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Not managing maths

23 replies

Looneytune253 · 06/10/2019 16:09

I seem to have taken my eye off the ball with my 9 year old and it's recently become apparent that she really struggles with maths. I feel awful but it hasn't ever been mentioned at parents evenings in fact quite the opposite. Since September we've been making more of an effort to make sure she completes her maths homework and she literally needs walking through it with baby steps every single question. It is also basic maths so I'm baffled really. First stop is to have a chat with her teachers and see how she manages at school and maybe look at her math books there but feedback has always been positive. I'm also thinking about looking into maths programmes or tutors? Any advice? She's our second child but the eldest has abs sailed through school and sats and now doing well in year 10.

OP posts:
Looneytune253 · 06/10/2019 16:10

Sorry I meant to say, any advice?

OP posts:
Mosaic123 · 07/10/2019 08:01

A tutor if you can afford it.

MiniDoofa · 07/10/2019 08:18

I’d agree with PP, a tutor is the way to go if you can.
The exact same thing happened to my daughter. Was always a good reader and I actually think that masked the problems to a degree because the teachers thought she was “bright”. Even when I knew something was wrong- no basic strategies, no idea what the maths was in a word problem- the teachers stated she was middle of the class.

At age 9 they did a national test (like UK sats I think) and her result was dire. I wasn’t surprised.
We got a tutor who assessed her at first to figure out where the kidding links were. Learning maths is a bit like building with blocks- if you don’t get the first hits right you’ve got no hope. Tutor worked on basics alongside what they were doing in class. Best money I’ve ever spent.
Age 11 they do more national tests- DD got the top possible result.
Not that those tears are everything but if definitely demonstrates massive progress which she would not have made without help.
Hope that helps and good luck.

MiniDoofa · 07/10/2019 08:19

Tests not tears!!!!!

MiniDoofa · 07/10/2019 08:20

Oh my gosh so many typos sorry!!! Kidding links = missing links
😂😂 I may possibly need a typing tutor 😂

mummmy2017 · 07/10/2019 11:44

Ask your child which bit they find hard.
Mine hadn't understood fractions as the teacher was rushed.

Looneytune253 · 07/10/2019 11:45

I have been thinking about a tutor but I'm not that well off. I will make cut backs though if I need to. I just don't know how this happened. She was always above average and maths was her better subject. Still waiting to hear from her teacher. School stopped doing parents evening a few years ago (unless specifically requested) but I did go in and he said she was fine. I'm thinking she must have slid down so so gradually no individual teacher has noticed.

OP posts:
Looneytune253 · 07/10/2019 11:48

@mummmy2017 it was her homework and I was sitting doing it with her. It was all basic maths but I needed to dissect every question for her and tell her exactly which sums to do. When it was a smaller sum (basically one of the times tables) she was having to write them all down individually and add up on her fingers. I just don't know where it all went wrong. I had no idea

OP posts:
delilahbucket · 07/10/2019 11:59

Check with school before taking any further steps. It could be that she is actually good at maths but can't be bothered with her homework.
If she is struggling, the teacher may be able to offer additional support and you might not need a tutor.

mummmy2017 · 07/10/2019 12:07

Ok so she doesn't know her times tables.....
Practice fixes this.
We used to do a times table square.
I copied a picture below. You change where the printed numbers are each time.
So an 8 in a column and a 5 in a row means you enter 40 in the box.
You get her to fill it in .
Time her doing it.
Everytime she beats her score she gets a prize.

Not managing maths
TeenPlusTwenties · 07/10/2019 14:36

Maths is cumulative, so if you are shaky on earlier stuff it makes new stuff very hard.
Succeeding is also very confidence based. You have to be willing to 'have a go' even if you aren't certain.

I'd try to work out where she is, maybe by buying some workbooks from Smiths and seeing what she does / doesn't understand.

Use of number lines
Place value
Four basic operations single / double digits

Then, yes, times tables recall really helps as you don't have to interrupt your thinking to work them out.

If it is word problems, can she decode them to find the maths? Physical objects can help a lot with that.

Can you give examples of the kind of things she was struggling with?
Are you sure it is a big problem or has she just not grasped this week's topic + poor times tables?

mcmen05 · 07/10/2019 14:49

Try ixl it is an online maths app
Really good and easy to keep track off what they do

princessna · 07/10/2019 17:00

You could try something like Khan academy and start at teh basics of additiona, subtraction, place value etc and work on the problem areas as you discover them. If you are able to sit down with her a disect her homework, then you seem to be able to 'teach' her the stuff as well... so with the help of strategies and exercises on Khan academy you can work on it.

