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Original poster

10yo struggling with maths

50 replies

GauntJudy · 03/01/2025 22:30

DS is 10 and doesn't seem to be "getting" maths. I spoke with his teacher to explain that he won't ask for help but will just sit there pretending it's all fine. She said she'd keep an eye on him but I think she's just got too many kids to teach to devote time to one kid.

When I sit with him for homework it's clear he doesn't know how to do things. He shuts down, gets in a mood, cries - our evenings are ruined and he still doesn't understand.

I'm thinking of a tutor but from looking online in my area there only seem to be centres you can go to (rather than someone come to us). From previous experience of getting him to attend things I'll not be able to get him into the car, let alone out of it and into a classroom after school.

I'm a lone parent so no reinforcements to help in these situations.

I'm stressed about it as I think a burst of extra learning now would stand him in good stead. But I just can't get him on board.

OP posts:
LaLaLaLaLaLaLaLaLaa · 03/01/2025 22:37

YouTube is great - Corbett Maths is the one we used.

Math Genie has worksheets you can print off, anything he doesn’t understand he can search and watch videos on how to do it.

Both of the above helped my son when he was struggling with Math. Sometimes you just need to learn it in a different way.

doner638 · 03/01/2025 22:38

There are teachers who are tutors and will come to your home .
Have a look on local apps such as Nextdoor ( my local app) you can ask on there .
Good luck .

stargirl1701 · 03/01/2025 22:44

I use Rigour maths with my girls but it is the Scottish curriculum. https://www.rigourmaths.com/e-s-o-s/

There are a variety of online apps you could try. Sumdog, Doodle, Komodo, Mathletics, etc.

As a primary school teacher, I always recommend Numicon to support everything in maths from initial counting in Primary 1 to algebra in Primary 7. https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/maths/numicon-guide-for-parents/

I would try asking a tutor to work with you rather than your child. If you know how to support, it is more 'natural'.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

10 year olds Families General education
Original poster
GauntJudy · 03/01/2025 22:55

@stargirl1701 thank you for the numicon info. Can I ask something as you are a primary teacher? For questions like "what is 3/4 as a %?" - is the child supposed to calculate it in some way or do they only know that by committing common % to memory?

I didn't know where to begin explaining this one to a child who can't use calculators in lessons. It's just something we seem to know off by heart!

OP posts:
stargirl1701 · 03/01/2025 23:23

No, a child should should know 3/4 =75% without any calculation.

How could you show this? Start with the 'concrete'. One hundred pennies - hopefully your bank or post office will swap them for a £1.

Then 4 pieces of paper. That's the quarters. Share out the pennies equally. This is laborious! You can then 'see' the equivalency between the fraction and the percentage.

Point out percentages on phones and tablets to provide real life context. Pizza and cake for fractions.

KittenPause · 03/01/2025 23:24

What homework is he getting ?

Surely there are examples on there to help with questions especially if he's finding it difficult

We know 3/4 as a % is 75 % but yes how is he supposed to know how to work that out without examples

I suppose in that case you divide 100 by 4 which is 25 and you need 3 of those which is 75%

So he needs to know for now that it's always going to be 100 % and the bottom number is 100 divide ➗ by that number then times ✖️ it by the top number

KittenPause · 03/01/2025 23:30

So what is 2/8 of 100%

100 ➗ 8 🟰 12.5%

12.5 ✖️ 2 🟰 25%

And then do the same with 1/4 of 100% where the answer will be the same but will help it make sense

Thestablelights · 03/01/2025 23:33

I can recommend Times Tables Rockstars too. Tables proficiency makes an enormous difference in my experience (Y6).

Bibbetybobbity · 03/01/2025 23:35

I think the thing with maths is that you need the building blocks in place to progress. Moreso in my view than other subjects. When my dd was younger the thing that helped was to go back a year in terms of the workbooks. It builds their confidence (which is crucial- maths is all about giving it a go) and steadily plugs gaps in learning that are holding them back. Don’t panic. Go back one year, or further if that’s not immediately more straightforward, and do a small amount every single day.

Also nail times tables- they’re the foundation of so much maths- multiplication obviously, but also division. I found the best way to learn timetables was the sheet of mixed qus, so starting with x2, from 1x2, all the way to 12x2, a full page of qus, in a random order. Just do 2 mins and see how far your dc can get. Once they’re solid on that and can do the whole page of say 30 qus in 2 mins and get them all right, move to the 3 times table. Etc etc. Including mix sheets along the way with all times tables learnt so far mixed together.

KittenPause · 03/01/2025 23:35

You start with the easy ones

1/2 of 100% 🟰 50%

1/4 of 100% 🟰 25%

1/1 of 100% 🟰 100%

KittenPause · 03/01/2025 23:38

Rockstar is a good online way of learning maths

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 03/01/2025 23:38

You don't say if you can afford extra tuition. It would be helpful to understand a) if you can and b) if not, where you see your own maths ability. Did you get a C/D at GCSE 20 years go and use at most simple arithmetic now or do you have grades or uni maths/degree related tuition. No judgement but an honest assessment of how much support you can provide solo is helpful for anyone with the expertise to advise

Original poster
GauntJudy · 03/01/2025 23:41

Thanks everyone.

