Compacted math 4/5

[Anonymous]

My child was selected for 4/5 math next year; however, I have some reservations. My son does understand concepts and learns quickly. Did well on the HGC non-verbal and quantitative sections. However, he makes a lot of calculation mistakes. I don't think he has the basics down, especially multiplication/division tables and adding/subtracting bigger numbers (e.g. hundreds). He also doesn't like to check his work. My husband thinks we should just start drilling him and I think we should sign him up for Kumon this summer. Maybe math 4 is best until he gets the basics down? However, he complains that he is bored. Part of me thinks that 4/5 will make this problem worse. Any suggestions to help with this problem?

[Anonymous]

Drill over summer, go to CM, if he is still making lots of mistakes then you can always pull him out. You should tell him this. Stress the importance of accuracy. A few dumb mistakes here and there is fine. But, if it is very common, then it will hurt him. Quick and accurate calculations are important in CM. It is fast paced.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PP, neither class is going to solve the problem but compacted is probably the right level for your DC and he will be happier there. Practice with calculations is just underplayed in the curriculum, you should drill at home. Consider a long division workbook. That should be something he understands completely but executing a problem requires all the operations, fact fluency and careful record keeping. It really hits home that getting the right answer means getting every step correct. Obviously this isn't an issue which goes away, there's nothing worse than filling a page with calculations only to realize there was a sign error on the second line. Math doesn't just require understanding, it calls for focus and some of the drudgery of ES math pays off when it attention is freed up for the next task at hand. Anyway, that's what worked for my son after 4th.

[Anonymous]

Get one of the math app games that require quick arithmetic. I think we have Math Evolve, and Splash Math. It will help him develop the basic arithmetic. I agree if he's getting the concepts he'll be happier in compacted math. My daughter has this problem too--we stress double checking work. Say it's like building with Legos--if you don't get the blocks at the bottom connected properly, your whole structure is going to come tumbling down.

[Anonymous]

No reason to pay for Kumon, practice the tables on Khan academy. 20 minutes a day will get your child ready. Fast fluency makes compacted math much better.

[Anonymous]

go with compacted. Boredom is the worst for kids. Then he'll become disengaged, and make more careless errors.

If he's engaged, he'll pay more attention. Agree that drills at home are enough. (when my son was in 4th at an HGC they had them play the mathgame Sumdog online. That helps with math facts, and they loved it.)

[Anonymous]

It's o.k. to pull your kid out of the acceleration path during compacted 4/5 (but before starting compacted 5/6). If your kid completes 5/6 in elementary school, they will have completed all of the middle school formatives for 6th grade. This sets them on the path to take Algebra in 7th grade, Geometry in 8th grade, Algebra 2/Honors Algebra 2 in 9th grade, Precalculus/Honors Precalculus in 10th grade, Calculus/AP Calculus in 11th grade, and then a math elective in 12th grade (AP Stat is one possibility). Just make sure your kid really likes math before proceeding down this path. It's the right path for some, but not all.

[Anonymous]

Your husband is right.

[Anonymous]

We have the same issue and plan to work on math drills and sign up for Prodigy for the summer to deal with it.

[Anonymous]

My son was like that and I had the same concern. In compacted math he seems to be straightening that issue out. He understands better the importance of being precise because answers to multi step problems can be way off if you are careless. My advice is, have him do compacted math. I've known parents who've opted their kids out of compacted after the 4/5 year, so if it's a problem you can still dial it down later. I would let him try it first though and my guess is he'll rise to the occasion. Make him do IXL over the summer.

[Anonymous]

OP here: Thanks for the advice. We will go with drilling and an online math program over the summer.