Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School 3d Grade Math

They do the same thing with time starting with basic time concepts of before, after, morning, noon and night, am and pm (then to the hour and half hour one year, quarter hour and 5 minutes the next, and to the minute the following year, and finally time problems using elapsed time). It appears to me that each year they review the previous knowledge to be able to move on to the next level of knowledge.

Thank you all for replying! I am meeting with DD teacher tomorrow and drawn a game plan. Web-site (ixl) is amazing. We will use it from now on. Your responses helped me to see what I am looking for and how to proceed. On top of it, her teacher was so quick to respond to my request and offer some suggestions - I am happy. We'll see how this will go tomorrow!!! My plan now is shaped as follows: ask for 3d grade homework (I guess we have to find willing teacher to help with it), so we can see what is done in the classroom every week. Also, request 3d grade book so that we can catch up on concepts that she might missed. Ask to go to the 3d grade classroom once a week for math (so that she will not be scared to go once it is determined she is ready). Take a test before switch to make sure that she up to speed with everybody in 3d grade and (if not allowed to go to 3d grade class) ask for end of the year testing so that we can use results to go directly to 4th grade math next year. And at home - IXL multiplication/division drills, of course...

MorningStar, it sounds like you've got a good plan. There's one thing I'd consider on the idea of visiting the class once per week for math - and this might not be true at other schools, but at the schools my kids are at, math is taught daily and concepts build through the week - so going in just one day per week could backfire on you in two directions: one thing that could happen is your dd might not get the full explanation of concepts the other kids have had so *she* might feel a little lost and... possibly a larger issue - if the 3rd grade teacher isn't entirely on board with subject acceleration she might feel like your dd is missing things that she's not really *missing* because she isn't ready to learn it, but she's missing them simply because she isn't there when they are taught. Sooooo... I would be hesitant to send my child one day per week.

I do totally understand the idea of wanting to help ease her in without undue anxiety. I'd just consider whether or not you might find a different way to deal with it.

Best wishes,

polarbear

Just wanted to update. Basically, it went as expected (although, I admit, I had my hopes high!). Teacher was very nice but told that school will not upgrade her to the third grade math. She also told me that school will not allow testing just because they will test them all at the beginning of the 3d grade and then will group them with most advance kids pretty much doing 4th grade math at that point. School position is also that we shouldn’t teach them 3d grade math so that they will have something to learn next year… So she cannot give me 3d grade book to use at home. She will, however, look for 3d grade math homework and already asked my daughter and a few other kids to do short “teaching” on Fridays in front of the whole class. Surprisingly, this made my daughter happy. So overall aftermath – “please educate your own kid” thing all over again  And I don’t think it is her vision but rather school’s one. She was very clear that she would prefer grouping by abilities (no matter what ability level). I guess, I could go directly to school psychologist/support group and can push for it, but after considering your responses and looking into this more I decided to wait until the third grade “differentiation” and continue to work on multiplication/division fact memorization as well as work ahead using ixl web-site and 3d grade math book (we going to buy ourselves).

I was down a little bit and had this whole “why even try/bother” attitude but my DD had her “science” mood that evening and did a spectacular presentation about her rock collection and recited all of the names/fun facts for all of them (I ashamed to say, I did not know she is so into them, just thought that was a bunch of shiny pebbles…) so I saw again why I am doing all of it for  Thank you all for your help and thoughts!

I ran into exactly the same problem in 1st and 2nd. We have reached something of a solution in 3rd. He had been doing Singapore math, but in 2nd the school district offered a group rate through the District for EPGY. I got the run around at the second conference in 2nd grade, so I called the Principal for an appointment. I was able to show her the math DS was doing, printed report from EPGY which is used by the District for gifted children 5th and up. She agreed that he would have advanced math. He does EPGY in class and after school care and works on advanced sections with two other children in class.

One thing I didn't push math facts. I let him fill out times table sheets to help complete problems faster. When his class started to work on math facts this year, suddenly he knew them better than anyone.

My son is also 6 (in private school Kindergarten) and is doing some higher math there. His teacher gives him 3rd grade worksheets that haven't, however, touched on multiplication.

Since he's shown interest, at home he's learning multiplication using Disney's Schoolhouse Rock-Multiplication. They have a great interactive DVD you can find on Amazon.

It makes me smile to hear my son sing the songs to get the answers to quizzes I give.

I haven't been able to get in-class acceleration for my two either, although DS8's teacher gave me her blessing to let DS work out of his sister's grade 5 text. But again, it comes down to the parent doing it.

Morningstar your DD sounds similar to my two... conceptually ahead but not keen on rote work like facts.

Even though DD10 was multiplying at 3 yrs (using a white board to draw circles and dots for anything over single digit) she is only just now (at 10 yrs) solid and fast on her times tables memorization.

DS8 was just like your DD when he was six - he learned advanced concepts easily and tired quickly of repetition. It was hard, really, because I worried that he wasn't getting enough repetition to remember concepts. He was doing the same things your DD is and he loved it, but anything more than 10 or so questions of the same type made him squirrelly.

Anyway, due to the aversion to rote facts, their marks in school haven't really reflected their ability. As important as memorized facts are, I've never pushed rote - I don't want to turn math into a chore. DD10 got her first math A in grade 4. Even so, she still made it into the gifted pull out in grade 3 and 5 (they didn't run it in grade 4 due to lack of funding).

Phey - you're right - there is SO much repetition. I wonder sometimes how many of my kids' classmates could learn above grade level stuff if they asked for it. Sometimes I think my kids aren't ahead - it's just the school curriculum that's really soft. I guess they have to make it accessible to the math-phobia kids too.

My homeschooled DD8 didn't want to learn multiplication tables, but I nudged her into compliance by quickly demonstrating a 3-digit x 2-digit problem, narrating as I went, and then closing with, "In order to do THIS, you need to first learn THAT."

A few months later, she's doing multi-digit multiplication, long division, and adding/subtracting fractions with different denominators... and loving it. She declares math to be her favorite subject. We pulled her out of 2nd grade and skipped her to 3rd, but now her math abilities appear to be running ahead of the 4th graders at her old school.

Multiplication memorization is the key that unlocked all of this. It may have been a chore to do the memorization, but it made everything that came after far less so.

I know you're right about this... I just wish there was a way to make it more fun. I've always hated memorization (still do) so I have a reflexive aversion to it which I need to overcome, so I can show my kids how to as well...