Ideas to help boost an able year 4 girl's confidence in maths- please!

[Retropear]

Her lack of confidence (and enjoyment)is holding her back imvho.

She is doing ok.Kind of just putters along.Sometimes needs extra explanation with new concepts but by the end of the week has got it.I think she panics(needlessly)and disengages.Picks up times tables easily(I guess because it's not a new concept) and seems to retain most things.

Her brothers are very able at maths and she is in a v bright class.There have been comments(not from her brothers altough it must be obvious how able they are at it) and she feels she's rubbish.She isn't,far from it.Because she hates it we get tantrums over anything bar tables maths wise.

I want to boost her confidence and help her to enjoy it more as I think the 2 go hand in hand.I also think she could fly.

Any ideas would be gratefully received.

My DD1 lacks confidence too. I will watch with interest.

I got a book from Amazon called 'Maths for Mums and Dads', which I was going to use to help her. She now uses the book to teach new concepts to her siblings on her whiteboard and her confidence seems to be improving. She still prefers English to maths though. I guess the key is to keep it fun!

Same here, but mine is older. I have found extra practice (mymaths,) telling more able older brothers to keep schtum and a tutor have helped.

Mine are younger - but I've found mathsfactor has improved both their understanding, enjoyment and confidence.

My DS especially is very good at deciding he can't do stuff when he can fairly easily he's just lacking confidence and seems concerned about making mistakes.

It's helped DD gain confidence when she hasn't quite got the entire concept in class - and gives loads of practice.

Hi -

This is info I have given to parents of younger children who found maths difficult, but I will give it to you in case you can get any ideas from it. I may have other stuff that is more relevant, so will try to come back sometime. The website links are work exploring:

QUOTE:

Practical things are best for grasping number concepts - bricks, Lego, beads, counters, money, shapes, weights, measuring, cooking.

Do adding, taking away, multiplication (repeated addition), division (sharing), using REAL OBJECTS as just 'numbers' can be too abstract for some children.

Number Bonds of Ten forms the basis of much maths work, so try to learn them. Using Lego or something similar, use a LOT of bricks (of just TWO colours, if you have enough) lay them out so the pattern can be seen of one colour INCREASING while the other colour DECREASES. Lay them down, or build up like steps.

So:

ten of one colour none of other
nine of one colour one of other
eight of one colour two of other
seven of one colour three of other

etc, etc

then of course, the sides are equal at 5 and 5; after which the colours 'swap over' as to increasing/decreasing.

To learn TABLES, do them in groups that have a relationship, thus:

x2, x4, x8

x3, x6, x12

5 and 10 are easy

7 and 9 are rather harder.

Starting with TWO times TABLE, I always say: "Imagine the class is lining up in pairs; each child will have a partner, if there is an EVEN number in the class. If one child is left without a partner, then the number is ODD, because an odd one is left out."

Use Lego bricks again, lay them out in a column of 2 wide to learn 2x table. Go half way down the column, and move half the bricks up, so that now the column is 4 bricks wide. That gives the start of 4x table.

Then do similar things with 3x and 6x.

With 5x, try and count in 'fives', and notice the relationship with 'ten' - they will alternate, ending in 5 then 10.

It is important to try and UNDERSTAND the relationships between numbers, and not just learn them 'by rote'.

I am sorry it seems complicated trying to explain these concepts, but using Lego or counters should make understanding easier.

An inexpensive solar powered calculator (no battery to run out!) can help learn tables by 'repeated addition'. So: enter 2+2 and press = to give 4. KEEP PRESSING = and it should add on 2 each time, giving 2 times table.

There are good web sites, which can be fun to use :

www.ictgames.com/

www.resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/index.html

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