DD not progressing with Maths (year 1)

[diplodocus]

I was wondering if someone could give some suggestions of other things I can do. She is not really progressing with maths. In yr R she was fine. She started in a middle set yr 1 but while other have made a lot of progress she has made much less, and has just been moved to the bottom set, which she finds upsetting. She doesn't seem to have problems with parts of it - i.e. time, shapes, symetry, counting in 10s, 5s, 2s etc. , it's the actually manipulation of numbers (addition and subtraction) that she finds difficult. I play number games with her at home and we do addition / subtratction online, but she still doesn't seem to be progressing. She can add / subtract numbers in her head up to about 10 (total) (accurately, but she's "counting on" all the time and the teacher says she should be using other strategies by now (altough not sure what they are). She can use a number line for larger numbers. She's getting quite demoralised and loosing confidence. We're not getting much in the way of ideas from school who just tell us to continue what we're doing. I'd be really grateful for any ideas of how we could help at home from either teachers or othe parents in the same situation.

Hi diplodocus:

I'm no expert - just a Mum - but it sounds like what the teacher is looking for are jumps now (so knowing 7 + 8 = 15 in one go - or in two jumps 7 +3 = 10 and then 10 + 5 = 15).

One of the things that Mathsfactor - an on-line tutorial we've been using now for nearly 2 years for DD1 Y4 and DD2 Y2 really worked through with us was number bonds for all numbers up to 10.

So knowing that 8 = 1 + 7, 2 + 6, 3 + 5, 4 + 4, 5 + 3, 6 +2 and 7 + 1 (also of course 8 + 0 and 0 + 8). One trick you can try is take a deck of cards and only use numbers 2 - 7 and use aces as 1. Then deal out the cards - so say you deal out an 5. Then ask what + 5 = 8.

You can do this with whatever number >5 (6 - 9 and working out steps seems to be the tricky bit). She proably can count by 2 and 5 (if not start there). But then work on counting by 3 (either in one go - or +1 then +2). Then work on counting by 4 (all in one go or +2 and then +2).

After you're comfortable working up - then try the process working down (so subtracting).

A very good game to use for this is snakes and ladders (forward addition & backwards subtraction). We found that once our DDs understood the number patterns to 10 - they were much better able to cope with addition of all numbers to 20 or 30, and then beyond to 100. The next hurdle is carrying over 10s - but as she's just in Y1 - I think we'll stop at simple additions and really recognising bonds (what numbers together make a certain number, say 5) beyond just making 10 (which gets a lot of time in school).

Hope that helps

Thanks past - some really helpful ideas.

Hello,

I'm a KS1 teacher. One important piece of advice I give to all parents who are concerned about how their children are progressing is to remember that all children progress at different rates and the children who have seemingly progressed ahead of her may plateau while your DD speeds ahead of them later in the year.

It can also be helpful to take a more relaxed approach to helping with your DD's maths learning outside if school. If children are struggling and, as you mentioned your DD is feeling, demoralised they can feel pressurised by more work at home leading to further loss of confidence and their interest for the subject will decline. Try to sneak maths into your daily routine: counting pegs when doing the washing, adding food items at dinner time, finding coins when buying sweets etc. This way your DD will be doing lots if adding without feeling like she is doing more work ( work she doesn't feel she can do).

Your child's teacher has said your DD should be using other methods and this is fine but ultimately your DD. Should be using methods she feels comfortable with. If she has to struggle with using an unfamiliar method to help her solve sums she is dealing with two problems- the sum and the method. New methods can be introduced and reintroduced occasionally as choices your DD can make to help her solve addition problems and, if fine on her terms, het confidence in using them will grow as will her ability to solve sums.

Other methods to try are: practical methods (eg. buttons, Unifix cubes, Lego etc), numberlines, hundred squares, pictures ( draw 5 sweets in one jar, 2 in another and count them).

Knowing number bonds obviously will help but your DD needs to know what they mean. Making bonds with practical equipment can help eg. Hiw many ways can we make 10 with these buttons?

Make maths a game rather than work. Building your DD's confidence us your first aim, enjoyment and attainment should then follow.

Ask to speak to the class teacher to find out what maths they are working on each week and what methods they ate using in class.

I hope some of that helps.

Oh and most importantly PRAISE! Lots of positive praise ANYTIME your DD gets any maths problem right, whenever she instigates any maths discussion or learning and praise for attempting problems. She is never wrong, just hasn't worked out the answer yet, try again (ask her how she could do it?)