He is in year 5 now and spent sooo much time in years 3 and 4 on times tables. They all have to do a national test and he got 24/25 so I thought he'd cracked it.

However this year it all seems to have gone. I'll ask a basic times table question and he has no idea. Where has that knowledge gone??

I should add that I'm not constantly testing his maths knowledge. He gets homework (2 pages of a workbook) that we do one night and that's when I realise the foundation doesn't seem to be there.

He thinks he is stupid and he really isn't. He's got a fantastic vocabulary and comes up with amazing ideas.

OP posts:
KittenPause · 03/01/2025 23:43

mathsphere.co.uk

BertieBotts · 03/01/2025 23:44

Have you looked at dyscalculia at all? It's similar to dyslexia but with maths. I don't know much about it so not sure if these are signs but given he is finding it stressful, it might be worth a look?

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 03/01/2025 23:48

My daughter is dyslexic. Her early assessments suggest she is poor at memory based maths eg: times tables but great at anything visual like graphs and geometry...

She has had great support from school. TT Rockstars is used a lot by her school but really turned her off to compete against her peers. We use "Hit the Button" at home.

At secondary level we have moved to 1:1 maths tuition. For context she is also in private school with small classes. Her confidence and ability have changed 300% in 12 months. The ability to be the only one asking "stupid questions" should not be under rated .

If you can afford it, private tuition is a game changer I think. If you can't, and you will not be alone, you will need to push harder. Be specific - what schools are running extra classes. Where do you live? Now is not the time to not strike. You're right, huge benefits in building confidence before senior school. Kumon maths are highly recommended but I'm vague as to what it is to be honest.

Original poster
GauntJudy · 03/01/2025 23:48

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 03/01/2025 23:38

You don't say if you can afford extra tuition. It would be helpful to understand a) if you can and b) if not, where you see your own maths ability. Did you get a C/D at GCSE 20 years go and use at most simple arithmetic now or do you have grades or uni maths/degree related tuition. No judgement but an honest assessment of how much support you can provide solo is helpful for anyone with the expertise to advise

Yes I can afford tuition. My original post says I'm thinking of finding a tutor but I go on to say the limitations of that.

I got an A at gcse maths but didn't take it at a-level. My job involves some budgeting work so i know how to manipulate numbers. However I can't explain to a 10yo how I arrive at answers, and if I do try, I feel like it might not be how his teacher would show him, and might just confuse him even more. Some of the things on the curriculum exited my brain a long time ago - angles of a triangle anyone?

OP posts:
KittenPause · 03/01/2025 23:50

It does seem like the teacher isn't explaining it properly with good worksheets that are easy to follow

You should be able to look at examples to be able to work out the rest on a homework worksheet

I found these worksheets online where it's easy enough to figure out what they're asking

10yo struggling with maths
10yo struggling with maths
Copperoliverbear · 03/01/2025 23:50

Get a Maths Tutor.

Original poster
GauntJudy · 03/01/2025 23:54

A friend did Kumon but it seemed mostly about filling out multiple repetitive worksheets every week. Based on the ordeal of getting him to do his 2 pages of maths homework I have zero chance of cracking that.

Kip Mcgrath is another local class, but as mentioned above I'd have to drag him kicking and screaming. Doubt I'd manage to get him to do homework either.

They do times table rockstars at his school. As another poster said, the competitive element put him off, once he saw some kids had hundreds of points he quit cos he knew he'd never beat them.

OP posts:
KittenPause · 03/01/2025 23:55

You shouldn't have to be sitting with him to do his maths homework

Maths is confusing if it isn't explained properly and the teacher moves on because the DC who do know the answers give the correct answer leaving everyone else sitting there thinking WTF Confused and too embarrassed to ask

Original poster
GauntJudy · 03/01/2025 23:57

I think the workbooks he uses for homework are used by lots of schools. It's a key stage 2 workbook. There's not much explanation in them, just questions. The answers are in the back so I can see if we are on the right track.

They don't seem to mark the homework, which is a whole other thread!!

OP posts:
KittenPause · 03/01/2025 23:58

It'll be much better in secondary school when they have specific maths lessons taught by maths teachers

They'll be put into ability sets and it will all even out then

So don't worry too much now

Original poster
GauntJudy · 03/01/2025 23:59

Copperoliverbear · 03/01/2025 23:50

Get a Maths Tutor.

Yes I think that's my best option, if I can find one!

OP posts:
KittenPause · 04/01/2025 00:01

I think it serves him best at the moment to not stumble on the questions but to look at the questions and answers simultaneously to figure out how they relate to each other

Why is that the answer to that question