OK, so I'm now running into some issues that are actually bringing tears to my child's eyes. We are using Abeka math for first grade and we're hitting a wall with addition. My dd is acting like she'd rather be in bed...yawning, slouching, not thinking...I'm getting frustrated and she's ending up in tears. At first she seemed to grasp her addition problems just fine, but now she's struggling with 1+ problems. I hated math as a kid and know how she feels but there has to be a better more pleasant way for her learn math. Any suggestions???
Try some fun ways to review her flash cards. She may be just having a bad week or something. Or... Is she a hands on learner? Have you looked at math u see? I haven't used it personally but I know some people who do an love it. Try some different stuff to figure out her learning style. It will help. Maybe even try reader rabbit math or a game that will make it interesting for her. I hope you figure it out. Just don't stress. Find what works for her.
We used Bob Jones and Hooked on Math. My daughter [who had to repeat 1st grade after a bad Saxon experience] did really, really well with it. She liked the colors and the cute story line about a clown and his seal looking for a job. I like Hooked on Math for the little games. They have math bingo, which is something I'm pretty sure you could just rig up on your own.
I also used hooked on math for my dd. It helped her alot and she enjoyed doing it. You can purchase a used set really cheap on ebay.
I discovered Mathematical Reasoning by the Critical Thinking Company when my son was in first grade. He no longer hates math! What is her learning style? My son is a thinker and analyzer so having a program that makes math meaningful to everyday life made a big difference. I reviewed it and took a few pictures of my son doing math for a day so you can get an example of what it is like. The review is for second grade math though, but it will give you an idea what the program is like. You can see it here.
I guess I'm confused if she does ok with adding what is the 1+ issue? She doesn't like doing the actual problem like1+2= kind of problems?!? I haven't used any of these, but I did teach first grade, so I might have some ideas for ya. I have some solve & color sheets, fact houses, a clock card game that is fun.
I don't really know what is problem is. Maybe she's thrown off by adding in larger math families...like 4's and 5's. Like I can ask her what 2+1 is and she answers quickly 3, but if I ask her 1+5 she can't answer....I'm confused.
I'm having the same problem. I just assumed he's not a "math kid", but in my heart, I know he can do it. If I ask him "what's 4 + 2", he says something rediculous like 37 and then laughs, yawns, or whatever. If I ask him "what's our family (4) plus our dogs (2)", he'll get it every time. He's a concrete thinker. If he can see the math, he can do it. If all he sees are numbers on a page, he can't do it. We're also using Abeka. I like it, and I know it's a good, solid program, but it seems he's better at answering questions that involve pictures (2 lions plus 3 lions). I'm supplementing with Kumon. Kumon uses a number line. Some days he'll get several in a row right and then get tired of it. Some days he won't do it at all. I'm at a loss until I figure out how to break this barrier.
Have you done the picture math with her? What I mean is like 4 balls + 2 balls. Have lines below & she has to count them, write the numbers then count them all to get the answer. It's a great way to start it out & intro "new" numbers. I'm throwing this out there love it or hate it maybe touchpoint would help. Have you heard of this? I know I have taught touch point and some get it & some it's a little more confusing. Oh the other thing that works really good & is fun is get some counters milk jug tops, buttons work really good. Make a worksheet with a left & right hand. Then make a left column & a right column. Like this, but you could but 4-howevermany you want. Like if your working to get the answer 6 have her try to find out with those 6 buttons how many different ways she can make it, it 6+0,0+6,5+1 and so on.... this is a great discovery way for them to find it and very hands on & written as well!!! I hope this makes sense. Left Right ______ + _________ =____________
also try counting with m and ms, my ds' loveed math when we used objects they could add and eat! lol Using counting things at that age is totally needed because it helps form pictures in thier heads for future levels.
I think we'll do that to finish off today's math work and see how that goes. Such a great idea. She actually is fine with objects and pictures so this should help her get a better understanding of how they connect. I know she'll be happy to have something fun to do to work out these problems. THANKS a bunch for the suggestions!! My sister actually has Math U See and I'm going to give that a try as well.
We actually did try doing it with jumbo-sized sprinkles (didn't have M&Ms), but that didn's work for him. I wasn't using the left/right thing, though. That's next on my list now.
Does he have matchbox cars? Maybe you could have him count them as he "parks" them. I hope the left right thing helps... I'm trying to think of other things we did.
Teach him how to play dominoes. Get a set of double-twelves, but only start the game with up to the double fives. (If you don't know how to play, every set I've ever bought has come with a set of rules inside. Modify them as you need for your own personal game.) He'll want to learn to add so he can tell whether what he plays will get him a score (multiples of five). Then add in the sixes, then the sevens, then gradually up to the twelves (useful for counting things involving dozens). You can also play with the dominoes by drawing one from the pile, then adding (or later, subtracting) the two numbers shown. Figure out a way of keeping some sort of score, so he can tell when he wins. Pretty much any game that requires keeping a score will be a motivation to learn to add, and be fun besides.
Make math fun! Get a dry erase board for you and your dd and do oral math problems on the white boards. Use things like macaroni or buy a bag of farm animals and have your dd add 3 cows plus 4 more cows= 7 cows. Let her help you cook, if the recipe calls for 4 eggs, let her pick out how many eggs are necessary. When you go to the grocery store tell her to get three cans of soup and then say, get 5 more cans, so how many cans of soup did we put in the basket?
I was just going to say...my kids think dry erase boards are magical. My DD hates doing math in her notebook but loves it on the dry erase board. Also, she loves being timed. If I print out a sheet from mathworksheets.com and then time her, she loves to race through them and try to beat her previous time. We do 3-5 timed sheets a day. She studies on her own (memorizing multiplication) so she can get faster.
I've used ABEKA. It's more advanced than most mathbooks and sometimes expects more of students than they developmentally ready to perform. With the math concepts you're teaching, think in terms of moving from the "concrete level" (like adding pennies up by counting them) to the representative level (like counting pictures of pennies on a workbook page), to the abstract level (adding up number symbols, i.e. 4 + 5 =). Hope this helps. Curt
