MY KIDS DONT KNOW MATH- HELP!

Posted: Thu, Apr 26 2012, 6:04 pm Post subject: MY KIDS DONT KNOW MATH- HELP!

so my kids are learning basic math- addition subtraction and multiplication. they have flash cards, sheets etc. but they still don't know it.
they are brilliant kids- they read early, spoke early, have amazing memories, but not math.
I can ask them the same example over and over and each time will get a diff wrong answer
I get so mad at them but that doenst help them either.
what can I do so they know it but I don't get stressed out!? Twisted Evil

Diamond Member Joined: Sep 18 2004 Posts: 2600

Why would you think getting mad at them is the answer?

Are you trying to get them to memorize the answers instead of understanding how equations work?

Diamond Member Joined: Aug 07 2006 Posts: 2556

What ages/grades are they?

Are the flash cards/sheets from school? Homework? How do they learn math in school? Have they used manipulatives at all?

Be sure to say math out loud whenever it comes up around the house. "This recipe calls for three eggs but I only have two. I need one more." And show them the eggs!

How old are your children?

Step back away from your emotions about this. As a parent, you need to be able to recognize that your childrens achievements or lack of achievements isn't about you so you have enough distance to educate them according to who they are and what they need. It's very easy for our egos to get caught up in how well they do and to get upset when they don't perform the way we want.
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Silver Member Joined: Dec 30 2010 Posts: 737

Ages? Also is it just something like multiplication tables? Or is it also reading phone numbers, memorizing addresses, reading the clock, etc...

Diamond Member Joined: Sep 17 2009 Posts: 3961

What grade are your kids in and what skills dont they know?

op here: first and third grade. they are stuck on basic basic addition, subtraction and multiplication tables. they learned it in school, they have sheets and flash cards and are supposed to memorize them.
how can I get them to memorize it and remember the answers?
I never said I think getting mad is the answer, I just say that I get frustrated bec. they are so smart about every other subject!

Diamond Member Joined: Sep 17 2009 Posts: 3961

They make great cds with the multiplication tables put to music. Addition and subtraction is less about memorization and more about understanding why and when you add and subtract, how to borrow/regroup etc. The same with multiplication, some kids can just memorize without understanding what the multiplication tables mean and others need more time and more practice.

Some ideas for you:

Try using manipulatives -- beans, candies, coins, an abacus.

How about using real money? You could set up a "store" in the house with prices on different items, or calculate how many weeks of allowance money you need to buy x. Or you could set up the proverbial lemonade stand.

Doubling or halving recipes is practical multiplication and division.

DS#1 memorized his times tables by singing them.
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Platinum Member Joined: Nov 04 2008 Posts: 7927

Math is not about memorization, it's about understanding.

Some teachers don't even let their students have geometry and trig formulas for tests. They say you should be able to derive everything.
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Diamond Member Joined: Aug 07 2006 Posts: 2556

You say "they learned it in school," but what method is the teacher using? Do you know what they are doing in class? Ask the teacher(s), and find out if they are demonstrating understanding of their lessons in school. If not, is there an opportunity for extra help in school (resource room/one-on-one time/afterschool sessions)? If needed, can the teacher try a different teaching method? Ask her for some good ideas for reinforcement at home.

If the kids really need to catch up at home and you tend to get frustrated, hire a tutor.

Try Khan academy - its free online lessons in math from most basic to very advanced, you can not see the teacher only black board and the explanations are great, start at basic arythmetic and then see how far your kids need to go

Here is a link to the most basic one

addition

Diamond Member Joined: Sep 17 2009 Posts: 3961

Btw do you know what math curriculum the teachers are using?

Ha-ha Sequioa, remember having to go to the board to "prove" theorems in Russia (Ukraine). No one does it here Smile

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 18 2005 Posts: 2932

two of my (very bright) kids have trouble memorizing cold facts. the older one (3rd gr) understands math concepts but was still counting on his fingers to add.
we started doing chocolate chip math which is nothing more than using chocolate chips as manipulatives. I went back to the very beginning and had him counting forwards and backwards from ten (using the chips). at the end of ten min he got to eat them : )

then we progressed to things like 6 chips and another 1 is...
or ten chips, eat one you have.... left
and groups greater and less than
patterns and skip counting

at the same time I insisted that he review flash cards for 5 min each night. I'd pick one fact he had trouble with it and tell him if he knew it as fast as his name by the end of the week he gets a quarter. boy did he start memorizing! for flash card review, btw, we went verrrry slowly. I wanted to set him up for success because by third grade he had labeled himself as 'not good at math'. so we'd start with addition with zero's then one's even though I knew he knew those. we've been doing this since last June and now he has a tutor in school who just drills him in his times tables twice a week. review review review. and thank god its working, slowly, but he's getting it.
like I said, my ds gets the concept, he just has trouble memorizing. for other kids the problem may be something else, this is just what worked for us.

