Thanks Kate and Aculady!
Kate, I think you're spot on about the games and the higher level math. I also study motivation and self-determination theory (working on PhD - that's why I can't homeschool now) and you'd think I'd be better at using my bag of tricks on my own kid! Alas.
Anyway, she does like to play games more than she likes to just memorize. When you said that, I remembered that she asked to play Shut the Box this week - a game where you mix up equations to flip the numbers 1-12 over. I guess we need to find more games to increase autonomy and promote practice that she doesn't see as practice!
She does do Khan Academy. Right now, she's up to adding decimals, and like you also said, the higher math encourages her to use what she knows. Last night, she was using a variety of strategies that she could tell me about out loud, and her math facts were much better.
Since IEPs require significant classroom impairment, my DD is never going to get one of those. I understand that this district is in some legal situation regarding special education. Other families have been denied 504 plans for ADHD kids who are way more impulsive than mine, and less academically talented than she is also. Other parent is a professional in the education arena and they used a parent advocate. Got nothing. So, as you can imagine I don't have my hopes up.
And, aculady, good point. I'll keep an eye out for concerns about timed tests. I used to put test taking accommodations in IEPs all the time! Hypothetically, we're in the situation now, though, where DD is done first, and gets 85-90% right where if she had taken her time she could have gotten 100 percent right. Other kids go a little more slowly and get 98% right. But, again, I figure that we're not going to get help at school outside of an understanding teacher (I hope!!) so I hope that using games as a strategy helps her with her fluency.
Bottom line, I am sick of the game playing, too. School starts next Wednesday. I'm hoping for the best, but my expectations are pretty low.
