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Gifted and talented

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Original poster

Is my ds (5yo) G&T in Maths ? Opinions please

44 replies

selfevidentnamechange · 19/11/2007 10:10

Knowing how these threads kick off, I am hiding behind a new name.

ds is 5 and in year 1. He was 5 at the end of July.

At the last Parent Teacher evening it was suggested that as parents we start to teach ds his times tables. Starting with 2 then 10 then 5. Teacher said that the aim is for all children to know these by the end of year 2. She did say that some children will know more tables by then.

So, for the last 3 weeks we have spent 5 minutes of our walk to school each day doing tables. 3 or 4 times a week he spends 20 minutes on diferent internet programs testing his tables. He is really enjoying this and chooses to do this himself.

So far he has learnt 2,3,4,5,9,10 and 11

I am very proud of him, he is very proud of himself.

As an only child, I have no idea whether this is "normal" or "unusual".

Opinions please.

OP posts:
themildmanneredjanitor · 19/11/2007 10:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoupDragon · 19/11/2007 10:12

My gut feeling is no. Learning tables is more a matter of having a damn good memory rather than a gift. IMO your DS has a fantastic memory which will stand him in good stead though

SoupDragon · 19/11/2007 10:13

Snap

Saturn74 · 19/11/2007 10:14

It's great that he has a love of numbers.

Threadworm · 19/11/2007 10:15

I think it is down to your pracising them so effectively. Good for you, and good for him. You have obviously found a way to make practice fun and effective.

jezzemx · 19/11/2007 10:18

Oh I don't know but I am very impressed.
My Dd1 is in year 3 (8) and she is very bright (teachers comment), loves school and homework!! but I have real trouble getting her to do her tables AND to remember them. So for your son to have learned all of his tables at 5 is very impressive
Keep up the good work.

VictorianSqualor · 19/11/2007 10:20

I wouldn't say he was particularly gifted, I would however say that you should be proud of yourself taking this time to help him learn.

Most children will find it easier to remember things they enjoy, so if he has a love of numbers encourage that.

A good memory can be very useful, I have a good memory and it has helped me throughout the years with numerous things, both educationally and personally, keep up the good work.

Original poster
selfevidentnamechange · 19/11/2007 10:28

Thank you all for being so nice - I was expecting to get pilloried for this thread title

OP posts:
Piffle · 19/11/2007 10:38

Does he understand quantity really well, is preoccupied with numbers outside of structured school or parent led learning?
If so he may well end up being a gifted maths pupil

Peachy · 19/11/2007 10:44

Sounds like he ahs a fab meomory and is good at getting concepts as well, both key skills. No evidence he is aprticularly G&T but you know- no evidence he isn't either! certainly he is able and it would be worth eprhaps seeing how much he can understand- just chicking stuff his way informally and seeing how he does it, nothing formal or testing, iyswim.

Original poster
selfevidentnamechange · 19/11/2007 10:45

Piffle - he is definitely preoccupied with numbers outside structured learning. Not sure about his understanding of quantity as yet - he does understand the concepts of fractions and negative numbers and can add 2 three digit numbers in his head.

OP posts:
Original poster
selfevidentnamechange · 19/11/2007 10:48

Thanks Peachy - he does sometimes have interesting ways of calculating things. eg once I asked 20-5. He replied "Well that's a quarter so it is 15".

OP posts:
Peachy · 19/11/2007 10:49

Blimey- he's oing better than me then

with all that i would go in and ask the teachers, there's far more sttrength to your question if he can carry out processes such as adding than just memorizing, iyswim?

VictorianSqualor · 19/11/2007 11:01

I agree with Peachy, there is more to it than just memorising his times tables then discuss it with someone.
He may just be more forward and the rest of his class could catch up, it could be the way he is taught at school, the way you teach him or just the way he has learned to associate things, but there is no harm in finding out.

Good about the adding up in his head, my DD was trying to add up a double figure number the other day and was counting it all out on her hands, so I taught her about tens/units etc and now she is much better, so it could be a way of working it out that is his strong point iyswim.

Niecie · 19/11/2007 11:08

Probably it is down to a good memory. We did something similar to get DS1, in Yr 1 to remember his 400 key words and he is a good reader now as a result.

