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Erin
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| Posted: April 26 2005 at 10:50pm | IP Logged
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Hi all,
I have a ten year old son who is becoming increasingly resistant to maths, and this really concerns me.
I would like him to enjoy maths, he doesn't have to love it as he sister does, I know we all have different strengths.
I would love to know if anyone has ideas on different approaches to take. I'm seriously thinking of ditching the textbook (I;ve tried several)but don't know where to go from there. It is not that he finds it difficult he is quite quick to grasp most things, it has become an ingrained attitude.
Erin
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Erin
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Seven Little Australians
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Leonie
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| Posted: April 26 2005 at 11:29pm | IP Logged
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Hi Erin,
Debbie S once posted at the CCM list her ideas on using a maths text as a spine but not for written work.
She suggested looking at the contents for the skills/concepts normally taught and have a quick refresher look at the page ( for mum!).
Then, take an activity approach - several ages could do this together.
A book like Family Math can give an idea on activities for the week - and a ten year old could also do all the preparation and game making, too. More maths learning. 
We also found two Maths activity books, geared to the Australian curriculum, at the Windsor library. One for middle primary and one for upper primary. Published by Oxford Press - I will have to find the names, sorry, but a library search may help.
My nine year old is keen on file folder games for mathematical thinking and skills. We have downloaded several games and he has made these games and then played them with me, with siblings, with dh. They have also inspired him to make his own file folder games and designs. He is learning a number of mathematical skills this way.
Here is a link with some ideas for file folder games for dc past the early skill areas -
File Folder Games
HTH!
Leonie in Sydney
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tovlo4801
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| Posted: April 27 2005 at 8:37am | IP Logged
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Erin,
One small thing I found that made math a little more fun for my ds was the Greg Tang books. He incorporates math into riddle poems with fun pictures. A few for your age child might be The Grapes of Math, The Best of Times, Math-terpieces, and Math Appeal. Depends on what skills your son is working on. If he's pretty good at math they might be too easy for him, but they might still be fun for him anyway. We bought the books, but I know they are in most library systems.
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Erin
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| Posted: April 27 2005 at 8:47pm | IP Logged
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Leonie and Richelle,
Thank you both for your suggestions, I'm busy checking them out on our library system, which unfortunately is not very extensive. It really helps to have book titles.
Leonie, where in Australia can we purchase Family Math and how much would it be?
God Bless
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Erin
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Leonie
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| Posted: April 27 2005 at 11:56pm | IP Logged
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Erin,
I bought Family Math from a regular educational supplier ( Dominie's in Perth).
I have seen it for sale at an educational supply store in Adelaide.
If you don't have one near you, I know that Dominie's and few other school supply stores, have online stores.
HTH!
Leonie in Sydney
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Leonie
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| Posted: April 29 2005 at 7:59pm | IP Logged
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I also posted an article in the Unschooling folder, about Cafi Cohen and her idea of a week on/a week off maths texts. Maybe this would help with Maths resistance?
Re-Thinking Middle School Maths
Leonie in Sydney ( who is always on the look out for new Maths ideas!)
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tovlo4801
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| Posted: April 30 2005 at 1:46pm | IP Logged
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I love this idea Leonie! I'm looking into Family Math. It looks like there are several books. I'm assuming Family Math is the one to buy to begin. Are the others worth getting as well?
Do you have any additional suggestions for any of the off week suggestions - consumer math and everyday accounting, math applications or real life math, mental math, recreational math (math games), probability and statistics, calculator math, math history?
I'm discovering our homeschool is much happier when we do our own thing instead of following a set plan created by someone else. But in the beginning of something that is new or unfamiliar to me I really need a lot of hand holding before I feel confident enough to go out and make it our own. I absolutely love the idea of this approach to math and think it would really work well in our home, but I would definately need a lot of hand-holding to get started with it. So...anything you could guide me to for help with the hand-holding would be appreciated. 
Thanks for sharing the article!
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momwise
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| Posted: April 30 2005 at 6:51pm | IP Logged
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I bought Family Math on ebay for a few bucks.
Come Holy Spirit!
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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momwise
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| Posted: April 30 2005 at 6:54pm | IP Logged
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Oh I forgot to mention that we use lots of Janice VanCleave books for math actities also. They are extremely user-friendly (to moms I mean  ).
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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Leonie
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| Posted: April 30 2005 at 9:06pm | IP Logged
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And it is sometimes good to take a trip to the library and look in the Maths section in the children's library. We have found many good activity books - I Hate Mathematics by Marilyn Burns, The Math Chef, the Anno books, many activity books....
Leonie in Sydney
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Erin
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| Posted: May 01 2005 at 10:53pm | IP Logged
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Caffi Cohen's article for me put it so well. (Thanks for the link) We tend to 'teach' maths how we were taught but it is certainly not the only way.
As I have been pondering this situation I discussed with a friend ds reactions to maths. Her question was "If I stop doing maths is that teaching him that he can create that result with anything he doesn't like?" I pondered this but my instinct is that "No" What I am wanting to do is inspire an interest for maths in him and it must be the method I am using that is at fault.
The whole aim of 'maths time' is not to get through the book but to have an understanding of the processes involved and an interest in the area. A major aim of educating my children is for them to be well rounded learners with a love for learning and the textbook approach for this child is killing all that.
Having said all that we had a great time with maths this morning. I used a great resource book I have that covers all the topics for his age group. We discussed Roman numerals, wrote a few on the whiteboard (this is his preferred medium) and then I announced that was it. He 'begged' for more. I couldn't believe it. We then read a bit from John Hudson Tiner's book 'History of Mathematics" about the different number systems.
I feel I am well on the way to changing his attitude which is my first focus at present.
Needing help with chosing which Family Math book to get. There appears to be Family Math and Family Math 2 and the Middle School Years. Also one for young children. Whcih one would you all recommend?
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momwise
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Erin,
The Middle School Years covers Algebra skills and it has been extremely helpful for us. If you are looking for that one book that can teach the concepts of Algebra through manipulatives then this is the book for you. I had to take mine back to the library and I just put it on hold again 
Family math is of course for a family math program but geared toward the concepts of grade school (although in my house there are always concepts that need to be worked on by older children). I don't know anything about Family Math 2.
Come Holy Spirit!
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: How to excite a reluctant mathematican?
