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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

I hate number lines!

21 replies

Buda · 05/10/2008 08:39

And the hell that is maths homework,

DS is in Yr 3 and we have just had a humdinger family row about his maths homework and I have stuck a note in saying that he has NO idea and that we need to go back to basics with him.

DH angry at me as I shouted and let DS go to football having said he wouldn't go if he didn't get some of his homework done. (I know we are supposed to stick together on things!)

I swore.

And I screamed that I am NOT teaching DS maths that that is the teacher's job. I will support him. I will sit with him. I will gently ask if he is sure that it is correct if I think he has got it wrong. But I WON'T sit and teach him the whole number line thingie (that I don't get anyway).

Sigh.

And we have friends coming for lunch and I have to shower, tidy up, go to shop and start cooking.

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DrZeus · 05/10/2008 08:50

Hi Buda

, I didn't want your post to go unanswered. Number lines are a pain (never had them when I went to school - mind you that was soooo long ago!

I hope your lunch goes well.

I've found a couple of links which I've found useful when trying to support ds1 (year 2).

Couple of links which might help numberlines
numberlines 2
how numberlines work

Original poster

Buda · 05/10/2008 08:53

Thanks DrZeus. I appreciate it. Will have a look at the links later. Need to go and shower now.

Didn't do sodding number lines when I was at school either. I think our way was MUCH easier!

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Bettyboobird · 05/10/2008 09:12

I think the concept of numberlines is to make an abstract idea, such as subtraction or addition, more visual and therefore more tangeable, without actually using physical objects to demonstrate. I hope that makes sense lol!

Perhaps try and look at things in a different way- we didn't have interactive whiteboards and internet access on laptops when we were at school either. Things move on, and generally for the better...

smartiejake · 05/10/2008 13:22

Research shows that children who use number line methods eventually develop much better mental arithmatic skills.

AMumInScotland · 05/10/2008 15:33

If he just doesn't get it, then I think you're best sending a note to the teacher so that she can go through it again. You're right, it's not your job to teach him it. You should not have to spend huge amounts of time on homework at this age, and if he's given it a fair try then that should be enough. I sent in a note with DS's homework a few times to say that he just didn't understand the concept, and she was fine with that.

MaloryDontDiveItsShallow · 05/10/2008 15:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

robinpud · 05/10/2008 15:38

I love number lines too!.

Make sure he is counting the jumps. Can he jump in 10s if that helps?

Tell us your problem and we will sort him for you.

wheresthehamster · 05/10/2008 15:44

To use a number line effectively you need to be able to add 10 to any given number. Some children find this difficult.

But agree - number lines are great!

smartiejake · 05/10/2008 15:49

Try this Nice little online activity showing how to do number lines.

smartiejake · 05/10/2008 16:00

here's another one. Lovely little game. My UHI group really love this one.

Original poster

Buda · 05/10/2008 21:13

Well hay you lot with you number lines are great! No they are NOT!

Esp if you are 44 and did it the old-fashioned way.

And funnily enough we had 2 families over for Sunday lunch - both in DS's class and they all had the same issues this morning! They all had rows about the same thing!

So number lines are CRAP!

I appreciate all the links but if that's what it takes surely it proves that number lines are crap????

(I know i am being pedantic and a pain but that's what I feel like!)

OP posts:

Miggsie · 05/10/2008 21:18

I don't "get" number lines either. They don't help me, I learned using an abacus, which I loved as I liked the clicking of the beads! I also think they demonstrate the actual size of a number, and make it less abstract.

DH can't understand number lines either, but he can do binary multiplication in his head...so maybe he is not a good example.

Original poster

Buda · 06/10/2008 07:40

Well DS shattered today after a busy weekend so have decided to keep him home and we will both work on our number lines!

Thanks for all the website links and games. I will have a look and try and figure it out and then get DS to have a play on a few and then retry the homework.

I still think the old-fashioned way was easier. Sigh. That is a sign of old age isn't it? Eeh by gum lad - in my day twere none of this nonsense!

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Original poster

Buda · 06/10/2008 13:31

Well we have tried again and again we have failed. The fact that the worksheet has very little space doesn't help. I still think number lines are a very cumbersome way to do it.

The homework is working out how much change you would have from £2.00 for various items. I.e a torch for 47p.

Parent teacher meeting tomorrow anyway so will talk to her then.

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MaloryDontDiveItsShallow · 06/10/2008 14:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Buda · 06/10/2008 15:26

Thanks Malory.

It sounds logical when you put it like that but when sitting down with a very reluctant DS and a reluctant me it doesn't seem it!

And we seem to have been doing it wrong too . I was OK at maths at school! DS has been jumping in 10s or 20s which makes it very long and wearing and untidy and boring. Will try it again with your method.

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dilemma456 · 06/10/2008 15:28

Message withdrawn

Original poster

Buda · 06/10/2008 16:16

Thanks again Malory! He has just managed to do them! And I understand it now too!!!!

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MaloryDontDiveItsShallow · 06/10/2008 19:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

robinpud · 06/10/2008 21:07

always count the jumps ( not the numbers on the line ) and make your jumps as efficient as possible ie 10s, 50s or even 100s.

Original poster

Buda · 07/10/2008 06:25

Malory - we were jumping in 10s and then adding the extra bit at the end - as you say - it is pants! Now doing that bit first and then jumping in whatever DS wanted to jump in - he did some 10s, some 20s, some 50s and some 100s.

Now if I could just sort out his handwriting/neatness I would be happy!

robinpu - that's what i had him doing at the end - adding up his jumps. His mental maths isn't bad actually.

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