DD likes math but gets bored with repetitive drills
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Anonymous
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How do you handle a kid who is on grade level with math and says they like math, but gets bored with repetitive problem sets? She will do the first few problems of any set no problem, and can use what she's learned in class to do it. It's easy but not automatic. Like if the problem is "80+11" she will say out loud "8 plus 1 is 9, so it's 91." So it's not hard but since she's still reasoning it out, I still see the benefit in having her do these until it becomes more automatic.
But after the first few, she's like "what's the point these are all the same" and wants to quit. She doesn't get a ton of problem sets in a week, but some. It's easy to get her to start them but she always wants to quit halfway through. She's only in 1st so homework is not strictly enforced -- they get extra points and rewards if they do homework and turn it in, but there are no negative consequences for skipping it. And since she's at grade level the teacher is not worried either way -- we could turn in half finished homework every week and it would be fine. But she says she LOVES math and I have seen her get really excited about figuring out more complex math problems. She also really likes geometry. but they do very little of that in school. How hard would you push to finish these repetitive sets? I don't want to kill her interest in math by making it a chore, but I also think that if she likes math, then doing the extra practice on these skills she understands but has not mastered will help her to advance more quickly and she could get to the more rewarding math sooner. TIA for any advice. |
Anonymous
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She definitely needs to keep doing her homework. When she gets to harder problems, slowing down to add will take away her focus for the more complex concepts. She also needs to learn that homework is work. The general guideline I’ve heard for homework is about 10 minutes (total, not just math) per grade level. So giving a 2nd grader with 10 minutes math and 10 minutes of spelling is reasonable, whereas giving a 1st grader an hour of math homework would bot be.
Then provide enrichment to keep her engaged. Here are some ideas for math things she might enjoy: Hoagies is a great resource that has links to enrichment for all ages and subjects. https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm Teach her about money and consider giving an allowance. I think learning about money is one of the best things to teach kids about math. It teaches addition, subtraction, place value, regrouping, and introduces multiplication. (I used a 10x10 grid to help teach money, let me know if you’d like more details.) Playing store can be excellent practice for adding $0.80 + $0.11 Since she likes geometry, she might like tangrams. Play games. They almost always have a math component (keeping score, making moves, etc.) and encourage logical thinking. Some, like Sleeping Queens and Monopoly, incorporate math more directly. Teach her how to tell time on an analog watch (they make some designed for learning). https://www.amazon.com/kids-teaching-watch/s?k=kids+teaching+watch Teach her Roman numerals. Cooking is excellent for fractions. For added challenge, you could have her double or halve recipes. It can also be a great way to introduce other subjects too. Here’s an amazing post I read once on DCUM about how a parent uses cooking as an enrichment experience as her kids grow. I wish I’d read it when my kids were younger, but it’s a great illustration of how there are learning opportunities everywhere. (08/04/2020 11:44) https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/901600.page Crafts can be great for math. Origami might be good for someone who likes geometry. You could also try making patchwork patterns, even if it’s out of construction paper. (You could read her the Quiltmaker’s gift by Jeff Brumbeau - not about math, but fabulous pictures). Give her a tape measure and/or a timer. You can introduce her to the Guiness Book of World Records and then challenge her to set her own, personal records (how far can she jump, how fast can she run across the yard, etc.) Logic puzzles are great. She might enjoy Sudoku or Magic Squares. Here is a book introducing Magic Squares, you may be able to get it through your library. https://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Magic-Squares-Step...nto-Reading-Step/dp/0375806210 The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives lets kids play with and explore math concepts online. http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html Cyberchase is a PBS show that is great about introducing kids to math concepts. While their focus has changed, you can find the earlier math seasons here: https://pbskids.org/cyberchase/videos/?selectedID=...5c-0ec9-4490-9f88-7890cfb1689a The Sir Cumference books by Cindy Neuschwander are great for introducing geometry concepts. You may be able to get them through your public library. