Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Pretty sure I'm going crazy

I feel like I've been on this board a lot and I apologize I just don't really have anyone else to turn to. Had my parent teacher conferences today and I'm still trying to figure out what to do for DS9. On assessment tests where he doesn't have to "show his work" or write anything he surpasses them. On his AIMS tests he scores above the 95th. Math problems that are on the "intense" level he masters but struggles with "easier" items. The harder the problem, the better he does. He's at a 6th grade reading and math level according to the assessments, but then fails his 4th grade classes because of not "showing" his work. I don't understand how he can do so well on really intricate and thought provoking details, but then if he has to "show" his work he completely butchers it and gets the problem wrong. If he has a really tough word problem, he can do the problem in his head. But then if you ask him to take that word problem and write it down as a "formula" he can't. Does anybody understand this? What do we do at this point? I was lucky enough that the Principal and one of the Specialists was with me during his conference as we discussed how he can be 98th percentile via WISC IV IQ Testing with 99.2% in Quantative Reasoning and Similarities but then struggle with simple word problems. Yep....pretty sure I'm going crazy.

On top of that,

I am pretty sure you are not crazy Cola. BTDT.

When DD was hating math and doing similar things....stuffing up the easy stuff but able to do complex algebra I read that it wasn't unheard of. As a basic point, the more challenging work is interesting and engages the brain. Easy stuff sometimes doesn't get processed because they don't have to focus on it and they make silly mistakes. DD still makes errors of calculation but knows how to do problems that make my head hurt.

Not showing their work crops up a lot....and I mean a LOT. I understand your math system has become even more demanding in this area and I know there are pros and cons, but sometimes our kids çannot articulate what they do. They don't lways follow the steps like they are expected to but leap straight to the answer. It's like asking us to think of our mother's maiden name. You can do it but I doubt you can tell me how you got to the answer...you just knew it.

Word problems are another area that can cause problems. I remember googling this when DD also had issues. It might be that he needs so concrete instruction on the steps needed. I will try googling it again or others may have references for you.

Ii might help to tell you that your problems are not unique or even desperately unusual in the gifted population. I say come to forum and ask all you want. There just aren't that many other places to go where you have support and information that you need.

Hang in there!

Previous thread some years ago on the forum on math word problems
http://giftedissues.davidsongifted.org/BB/ubbthreads.php/topics/104778/Math_Word_problems.html

Interesting article on the subject not specific to gifted
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/WW_Word_Problems.pdf

One teacher's solution turned into a research paper.
http://scimath.unl.edu/MIM/files/research/SchwanebeckT.pdf

If you are not crazy you will probably be before he finishes school. Still in this case the problems are, as stated, fairly commonly.

Yes I understand this completely. I don't think my DS15's problem are the same but similar. Getting him to express in words what he knows in thoughts can be excruciating. I just watched my son last night yet again not be able to write a simple creative writing assignment. If he had to write about his math he would have been going nuts. (Thankfully he misses common core math..) It's been a problem for him in every subject. My son has had this problem writing up labs in science.

Not sure what to suggest to you. Honestly specialist haven't given me very many 'good' solutions they have just given us accommodations via a 504. (He now has to Monday to finish this assignment that was due today.) Not a lot of good advice but I do know what you are going through.

Hugs..

I just looked back because I remembered your DS has some challenges Cola. Motor apraxia and dysgraphia will impact on him not wanting to write out his work too. If he can solve problems in his head he probably can't see the point of writing down the answers. It's harder then to do so when he needs to when problems become more complicated.

Also, if writing takes a lot of effort then concentrating on that when doing Maths may make it hard for him to focus on the math part. So if he is using all his concentration to form the numbers on the page the meaning of the numbers themselves gets lost.

Does he use grid paper to write his Maths on? It can help organisationally as long as the grid isn't a distractor. I know others have used apps to utilize tablets for doing Maths.

He has grid paper but the teacher didn't think he needed it. Luckily the speech therapist was with me and told her graph paper is part of the IEP.I know she's a speech therapist but she has been amazing and is the one actually writing the IEP.

I am glad you have allies. The teacher is truly toxic. how many months left in the year? It will be over soon. In the meantime you are doing your best.

So his assessments put him at a 28 for DAZE and anything over 18 is considered superior. Of course I have no idea what that means but the specialist did and she made sure we ALL knew his test scores show he is capable of more than what she gives him. I was so thankful for her I'm going to send her flowers! Lol.

My son was assigned to write a 6-word memoir. His memoir:
In advanced math, but still can't count.