Is there a downside to doing a little bit of supplementing at home? (mostly math question)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do Beast Academy and it's so fun. It's just completely different than how math is taught in school. I think it teaches a well rounded grasp of numbers

+1. We did the full Beast Academy Curriculum through level 5. It teaches math so differently than the school system. My kid’s mental math with big numbers is off the charts and tested into algebra after completing level 5. Since your kid is only kindergarten, you can start now at level 1 and work slowly through the curriculum. I’m doing this now with my youngest, same age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, there is a downside. When you are in an area where many parents supplement math, then teachers expect the students to have already been taught the material and don't teach.

I mean a drawback on the individual level.

Having teachers who don't teach is a downside on an individual level.

lol. Your posts are not only snide but make 0 sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, there is a downside. When you are in an area where many parents supplement math, then teachers expect the students to have already been taught the material and don't teach.

I mean a drawback on the individual level.

Having teachers who don't teach is a downside on an individual level.

One child learning math at home isn’t going to affect whether a teacher teaches math!

Then tutor your DC. And be prepared to tutor your DC for the next 11-12 years.

This is ridiculous. First off, if a child is above grade level at school and going unchallenged at school, a parent should absolutely supplement at home. OP says her son is interested in math and wants to do more. You are suggesting that she refuse so that he can stay in lock step to ensure the teacher continues to actually teach math at school. Insane.

I mean, the first step, in my opinion, is to say to the teacher "hey, Larlo is really interested in math and has been asking for more math games/worksheets to do at home for fun -- do you have something you would recommend?" This will alert the teacher to the fact that this is a child who is interested in doing more, and give her an opportunity to suggest something that is in line with the curriculum she uses or that has worked for other accelerated students in the past.

If she responds with suggestions, great. If she doesn't, then I certainly wouldn't refrain from finding something on your own because I'd worry that a teacher so disinterested in her students isn't teaching up to grade level anyway.

Do not tailor the enrichment you offer your kid, especially if he is ASKING for that enrichment, to what will make the teacher's job easier. A good teacher will be thrilled to have a motivated, interested student who wants to work above level -- she would view it as a testament to what she's doing in the classroom, since a large part of teaching is ensuring kids remain motivated and interested. If she doesn't care or discourages enrichment, I'd ignore and give your kid what he wants and needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, there is a downside. When you are in an area where many parents supplement math, then teachers expect the students to have already been taught the material and don't teach.

I mean a drawback on the individual level.

Having teachers who don't teach is a downside on an individual level.

lol. Your posts are not only snide but make 0 sense.

Micro actions have macro effects.

Don't be surprised by "unexpected consequences".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, there is a downside. When you are in an area where many parents supplement math, then teachers expect the students to have already been taught the material and don't teach.

I mean a drawback on the individual level.

Having teachers who don't teach is a downside on an individual level.

lol. Your posts are not only snide but make 0 sense.

Micro actions have macro effects.

Don't be surprised by "unexpected consequences".

What about the "micro action" of schools that teach to the test and don't track students in math, having the macro effect of killing kids' interest in math and failing all kids by not offering appropriate content for their skill level? Maybe focus on that instead of getting mad at parents who want to encourage their child's demonstrated interest in math when it is not being met at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, there is a downside. When you are in an area where many parents supplement math, then teachers expect the students to have already been taught the material and don't teach.

I mean a drawback on the individual level.

Having teachers who don't teach is a downside on an individual level.

One child learning math at home isn’t going to affect whether a teacher teaches math!

Then tutor your DC. And be prepared to tutor your DC for the next 11-12 years.

This is ridiculous. First off, if a child is above grade level at school and going unchallenged at school, a parent should absolutely supplement at home. OP says her son is interested in math and wants to do more. You are suggesting that she refuse so that he can stay in lock step to ensure the teacher continues to actually teach math at school. Insane.

I mean, the first step, in my opinion, is to say to the teacher "hey, Larlo is really interested in math and has been asking for more math games/worksheets to do at home for fun -- do you have something you would recommend?" This will alert the teacher to the fact that this is a child who is interested in doing more, and give her an opportunity to suggest something that is in line with the curriculum she uses or that has worked for other accelerated students in the past.

If she responds with suggestions, great. If she doesn't, then I certainly wouldn't refrain from finding something on your own because I'd worry that a teacher so disinterested in her students isn't teaching up to grade level anyway.

Do not tailor the enrichment you offer your kid, especially if he is ASKING for that enrichment, to what will make the teacher's job easier. A good teacher will be thrilled to have a motivated, interested student who wants to work above level -- she would view it as a testament to what she's doing in the classroom, since a large part of teaching is ensuring kids remain motivated and interested. If she doesn't care or discourages enrichment, I'd ignore and give your kid what he wants and needs.

I spoke to the teacher and now my kid gets to help other kids who are behind. I am a team player, but am not a fan of that. Why couldn't she give more challenging work instead?

We do Beast Academy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a few teachers in grade school get upset with us for teaching our kid the times tables up through 12 until they knew them cold. Flash cards, just randomly saying, "Hey, what's 3 x 3?" 9! And on and on. Kid started third grade knowing the times tables.

