DS says the maths is too easy

[headoverheels]

DS is 9 and in year 4. He's good at maths - not a genius or anything, but well above average for his class. This has been recognised by his school (ie his teacher and the headteacher have both told me they are aware of it), but they don't seem to be actually doing much about it. He does get differentiated work, but he says he hasn't been given a difficult maths problem all year - except last week, when his teacher was off sick and there was a supply teacher!

What would you do? Mention it to his teacher again? Or just accept it and hope for more in year 5? I don't want to be a pushy parent and I do recognise that it's difficult for a teacher to deal with a range of abilities in a class.

Headoverheels:

This is really difficult - in general parents of able pupils asking for more tend not to be particularly well received IME.

My advice would be to try and create an outlet for that interest in maths at home - thereby encouraging your child and providing practice.

Ideas:

NRICH Maths - brilliant maths site - where children are encouraged to think through puzzles and solve them (answers are provided) but you can also tackle a puzzle without an answer and submit your answer on-line. Website: nrich.maths.org/frontpage - start with upper primary - if that's too easy try lower secondary.

If your school belongs to My Maths - encourage your son to play the games going for high scores - this will post his name & school. You can capture the screen and print it out to put up his 'records' on the fridge!

Woodlands Junior School Maths Zones - has tons of games - all free: resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/

Math champs: www.mathschamps.co.uk/#home

Now there are a number of on-line maths tutorials which many here on MN have praised: Komodo Maths/ Mathsletics/ Maths Whizz/ Mathsfactor/ Khan Academy - most are by subscription but Khan academy is entirely free. They all have very different feels and it may be an idea to explore them and then show the one or two that seem relevant to your son.

If your son fancies a little bit of daily challenge - he could try Corbett Maths 5 a day: corbettmaths.com/5-a-day/ - this is for secondary students in preparation for GCSE Maths - but the 'numeracy' level would be appropriate and sometimes challenging for an able Y5 working at Y6 level. This is entirely free and answers (showing how it was worked out) are provided.

There are a number of free worksheet websites:

Mathdrills: www.math-drills.com/ - answer sheets can be printed too - you just have to choose the subject and then explore the various sheets which get progressively harder (shown as letters of alphabet) - it takes a bit of exploring but can help.

worksheet works: www.worksheetworks.com/math.html - this is a US website still under design (BETA) - but you can control how many problems & difficulty of problems and answer sheets are also provided.

Finally - I'd advice you to just look over the various things covered by the new curriculum for maths: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335158/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Mathematics_220714.pdf - just scroll down to Year 5 and Year 6. It is worthwhile just double checking that the school is covering the full range of the curriculum. If there are gaps - try searching for resources - just type resources binary numbers (for example) and see what comes up. It can take a bit of hunting. You can also use the search engine within Khan academy - which often will have videos explaining the concept.

If you feel your son is ready for algebra - DD1 really enjoyed mathsfactor algebra school - I don't think you can just join it on its own any more - but it may be worth considering if he's pretty well mastered decimals/ percentages/ proportions/ ratios/ long division & multiplication/ area of 2D shapes & volume of 3D shapes. It's now here: www.themathsfactor.com/ - under games & more.

HTH

Past that's brilliant, thank you.

I'm finding this is a problem with the new curriculum because of whole class teaching and age group expectations.

My DD (also Y4) is in the same situation - the school do provide extension work, but even the extension work is too easy for her, and the school have limited resources to provide this. We've also resorted to doing more at home as per previous post.

PastSell... has given some great advice. I'd only add to ask if the school enters kids for the Primary Mathematics Challenge. This is something a good school would enter a good pile of Y6 kids for, the more able Y5 and perhaps some exceptional Y4s. Maybe see if they are willing to put on a problem solving group linked to that (you cannot really prepare but creating the frame of mind helps). I think there is nothing wrong with being pushy and do not accept any argument that it's hard to teach to ability level - it's rather the case that it is a schools job to do precisely that. I ended up moving my son a few years ago when faced with a clueless G&T coordinator whose brief seemed to be to ensure that extra resources were not allocated.

Be pushy, make a fuss and get your kid taught to their ability level.

I would ask to look at his books and discuss his level versus the level of work they are giving.

Children who are good a maths work quickly and aren't hampered by slow mental maths. Just because your DS describes the work as easy doesn't mean it isnt at the appropriate level or challenging.

My top group today learnt how to calculate speed (distance over time). The day before they were finding missing fractions around a point and on a straight line. Level 5 stuff. But none of it terribly arduous once you have learnt it. I don't think they would have described it as hard. But had I not taught it to them, they wouldn't have worked it out alone so therefore it did need to be taught. Now they know it and we will move on.

Easy to a child is not the same as unchallenging or repetitive learning. When children describe something as difficult what the often mean is 'impossible without an adult' or 'I couldn't do it and that upset me' - this suggests they weren't learning as the task was TOO challenging. A challenge needs to be doable but requiring a little independent thought or some extra time being taught the method. Once children have been taught something they describe it as easy because they can do it. Its like an adult describing driving as 'easy'

However, if you find that he genuinely isn't being challenged then don't let it go - keep mentioning it. Just don't rely on his opinion.

Pastsellbydate.. What brilliant pointers.. Thank you.. Very helpful.

Redsky it has nothing to do with the new curriculum

mrz well that is what my DC's school is blaming it on. My DS who is 2 years older and at the same school did not have the same issue re not being challenged for maths - he was given lots of enrichment type activities . School say they can't do this any more as not in keeping with new curriculum. In particular they won't give them homework (which is where DS saw lots of extension work) except work to consolidate what is done in class, which is fine in practice, except that DD's homework has been consolidating the same stuff for weeks and she was secure in it from the start so she is fast losing the will to live. I have been back and forth with school and they are giving DD extension work but it is not challenging enough and there is not enough of it. They've told me there is no more they can do as they can't move her beyond Y4 work.

Redsky-that is exactly what my dd's school are saying. She is also year 4 but was level 4a at end of year3 in maths. Levels obviously now gone and again, she is no genuis, but above average and very very bored for the whole of this year!

I agree with finding an outlet for him at home. In order to prevent further boredom you should avoid letting him move on to more advance topics but rather challenge him with difficult logic puzzles that involve topics he's already covered. Perhaps consider introducing him to programming (something like scratch or alice). Kids who are good at maths usually take to it very well and he may well graduate to a "proper" language (something like python) very quickly. This would provide him with a great outlet for his intellect and is such a useful skill for the future (although programming languages develop and change programming as a skill is universal and incredibly useful).

When dealing with bright students it's usually advisable if possible to sometimes let them miss their regular class to do tangential challenging work. This means that they have more of a challenge catching up when they return which also prevents them from becoming disengaged or disruptive.

Its a great excuse but absolutely untrue Redsky

Thats what i thought Mrz.... but very difficult to know what to do. We are just going to get started with some stuff at home. Its just difficult to find the time when you have 4 children especially when I think home should be for fun/ out of school stuff not doing what school should be!