My Year 4 dd only reach 3c in maths - what to do?

[Cleek]

In parent evening I've been told that dd got - 3c in maths, 3a in writing and 3b in reading. Her major problem with maths is problem solving. So her basic maths is okay. But she got all very confused when having to apply maths in situations and often she makes careless mistakes because she?s too rush to answer the questions. I thinks she only got about ten weeks to catch up before the end of year 4. Just wonder if one to one tuition is the best way to go for now?

I would wait until the end of the academic year before you make any decisions about tutoring. At this time of year the children start to flag and she may be more receptive to tutoring at the beginning of the academic year when it's all fresh. You could help her brush up on her skills iver the summer by going through workbooks. Even if she ends up with 3c she will only be slightly behind the average.

Just show her how to break the problems down in to sections and to do each part at a time. Carefully. Maybe encourage her to explain to you rather than writing down.

If her maths is OK it doesn't sound like she needs a tutor, just a bit of time with this part of maths working - you can find books in WHSmith if you like. Or you ca search for some online maths games which she may find more fun. The BBC website often has some good ones.

Just hang on a minute, isn't 3c mid way through year 4 bang on average? Surely she is on track to be a 3b at the end of the year, giving the following 2 years to progress a full level?

"Even if she ends up with 3c she will only be slightly behind the average"

Each year in August the media is awash with stories about kids who missed out on a University place. Those are the 'average' kids so being slightly behind those kid is not a place you want to be.

Cleek - You are already getting excellent advice so I have nothing to add except - don't let people convince you that it is ok to sit back and do nothing.

I didn't say sit back and do nothing. I meant don't panic, it isn't insurmountable.

Apologies Hazie. I shouldn't have automatically lumped you in with some other posters that I have encountered on MN. Here

If her basic maths is good then get some homework helps books (there are good ones online or in the pound shop for instance) and help her with the deconstruction of problems into basic sums.
Explain to her the logic behind it and set her some simple ones, even using props so that she has something tangible to help her. Sweeties are good as she can then have a treat at the end. :)

Thanks for the flowers, they are lovely.

My ds2 ended up with 2a for Literacy and 3c at the end of yr 4. He achieved 3c for both the previous year. I met with his teacher regularly (yr5) asking what he needed extra help with and helped him at home too. He finished yr5 with 4a in both and school said he probably had a bad day in yr4 tests. I now pay him £1 for trying hard, correct spellings, getting a gs from teacher etc and I am skint!!!!! He fleeces me for at least a fiver each week.

The government aim is for year 6 to leave with a level 4, so to me at year 4 she sounds on target.

Hi Cleek:

I think Haziedoll has a point - 3b is the expected average for end of Year 4 (see Mumsnet Learning pages here: www.mumsnet.com/learning/assessment/progress-through-national-curriculum-levels.

So a 3c in maths, 3a in writing and 3b in reading actually means she's on track (because there's one term left in Y4) for maths, and a little ahead in reading and writing.

So given you've identified that the problem is applying maths skills to written problems (i.e. If Bob has £10, how many lollipops can he buy at £1.25 each).

Now is the time to be sneaky:

You can sneak in this kind of maths question all over the place.

Cooking (recipe ingredients are for 2 people) but you want to cook for six - ask your DD what you should do.

Driving: Journey is 150 miles on motorway and 30 miles at 30 mph. How much time should you allow for the journey?

Budgeting: If I give you 50p each weekday and you have 3 days off from school this month - how much money should I budget for your tuck this month?

Money conversion: If you're on holiday in Europe - have her help convert back to pounds sterling.

You get the idea.

The other thing you can do is look into workbooks - Carol Vorderman does a maths range by year. You can avoid the stuff she's mastered and focus on the weak areas.

You can also join a mathsfactor summer camp: on-line tutorial Carol Vorderman has started. Info here: www.themathsfactor.com/. I don't think info is on just yet - but keep an eye out in June. If she practices over the summer, this might help her consolidate what she's learned and begin to progress. The nice thing about something on-line - is your DD can do it at home as and when it's convenient and involves you in very little work!

For reading and writing. I'd plan on encouraging the reading is kept up over the summer - maybe regularly go to the library and with writing have her send postcards every chance she gets.

HTH

Thanks to all of you. Feeling a lot better now. It is nice to know that there are some good people out there I can talk to.

She's on track! 4 is expected in year 6 and she's only year 4. Don't panic :)

You hang in there Cleek.

Your DD is doing o.k., but you now realise maybe she could do with some support in a few areas.

I'm sure with a bit of research - you can find some great stuff.

Just in case you haven't come across it: BBC Learning [BETA] a BBC website under development has all sorts of great ideas for free - www.bbc.co.uk/learning/ - use schools and teacher icons on right to get to the curriculum. Select KS2 box (orange box, middle left) and then select the curriculum area. I've put in link for maths: www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/keystage_2/topics/maths_ks2.shtml

and I also found this link for free on-line word problems in maths: www.primaryresources.co.uk/maths/mathsD1.htm

best of luck with everything

Just wonder is it too late to push my year 4 dc for 11+? Although she only got 3c in maths in her Jan assessment but her timestable and division are if perfect up to x12.

Yes, I mean her timestable and division are really perfect.

Hi Cleek:

just caught this today. I'd say two things.

1. Are her friends intending to take the 11+? If so, then she may feel she'd like to try to.

2. my feeling is that preparing for the 11+ over Y5 can't hurt - it's all good learning isn't it. It doesn't just include practice tests, you can prepare by stretching the quality/ content of reading materials and starting to use resources like BBC bitesize KS2. Bond does a book for parents about the 11+, which coincidentally I've been reading through in regard to my own DD1 (also Y4) - it does help to clarify things and there are some short tests to help assess where your DD is at.

HTH