However, even if it is just a memory trick, it is a stepping stone for more complex maths like learning the key words is a stepping stone to better reading. He might be good at maths but he needs to be able to pick up other mathematical techniques before you will know this for sure. Probably the most important thing is that he enjoyed learning it as that will keep him interested in the future.

I am impressed though - my DS1 is more of a words boy than a numbers one so we are still working on 3 and 4 times tables and he is in Yr 3.

Piffle · 19/11/2007 11:08

ok so he is very very numerate, which emans his mental maths will be super.
A love of numbers and being able to assimilate concepts using numbers quickly will mean he will find maths quite enjoyable and easy.
My ds1 is 13 and was very much number fixated as young child, he still excels at maths (in G+T)
DD is just 5 and in reception and is also very numerate, she can add and subtract well and knows time tables - she does understand the quantities - this is mostly down to ds1 doing things with her

Original poster
selfevidentnamechange · 19/11/2007 11:13

I'm not sure about discussing it with school as yet. This thread has helped me see that he is "good" at maths, which as a proud biased mummy, I wanted to be reassured about. However, he is happy with his maths lessons at school, they do far more than number crunching ie shapes and word problems (where you have to work out what the sum is that the problem is asking you about) and practising writing numbers. He still writes 2 and 6 backwards. So I do think that he is learning in the maths lessons, he is not bored and being disruptive. If he did complain about the work being too easy or he was bored then I would certainly have a word.

What advantages do you think there are in my mentioning his "number skills" to his teacher at the present time ?

OP posts:
Original poster
selfevidentnamechange · 19/11/2007 11:16

Piffle, what do you mean by an understanding of quantities ?

OP posts:
VictorianSqualor · 19/11/2007 11:19

Have you had parents evening recently? or are you having one soon? I would have thought bringing it up as a general enquiry would be enough to let you know what's going on at the school.

I know my DD is great at reading and spelling, she has jumped up three reading levels ina round a month and a half, but her writing is really awful (partly because she is left-handed) so when I went to parents evening I questioned if there was anything she was having problems with, mentioning her writing, and then said I was impressed with her reading and spelling skills.

The teacher agreed she was 'one of the best readers' in the class, but obviously that is as far as it goes, I think the problem with G&T can be as many have said before, it is all relative to the school, and other pupils achievements, whereas knowing your child is good at certain things rather than you feeling like an over proud mummy can make you feel a lot better about it! You may find that although your DS is awesome at maths, he is truggling with something else and knowing just how good he is at maths can ease off it and find something else to focus on. I still think alot of it is down to your interaction with him, and your place in his learning, unfortunately some parents don't help at all

Bink · 19/11/2007 11:20

The lateral thinking (the 20-5 thing) is much more interesting, to be honest, than the quick pick-up of times tables (though well done to you both on those!)

If you decide to speak to the teacher, that's the thing I'd mention, and see if the teacher can suggest games or activities that will continue to engage his numerical imagination (not just retention & recall).

VictorianSqualor · 19/11/2007 11:21

I meant to say there that there is being 'good' at something and having strengths in it (like my DD's reading/spelling) and excelling in it.

SoupDragon · 19/11/2007 11:24

The teacher should already know TBH. I don't think it's at a stage where it needs to be discussed with the school - it sounds like he's being taught at the right level for him and they'll probably start streaming them for maths this year so he'll end up in the top group and be taught appropriately. When he starts showing signs of boredom would be the time to discuss it.

Maybe ask how you can encourage him further? Ideas for games and stuff.

Piffle · 19/11/2007 11:25

well estimating games - knowign how many makes a number
sure 2 x 5 is 10
but being able to sort that quantity out as well
so get me ten tomatoes from that box please, he can then get 5 and 5 more and know he has 10 IYSWIM

CodDickinson · 19/11/2007 11:25

times tables are tricks

cluelessnchaos · 19/11/2007 11:26

I think it is wonderful that he is enjoying learning and certainly has a knack for numbers, would be worried about marking him as g&t, just in case it got more serious and took some of the fun out of it.

I am that children are meant to have learnt tables by the end of year 2, too much too young, if they are showing a willingness to learn like your son great but what about those who arent.