Diamond Member Joined: Dec 18 2005 Posts: 2932

Platinum Member Joined: Nov 04 2008 Posts: 7927

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5893

If you are SURE they have a good grasp of the concepts and are merely having a hard time remembering the facts, then I do think it's appropriate to work on memorization strategies. But first you need to be sure they understand how addition, subtraction, and multiplication work. You also need to accept that for some it takes more time; in the schools I'm familiar with, first grade is the first year learning + and - facts and third is the first year for multiplication. So if the kids are doing OK with the concepts and can make up for their lack of memory by using their fingers or other strategies, don't worry too hard, they will likely become more fluent as they gain more experience and practice.

Now, while I wouldn't panic, I WOULD suggest using some strategies to help them. I definitely recommend fun practice games, especially if you find some where you can limit the examples given to only those they've already memorized and those they're currently focusing on. In addition, I'd take one group of facts at a time to focus on. I would NOT exclusively group facts by the numbers (e.g. all the facts with 5) and teach them in order, which is what some teachers do and I think is inefficient. Work on one group to mastery before throwing in more tips and tricks for other numbers. For addition, you could try some of these groups:
Plus one/minus one is definitely the first to get. If, as you say, the kid is fine with counting concepts, it should be easy. If plus one/minus one is not easy then you probably have to go back to building quantity concepts.
Plus two/minus two - because you know the +1/-1 facts so well, these are just one off of that. Think "plus one and one more."
Doubles (which will later be the 2x table). For low numbers you can use the fingers of each hand to visualize (4+4 is 4 fingers on each hand) until it's automatic.
Makes Ten - this is THE most important group to have down well, imho. It is immensely useful because of our base-10 counting system. Make a grid of 5x2 squares and do examples with counters (game pieces or candies. or use more than one grid and color them in) until the kid can fluently match pairs of numbers that make 10. Start with 5+5 - two full rows of grid. If they know doubles that's easy, but you're adding the visualization that they will associate 5+5 with the ten-frame. Then you add the others. Do addition and subtraction at the same time - they should recognize when an addition pair equals 10, and they should know what each number needs to make 10. The visual aid of the frame is pretty strong, it helps them group the numbers in their mind as they become familiar with it.
Once they know that, there's the tens +1. Similar concept to 2's being +1, +1. If you know that 5+5=10 then it's easy to remember 5+6 = 11. Teach them to use the ten-facts to figure it out until they know it by heart. At the very least, they should now be able to know automatically by sight whether addition problems will be higher or lower than 10, it's a good start for making the rest easier.
From there you do one less than ten. If 5+5=10 then 5+4=9. Peasy Smile

Now you know everything +1, everything +2, everything that makes 9, 10, or 11, plus a quick visualization of tens to estimate greater or less than, and hopefully also all the pairs of doubles.
With that foundation, you can go on to rote memorization for the rest. There's less left to memorize by rote, and they can use the facts they know to get quicker at facts that are close.

Same idea with multiplication, start with the ones that are easy or have 'tricks,' then go one up from there, then one down from there, then do the squares (like doubles. Not really inherently easier, but useful to know as a group). That should leave just a few "tables" left to memorize by rote (4, 7, and 8 tend to be hardest, 6 is hard too but it's 1-up from 5 so that helps). Use songs, visual aids, games...

My kids have a Base Ten set in their toy closet and have been playing around with it since they're small. Every so often I give them random problems at the table and they set it up and do it using the blocks. They think that's how you officially "play" with the pieces. We use it for +, -, *, and / and they know math cold because conceptual understanding of + and - is the first step.

It's a good investment. Once your kids can visualize simple math, multiplication and up will be a breeze.

Memorizing math facts does make it easier and faster to do more involved kinds of math. BUT you shouldn't worry if your kids don't have their facts down. Encourage them to play around with numbers as much as you can, and as a previous poster said, point out casually whenever you add or multiply something in daily life.

Make manipulatives and number-based games available, offer to play with them, etc. Use music (there are lots of songs out there, or make up your own) or rhymes or hang up a "math fact of the day" over your kitchen table... whatever you can do is all good.

But along the way, while your kids are still in the middle of this process, please relax. Not all kids are great with memorizing facts, but they can still do great in math. Facts are not math!! As others have said, math is a lot more than computation. The main thing is to understand how numbers work, conceptually.

The sad thing is that in the elementary years, almost all schools emphasize computation skills - basic operations - and not concepts, or real numeracy. So kids start right off feeling like they "can't do math" (which leads to "I hate math") if they're not the quickest human calculators at any early age. It's really sad, because those same kids would probably love doing REAL math.

There are plenty of stories of people who got their PhD's in math but STILL need to use a calculator to do basic multiplication.

OP, please tell your kids that they can take as long as they need to learn their math facts, and you'll try to find fun ways to practice. Make sure they know that math facts are very helpful and eventually they will know them, but it takes time. Meanwhile, there are lots of fun things they can do with numbers!

Maybe get them some interesting "fun math" books like these by Greg Tang (check your library):

fun math books by Greg Tang