Everythingseemsfine · 09/10/2019 07:57

Second both Khan and IXL. Both sites enables you to practice from basics, and repeat it until you get it. Khan is free, and IXL is paid, so pairing both is even better. IXL follows UK NC, so it covers everything you need to know, while Khan has great tutorial videos that explain everything from the basics to high school maths.
Another great video that explains basics of maths is mathantics

Paddy1234 · 10/10/2019 15:43

I used to teach maths
Get a tutor - there is often five or six ways of teaching things.
Teaching a class, the teacher can only teach one way which may not suit some.
It will be the best money you spend

Yolande7 · 10/10/2019 16:35

You might have to work on skills and confidence. I would make sure that your daughter understands that she can be okay at maths, if she practices. Tell her, that everyone can be good at maths, you just need to learn the methods and apply them without making little counting mistakes. It is all down to practice.

I would go through the "Power of 2: The One to One Coaching System for Maths Success" workbook with her. It was a complete game changer for my daughter. We did 30 mins a day for a few months and she improved exponentially. Before, we were worried that she might fail her SATs, after, she got way above average in the exams.

I think 1,2,3 maths have a website now, if you prefers that. I found it useful to do it with her though, because it helped me notice that she had memorised certain facts incorrectly. Since then, we have always practiced according to the Power of 2 method.

LeGrandBleu · 10/10/2019 19:28

If money is a bit tight, you might want to try to sit down with her yourself. Maths is, in my view, a bit like abs. 15 mins every day is way more successful than an hour every week.

The first thing I would do is talk to the teacher and ask her the planned maths topics for the next 4 weeks. You must of course tackle all the bits and pieces she doesn't mastered but it is important to work on what they are actually doing in class, so if they are doing angles, you are not doing fractions.

You could do 15 min of the current topic in class, which will help her get confidence and another 15 min of the basics.
Some will shout that this is way too much, it is actually not. There are excellent websites Khan academy is one (free) , mathsonline is another used here in the classroom (www.mathsonline.com.au/plans ) they do free trials.

You need a good resource book. I have use this series with my children www.cambridge.edu.au/education/titles/ICE-EM-Mathematics-Year-5-Third-Edition-print-and-interactive-textbook-powered-by-Cambridge-HOTmaths/#.XZ91xC17HUo , ups might want to look for something similar in UK.

I would favour a classic book, paper and pencil over any online activity and only use websites for the video lessons in case you want an alternative way of teaching.

Mastering the times tables is a must, and this comes with endless repetition. On the tiles next to the bathtub, I wrote them all with lipstick. For example, on one tile I would write 4x7 , and DC would have to call the answer. In the car, while cooking, endless timetables.

You can do it yourself. Borrow books from your library. GO to a very bog bookshop and go into their educational resources section and sit down there going through the books they have and find the one you find more useful. Organise a learning space at home, a clean desk with the two chairs and sit with her.
Best of luck

Avebury · 19/10/2019 11:53

Squeebles is a great app to secure their basics

Dljlr · 19/10/2019 11:56

My 8 year old struggles with basic maths which wasn't picked up by his previous shit school, so a lot of year 4 mathematics is beyond him as he's missing foundation skills. We've had a tutor for 6 weeks and it's making a huge difference to his confidence. She's £38 for an hour. I'm a single parent and have to spend a lot on wrap around care so this is a huge cost that I can't really afford, but it's either this or he continues to lag further and further behind. If you can stretch to it a tutor is the way to go.

ElenaTan · 22/10/2019 09:04

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Sarjest · 02/11/2019 22:04

For times tables, get a pack of cards and ask her to multiply the number on the card by the chosen ‘number’ of the week. Get her do as many as she can in one minute, then see if she can beat her previous score. My DS loved doing this and it became quite competitive at school. If you can’t afford a tutor, buy a pack of Carol Vorderman type maths practice books and do those regularly. It will build her confidence as well as her knowledge and skills. Plus don’t forget to show her how you use maths in real life, whether shopping or playing a game, so she understands the importance of the subject. Good luck!

Hippychickster · 03/11/2019 00:22

I think tuition would be a good idea to try and fill in the missed bits.

GreenTulips · 03/11/2019 00:24

Have the school changed to the white rose method?

This may be causing some confusion

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