It's only Monday, and it's been a terrible afternoon of math
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Anonymous
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Urgh. I do not understand how DS seems to get the concepts taught in class, yet lacks basic, elementary understanding of spatial awareness. Which means he cannot apply formulas learned in class. It's 5th grade volume questions. He looks at the 3D figures and can't fathom that if one length is given, then the corresponding opposite length on the rectangle is the same, even if left unmarked. It's probably the kind of thing that's not even specified in class, because it seems so obvious. We spent the whole afternoon on this. |
Anonymous
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Wow, time for a time out--for you.
Yeah, it "seems so obvious" to you. Does your kid have working memory issues? Mine does, and every math concept seems like were starting from scratch every time we do homework. Try to find visual aids or contextual stories to help reinforce the concept. |
Anonymous
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Yes, I am dire need of a time-out! With alcohol and chocolate and a dumb movie! DS has working memory issues which crop up on word problems and long equations. But this is a spatial awareness issue that I didn't realize was this bad. How can you not look at a perfect rectangle and know that the two opposite lengths are the same? At 10 years old? And this is a kid who has above-average subscores on his IQ test (apart from working memory and processing speed). |
Anonymous
If it makrs you feel better, I can not do spatial questions and I am awful at advanced math. However, I made it through school and I'm a lawyer. 
Good luck with the rest of the homework! Fellow mom here having a crappy Monday!
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Anonymous
Thank you! Do you know, I'm pretty bad at math too, and managed to survive advanced math to become a scientist (in biology). Who knows what's in store for his future, but right now I'm drained. |
Anonymous
| Three dimensional objects and figures are very confusing to kids who have strabismus and any problems with eyes working together. I can't do 3d figures and relationships of any kind, can't solve those "find the hidden object puzzles" or conserve items in space because I have to shut one eye. When was your child's last eye exam? |
Anonymous
| I could have written this myself....was battling 7th grade math last night. Working Memory issues big time. |
Anonymous
If it's frustrating for you, multiply that by 100 and that's probably how frustrating it is for him. Our DC has some perplexing blind spots as well. In our case, we spend a lot of time breaking down what seems to be "obvious" but isn't. Fortunately DC works hard and usually gets it eventually. Good luck and hope you are able to do the same. |
Anonymous
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As a middle school math teacher, your kiddo is not alone. At the beginning of the geometry unit, I start every problem by labeling EVERY DARN DIMENSION, even if it means I'm labeling 3 sides of an equilateral triangle. Many kids just don't see it.
(If you want to give yourself nightmares, look up "perimeter of non standard shapes". Imagine what happens when those dimensions are missing...I want to hug kids every time we get to that unit, because some of them just don't see it) |
Anonymous
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Thank you for all of your support! Math teacher, thanks for the reassurance! And to the PP who mentioned eyesight - he gets tested every year at his pediatrician's but I was just thinking that this cursory exam was perhaps not rigorous enough and we should maybe do something more in-depth... |