a page or two per week depending on what concept you are working with, or, they can help you evaluate, what does your child already know???
That's a fairly "casual" approach and I know most of us just feel more secure going through a workbook or textbook-----but honestly after several years of *mixed* experience, both my kids and I are much happier this way! Also "going through the textbook" may be why so many of us learned to hate math, finding it either stultifying, or way over our heads but we just had to keep going/guessing!!
I also like the "Calculadder" series for building up speed and accuracy--but for my second son the "timer" idea stresses him out! It's so true you really have to listen to your child.
__________________
Angela Nelson
Mother to Simon (13), Calvin (9), and Lyddie Rose (3)
my blog: live and learn
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
ALmom
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 18 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3299
|
| Posted: Aug 21 2008 at 8:37pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Do spend time observing how they are doing the problem - especially when they are stuck on something. This usually gives you a clue as to what concept is causing the glitch..
Do not be in a hurry to finish a text, rather be sure that a concept is understood. Understand that every math text has a certain amount of repetition and just because you take your time at one grade, does not mean you will be behind in another grade. Learn to spot check concepts and find where those "missing concepts" are taught in the new text so you know what you can safely skip and what you really should do. If one explanation doesn't get the concept across, find another way to present it. If you do this, then even if you must skip to another program/text, you know what concpets must still be covered and which ones were mastered and can make for a smoother transition without the holes that folks worry about when switching programs. Make a math text or worktext work for you - supplement with whatever is needed to get the concept learned. Games often reinforce concepts. If your children have played battleship, learning coordinates and graphing them will be a short and easy lesson, for example.
Make sure there are lots of real life applications going on. One of my children still uses Algebra to figure out the minimum she must make on a final to get the A+ in a class  and this is the child that hates math in general.
Janet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Aug 21 2008 at 9:04pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
finding something that was similar to the way I would naturally teach..
while manipulatives are nice if we have to have them I always have dried beans around.. but mostly they're more a problem with my toddlers than helpful to the olders..
if at first the problem is wrong.. go back and do it again.. there's no reason to move along until you can get it right..
be flexible on amount.. who cares if you do 6 pages one day and none for the next 2 days or if you do 2 each day
and even with something you'd consider easy math for yourself, a teacher's answer key can be real nice to speed along your correcting.
__________________
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
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: Do's and Don'ts of Math
