Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School What else should I be doing for math

Edited.

I think a lot depends on how your son feels about it. I think you're doing absolutely the right thing in having fun with maths with him at home. In an ideal world he'd also get challenges at school, but (as I think you realise) if he's basically content with what he's got now it would be quite easy to change it to something worse... I think in your place I'd maybe be making an appointment to talk with his maths teacher about challenging him where he is. IMNSHO, if you have a straight choice between "harder problems using the maths he knows now" and "teach him more maths, but give him only routine problems to do with it", the former wins hands down. Whether it's a realistic possibility, though, depends on how skilled the teacher is at differentiation.

My first grader is in a similar place in math. My philosophy is to keep feeding him what and at what level he enjoys. He uses khanacademy.com and different iPad apps (like mathdude podcasts.) I encourage him with some of the math games that have a speed component which seems to help him internalize skills faster. He is in a K-5 school; I don't know what happens next year as he is already self-engaged in 5th grade topics. We are hoping some sort of math club or team stuff is in the near future.