Thanks I heart. I'm sure you're right about learning at different times. Unfortunately her teacher is very negative about her (both to me and to DD herself) and this is probably making me more anxious to try and "do something". In terms of other strategies, I think the teacher is referring to other mental maths strategies i.e. she thinks she should be able to do simple arithemetic faster without having to count up or down both times. She knows her number bonds to 10, but I'm not sure to what extent she can use that in subtraction (she can use in addition) so I think you are right there.
Yes, I will certainly do as much praise as possible. I'll also try and do more during the day. We play a lot of Dino dice which she enjoys and I'll look for other maths-based games so she doesn't feel too "put upon."

My main tip (am a ks1 teacher too) is to remember to teach not test. I remind myself of this all the time, so I hope I don't sound patronising.

Model stuff you want her to know, don't just ask questions. "Oh look I have five forks and some over here. I already know I have five so let's count on. six, seven , eight" etc. Written down it sounds silly but honestly, it is better than constantly asking questions as that is no fun for anyone. Have lots of number references around, 100 squares and number lines. Use these to model subtraction with number bonds.

I would ask the teacher for some tips and to keep you in the loop as to what she is teaching your dd, and keep on asking if this is not forthcoming. She should not be telling you what the problem is without helping you to resolve it. What on earth is the teacher thinking to be negative in front of your DD? This is not on.

Number bonds - thread ten cotton reels on a string long enough to separate them into two groups. Really helpful for number bonds.

It is important to teach number bonds within ten too - all the different ways of making six etc. Fingers are good for this. Show me five (all on one hand, four fingers on one and one on another, three and two) for example. You can do this anywhere.

It sounds like you're doing a great job. From what you have said, your DD's teacher does not seem to he handling this well. I would never be negative towards a child RE their ability. It is a teacher's job to enable children to develop and reach their full potential. Your child's teacher should be encouraging your DD to count on if this is how she feels able to solve a problem. The teacher should then be offering other methods and gently encouraging your DD ro try other ways of solving probs. At home you could get her to count on and then find a different way once she already has the answer. This might build her confidence in trying out other ways. Eg. 8+3= use number bonds to add 8+2 then add the one. I am only guessing the dory of thing the teacher is after. She should be making clear what she wants DD to be able to do, especially as you ate showing concern.

I would definitely try and pin the teacher down and stress how kern you are to help your DD. Good luck!

Dory= sort!!

Thanks all for these excellent ideas and suggestions. It is sad that her teacher is so negative - the one last year was always very positive and DD responded to her so much better. I'll ask exactly what sort of strategies she's tallking about and how I should encourage them but your ideas IHeart are I think what she's getting at and I'll try those with her. Will also do some stuff on number bonds up to 10, but try and model as much as possible as Humphry suggests.

Good stuff :) You obviously care a lot about your DD's education which can only help her flourish.

Hello,

You could try to play these with her (my children like to play these games, as long as I lose and they win, so you can cheat and lose all the time):
www.beam.co.uk/mathsofthemonth.php

Also, I prepared some "follow me cards", "dominos", "matching cards", "jigsaw puzzles" with maths questions on the topics that I want the kids to practise (for ex. number bonds to 10, so the matching pairs would be 2 and 8, 4 and 6, etc, or easy additions: matching pairs are 1+2 and 3, 2+2 and 4). This software is free and perfect to create this kind of stuff:
www.mrbartonmaths.com/jigsaw.htm

Also, you can ask DD to prepare homework for you, for ex. with some additions, then you write your answer, and you get a few wrong. She must mark it (so she has to check every answer you have given). Of course she has to give you a grade and a comment (my kids like writing harsh comments on my work)

And I like cuisinaire rods. They are great for number bonds to 10, but I also used them to explaing subtraction with exchange (using the 10-rods and the 1-rods)

Good luck!

In the car on the way to school every morning we do 5 min. quick mental maths starting with pairs easy ones: 2+2,3+3, 4+4, 5+5 all the way to 20 and reversed half of 20, half of 19, half 18, half of 14 an so on, all the way back down to half of 2.
Then random addition up to twenty in any order, allowing any workout/method DD finds useful, allow her time to get to the right result and praise, praise, praise.
Also every evening we do all the above, but as written sums, I would write them all on the sheet of paper as many as twenty combined + and - and then leave her to do them all by herself allowing again 5 to 10 min.
She enjoys ticking her work in all different colours, so I let her tick, on some evening we reverse roles where I am doing the sums that she has set for me, it's fun.
DD has been in the same situation as you DD at the end of last term according to her teacher, but we pressed on every day little by little, and DD is a transformed character/mathematician
Maths is a discipline it need a lot's of practise, repetition is a key IMO.

She would love to set me work! That's a great idea. I think little and often and trying to do it at opportune moments rather than make a big deal of it are the way to go. Really encouragin to see your DD has made such an improvement Strict. Thanks again for all the very valuable suggestions.