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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,783
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Joined: May 2007
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Why does my DS moan and flop around when asked to practice subtraction facts like 13-6 (which he is perfectly capable of figuring out but has not memorized) until he talks me into "letting" him do multiplication afterwards (which he hasn't memorized either but seems to enjoy figuring out things like 7x4 in his head.) ???
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Joined: Mar 2008
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Don't know but when you find out would you let me know? Mine does the same. The subtraction is too easy, maybe?
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Joined: May 2007
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I decided to just ask DS.
Me: Why do you like multiplication better than subtraction?
DS: It's waaaay more fun!
Me: What is it about multiplication that makes it more fun?
DS: It's harder!
So, squirt, it sounds like you may be right. Maybe I should give him harder subtraction (like borrowing problems?) Maybe that would make subtraction more fun...
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Joined: Sep 2007
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You know my DS7's motto: hard is good!
Kriston
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Joined: Dec 2007
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Easy is boring. I found out that combination of easy-boring-but-needs-to-be-practiced and new-and-exciting works best for us. Right now we are doing 2 completely different math chapters at the same time for this very reason.
LMom
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We're doing the same sort of thing, LMom. Today for math, we did area and perimeter of squares, rectangles, and irregular figures (like a rectangle with a square chunk taken out of it). Working with the sqares led us to some stuff with square roots and squaring numbers--so we covered all the 2x2/3x3/4x4 pairs in the multiplication table and found a neat pattern there, plus he found the square root of 121. It all allowed us to do some work with times tables without the painful memory work that failed so miserably last year. It was pretty advanced geometry and pre-algebra stuff...plus boring times tables snuck in! <singing> Just a spoonful of ha-ard helps the ea-easy go down, the ea-easy go do-own, ea-easy go down!
Kriston
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GS9 does better with the 'easy and/or repetitive' if we can make it into a contest. Memorizing the times tables becomes fun when he's trying to beat his time used for the previous attempt. And, the 'Murderous Maths' books just came in the mail yesterday. I can see now that I'll have to reserve those as rewards for doing the 'easy and/or repetitive', hahaha... if you all didn't understand, you'd think I was sick or evil to give a kid a math book as a reward!
P.S. 'easy and/or repetitive' has to be in short bursts for the time factor to work for GS9. He needs to know it will not drag on forever. I think/hope it's teaching him to attack those boring things and get them out of the way so he can do the fun/challenging things.
Last edited by OHGrandma; 09/18/08 04:29 AM. Reason: added P.S.
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I hear you, but DS7 just can't do that sort of timed test yet. He will have to eventually. But for now it just stresses him out. He actually works faster *without* the time pressure, since he doesn't get panicky and lose focus. It's weird, but it's how he is.
I just remind myself that your average 7yo would not be good at timed math tests either. We'll ease into it, and when he's 9, we'll be giving timed tests. But it's a weakness we must cultivate.
Kriston
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DS7 has the same problem. He has to take a timed test in school every day. 50 math problems in 2 minutes. I've explained to the teacher that the probs are too easy and that's why he has no interest in doing them. But he has to do them anyway. Right now he is adding 3+. when I asked why, I ws told it's so he does well on the standardized tests!
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Joined: Apr 2008
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FWIW, we're currently going through this with DS5.5 and the assignments that he's getting, particularly for math. We haven't yet found a good solution. Homework sometimes takes up to an hour for "number pairs". Even if we dangle the carrot of Timez Attack (computer multiplication game) it only works about half the time.
When we play informal learning games we get the "hard questions, please!"
Wish we had a good answer.
JB
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I hear you, but DS7 just can't do that sort of timed test yet. He will have to eventually. But for now it just stresses him out. He actually works faster *without* the time pressure, since he doesn't get panicky and lose focus. It's weird, but it's how he is.
I just remind myself that your average 7yo would not be good at timed math tests either. We'll ease into it, and when he's 9, we'll be giving timed tests. But it's a weakness we must cultivate. Kriston, I keep forgetting that it was something we had to cultivate; at 7 I don't think GS would do it either. Thanks for your post.
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Hey, thanks for yours! I do think it gets easier as they get older, so I try not to worry about it too much. Baby steps!
Kriston
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Joined: May 2008
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Although I am not consistant, we use a mix. I add some new things if DS6 works on some of the things he dosn't like. I also just started some timed work sheets, easy quick 3 minute type. His goal now is to do 50 addition mixed single didgit with carry over in under 3 min. Almost there 3 min 8 seconds. In the future we will do the same for subtraction, mult, div. We still however learn some new things like double digit mult, fractions, etc. It dosn't always work. Pushing to show work has been fun, now that he is missing some answers, 4 digit addition, subtraction with carry over requires him to write things down and do it neatly, or he can get the wrong answer. The same with two step problems or, double multiplacation. I think he is starting to get that writting it down takes time, but it beats doing it again. No easy answer. I also use his DS as a reward at times. 30 min math, or 30 min reading gets him 30 min Nintendo DS. (This may be bad, but the first time we did it he read for 4 hours) So much for reading for reading sake.
Last edited by Edwin; 09/18/08 08:38 AM.
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Joined: Dec 2005
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how about subtracting negative numbers?
Coaching available, at SchoolSuccessSolutions.com
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Try using other number bases?
Binary, Octal, Hex?
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Joined: Oct 2006
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I hate to sound like a broken record on this one, but I have to refer to that Developing Math Talent book by Susan Assouline. This issue is one of the myths and issues discussed at length in the book. GT kids are NOT necessarily good at memorization of math facts. Mathematically gifted kids want concepts. They want to see the connections, the big picture and the patterns. How much is left when you take 6 away from 13 is just not interesting!!!!! Many mathematically gifted kids are horrible at timed tests in math. It isn't math. It's memorization. Use some of the links from Hoagies' math pages to find the quick tricks and patterns for learning patterns in math facts. There's links to sites that help make memorization more fun, especially for multiplication. http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/math.htmHere's a nice article that explains why it *is* important to eventually memorize math facts: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/why_memorize.htmBut most GT kids need to be allowed to move on while still working on those math facts. My son is working 3 grade levels above his chronological age/grade level in math but still a little slow with math facts. Yet he was relishing his homework last night as he worked with mixed fractions, simple algebraic equations and probability questions. Don't hold them back on the math facts. Just keep working on them as you move along. And, BTW, one reason my son did horribly on the timed tests at first was because he kept stopping to erase and have his answers written perfectly - not because he'd gotten it wrong! Once we told him to just write and go on to the next one he got much faster!
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Sing it, sister! Go, Debbie!!! If you're a broken record, it's a good recording. BTW, I like this line from Aimee Yermish's article: We have to teach our kids the difference between being bored because you are being taught something you have already mastered and being bored because the work is intrinsically boring but still important. The only thing I would add to that, in relation to this discussion, is that we need to recognize when the problem the child is having is boredom and when it's lack of preparedness for the memorization. Two very different issues, handled in two very different ways! But good stuff! Thanks for posting the links.
Kriston
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Just thought of another thing that helped GS get through the drills last year. I compared doing math drills to how athletes do physical drills until a move is second nature to them. I told him he was strengthening his brain just like an athlete strengthens his legs by running the steps. He bought into it, so it worked for him.
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Joined: Oct 2007
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That's brilliant, Oma, I like that. I think I'm gonna use that one, along with: That which does not kill you makes you stronger! Kidding aside, that's a good way to approach it and a good way to explain it to a kid who needs to buy into doing things that are not their fav....
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