Ok questions and G3 - our kids sound similar!!! Interesting!
Questions - I could have written your post!
Things that come to mind w/ DS. He figured out multiplication on his own at 4yrs old. He's 8.5 now. For 8x4 he'll still do 16+16=32. 8x3 is 16+8. Now we spent a day chanting 8x3 is 24 so now he gets that one instantly. This is the first time in math where I think memory/practice (multi/div facts) has really come into play and it has really shaken his self-esteem. everything else was learn it once, got it, let's move on. This is something he needs to continually refresh on. With a 3week break on multi facts over Christmas, he got really rusty and was so frustrated he just now absolutely, steadfastly refuses to work on them.
But at other times, he'll read a 2step problem and in seconds spits out the answer. So it's not consistent. I don't know...for him I think it's learned behavior and stubborness.