The teachers teaching New Math were upset. They couldn't get our kid to draw the math anymore. Our kid would write the answer on the page and circle it. Our kid said why are you making me draw 4 x 4 when I already know the answer is 16? I'm bored with this. Kid would get 50% of a math test when the answers were all correct but got 50% taken off because weren't 16 pineapples drawn to represent the answer. Also, kid finished the math test in two minutes.

Went to a meeting where the FCPS math curriculum person said that the parents who were teaching times tables were "damaging" their child's ability to learn math.

Have fun, OP.

Op here. This is the kind I mean. I know some use the frames, then there is repeated addition, drawing out groups for multiplication… My kid has started saying “What’s 3 times 5? 15!” “What’s 11 times 0? 0!” And asking about other math concepts. I don’t want to discourage him but don’t want to put him at a disadvantage for what will happen in the classroom, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had a few teachers in grade school get upset with us for teaching our kid the times tables up through 12 until they knew them cold. Flash cards, just randomly saying, "Hey, what's 3 x 3?" 9! And on and on. Kid started third grade knowing the times tables.

The teachers teaching New Math were upset. They couldn't get our kid to draw the math anymore. Our kid would write the answer on the page and circle it. Our kid said why are you making me draw 4 x 4 when I already know the answer is 16? I'm bored with this. Kid would get 50% of a math test when the answers were all correct but got 50% taken off because weren't 16 pineapples drawn to represent the answer. Also, kid finished the math test in two minutes.

Went to a meeting where the FCPS math curriculum person said that the parents who were teaching times tables were "damaging" their child's ability to learn math.

Have fun, OP.

We did that without our kids from young ages, but they still knew how to pretend to do the work for the teachers. You need to make sure that they know how to play the game unless you want teachers taking it out on them

+1

[Anonymous]

I am Indian American. Of course I will be teaching Math at home. Singapore Math, Vedic Math, CBSE math and all the math competitions worldwide. I am not going to raise a duffer, FFS!!

Also, we have the expertise at home and my kid is NT and bright.

Is this a real question?

[Anonymous]

We don’t ask the school. We just supplement at home. I know the school system. I can easily be that parent who can make life hard for them. So they leave us alone, we leave them alone. It’s a great understanding. My kid is quite and excels. My kid gets the highest marks in everything. They have tons of below grade students that they can teach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, there is a downside. When you are in an area where many parents supplement math, then teachers expect the students to have already been taught the material and don't teach.

I have seen this at a private school. But at a public, even a 'good' one, there are always kids with uneducated parents who simply cannot supplement. These kids have to be taught by someone.

[Anonymous]

I had a mathy kid. I think you should encourage a child’s interests, but keep in mind that the more a child is accelerated, the more problems you’ll have later with the disparity between your child’s level and what the school teaches. It’s better, when possible, to try to focus on enrichment rather than acceleration.

I wouldn’t worry too much about not doing math the school’s way. The whole point of whatever process the school is using is to make it easier for the kid to understand math. It is supposed to be a helpful intermediary step toward the goal of understanding the relevant mathematical principle, not the goal itself. As long as you make sure the child really understands the math, you’re accomplishing the goal. Once the child understands the underlying math, they’ll be able to easily pick up whatever process the school uses as a heuristic, although it may seem silly and/or needlessly complicated.

Here are some ideas for math things he might enjoy:

Hoagies is a great resource that has links to enrichment for all ages and subjects.
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm

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 him 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.)

Teach him 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

Cooking is excellent for fractions. For added challenge, you could have him 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.

Give him a tape measure and/or a timer. You can introduce him to the Guiness Book of World Records and then challenge him to set his own, personal records (how far can he jump, how fast can he run across the yard, etc.)

Logic puzzles are great. He might enjoy Sudoku or Magic Squares. Here is a book introducing Magic Squares.
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.
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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a mathy kid. I think you should encourage a child’s interests, but keep in mind that the more a child is accelerated, the more problems you’ll have later with the disparity between your child’s level and what the school teaches. It’s better, when possible, to try to focus on enrichment rather than acceleration.

I wouldn’t worry too much about not doing math the school’s way. The whole point of whatever process the school is using is to make it easier for the kid to understand math. It is supposed to be a helpful intermediary step toward the goal of understanding the relevant mathematical principle, not the goal itself. As long as you make sure the child really understands the math, you’re accomplishing the goal. Once the child understands the underlying math, they’ll be able to easily pick up whatever process the school uses as a heuristic, although it may seem silly and/or needlessly complicated.

Here are some ideas for math things he might enjoy:

Hoagies is a great resource that has links to enrichment for all ages and subjects.
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/links.htm

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 him 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.)

Teach him 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

Cooking is excellent for fractions. For added challenge, you could have him 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.

Give him a tape measure and/or a timer. You can introduce him to the Guiness Book of World Records and then challenge him to set his own, personal records (how far can he jump, how fast can he run across the yard, etc.)

Logic puzzles are great. He might enjoy Sudoku or Magic Squares. Here is a book introducing Magic Squares.
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.
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.

Thanks for the ideas!

[Anonymous]

I would rath leave math to the school but find other enriching activities to do outside like music. If you kid is already ahead in math, why spend more time on math. It is not a race.

[Anonymous]

1. Any teacher who tells you to NOT work with your child is an idiot.

2. Yes, it might make a them a little bored, but that's perfectly fine. Long-term it's beneficial to solidify concepts, which they will need if you want to fast-track them as soon as tracking starts in late elementary or middle school.