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Cindy-Neuschwander/a...rue&shoppingPortalEnabled=true A verbal game called buzz is great for practicing most math concepts. You pick a pattern and then start counting, substituting the word buzz for words that fit the pattern. To make it more interesting you can combine rules. Ex. Numbers with 2s: 1, buzz, 3, 4, . . . , 11, buzz, 13, . . . , 19, buzz, buzz, buzz, . . . , 30, 31, buzz, 33, etc. You can combine rules. Ex. Odd numbers and numbers with 2s: Buzz, buzz, buzz, 4, . . . , 10, buzz, buzz, buzz, 14, . . . , 18, buzz, buzz, buzz, . . . , 30, buzz, buzz, buzz, 34, buzz, 36, etc. As your child gets older you can use other patterns for buzz: multiples, perfect squares, primes, Fibonacci numbers, etc. I’m not sure what her grade or reading level is. Secret codes can be good for mathy kids who are fluent readers. If you think she’s ready for those, let me know. I can also direct you to some more difficult brain teasers. |
Anonymous
| ^In terms of games, I forgot to specify that there are a lot of strategic games that a kid who likes geometry might enjoy. You might try: Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Go, Chess, Connect 4, Pentago, Othello, Blokus, even Jenga. |
Anonymous
| Pp what’s the 10x10 grid for money? |
Anonymous
For my daughter I printed a 10 by 10 grid with squares large enough to hold a quarter. I shaded each block of 25 with a contrasting color. I changed the text color for multiples of five to red. Then she could lay the money on the grid to count it out. You can buy play money for kids, or let them use your spare change. Once my daughter could count money, we started giving her a weekly allowance of $1.00 in random change that she had to count out. |
Anonymous
In case it wasn’t clear, each square was numbered. |
Anonymous
| Leave the kid alone. Homework isn’t required. She knows how to do the math. Let her be a kid and go play. |
Anonymous
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Homework is so developmentally inappropriate in 1st grade. Just don't push it. Play board games and make her keep score.
--HS math teacher |
Anonymous
| Let her do half after school and half before school. |
Anonymous
Wow, our (private) school is just finishing up additions and subtractions within 10! Fact families. No clue when they will start double-digit addition 
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Anonymous
| Play board games or play the dice game. Set a goal, 100 points. Roll two die and add them together. First to 100 points “wins.” It will encourage speed in her addition. You can add more die when you think she can handle adding a third number. You can do it for subtraction as well, start at 100 and the first to 0 wins. It won’t take long to play and it will feel less repetitive. |
Anonymous
Not the long poster here but this question is asked a lot and there are a few people who seem to have a pre built response with lists like this. Kind of like you could have a pre-written answer for playdates, birthday parties, slightly older bed wetting, and a bunch of other repetitive topics. |
Anonymous
PP who posted the long list. I’m not a bot, but the other PP was basically right. I had answered a similar question last week. I copied that answer and then modified it for OP’s daughter. |
Anonymous
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OP here. We are covered on other enrichment in terms of games and activities. Not really what I'm asking.
And in terms of homework, it is not nightly and it's not required. It's generally a few worksheets sent home once a week so we can see what they are working on, plus we get home access to an app with problem sets. DD wants to do this stuff, if she didn't, we would not make her. But as a result, I'm struggling a bit with how to respond when she does a few problems and then says she's bored and wants to quit. Since I never consider deted it necessary in the first place, I'm inclined to just say ok. But since she's interested in the subject and, I think, might find the more advanced stuff she'll get to sooner if she sticks with it really interesting, I'm debating trying to push her a bit more to work through her boredom in order to gain mastery of this stuff now. I guess I compare it to swimming or another activity. She used to get annoyed in swim class too because she got bored with the basic drills, but we made her stick with it until she passed the swim test that means she can go in the pool without a parent when lifeguards are in duty and it was soooo worth it-- she's thrilled at her new independence and loves swimming now. She just had to suck it up through the kicking and floating drills that got boring after a while. Just wondering if this might be something with similar dividends. |
Anonymous
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Do a few of the problems each night, maybe just 5-10 minutes at a time, but do it every night. This is what we do with DC in the same grade. They really do need the practice to fully memorize, but a whole worksheet at one time gets boring. So we slice it into smaller bits of work, but some every day. There might be some resistance at first, but just make it mandatory (albeit brief) and after 10-14 days they will accept it as their new normal.
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