Help me overcome resistance to working on the math unit "we just finished"

[Anonymous]

My 3rd grader is struggling with a couple of concepts and didn't do well on the latest classroom assessment. I help her as much as I can, but I also don't really understand how they are teaching some of this stuff so there's that.

The other issue is her mindset that once they finish a unit/concept it's out of sight, out of mind. She doesn't get that they will return to the concept she doesn't understand and build on it later.

Anyone else have a kid like this and if so, what finally worked for you? Should i have her teacher talk to her and tell her she needs to work on it at home?

[Anonymous]

Mathnasium.

[Anonymous]

The math curriculum spirals so that she'll see the concepts again. They'll have had time to percolate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium.

Did that for my other kid and was less than impressed. Plus, not sure how that helps getting over the resistance that she doesn't need to work on it because the lesson is finished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium.

Did that for my other kid and was less than impressed. Plus, not sure how that helps getting over the resistance that she doesn't need to work on it because the lesson is finished.

I'm on Team DD. Focus on the current unit, not previous ones.

[Anonymous]

This is a fallacy that your kid is learning such a new kind of Math that they cannot understand normal math.

Get a 2nd hand textbook and teach your kid math.geez!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The math curriculum spirals so that she'll see the concepts again. They'll have had time to percolate.

Agree with this, but I might also talk to the teacher and ask how to best help your daughter with the concepts that aren’t clicking for her. Maybe the 3 of you could sit down together? That would be a good time for the teacher to mention that, yes, a particular unit is “over” but it is important to have a solid foundation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The math curriculum spirals so that she'll see the concepts again. They'll have had time to percolate.

Agree with this, but I might also talk to the teacher and ask how to best help your daughter with the concepts that aren’t clicking for her. Maybe the 3 of you could sit down together? That would be a good time for the teacher to mention that, yes, a particular unit is “over” but it is important to have a solid foundation.

+1 Sometimes the reason is simple and sometimes it isn't. Having her talk to her teacher, with you there to offer prompts, may help get to the root of the issue. At the very least it may help the two deepen their relationship. I know as a teacher I always appreciate when a child (with or without parent) talks to me about issues or concerns. It means that I can address the concerns. Otherwise I may be attributing a low test score to something besides lack of conceptual understanding or poor skill base or a knowledge gap.

[Anonymous]

+1 talk to the teacher about what you and she can do. This will create alignment that will help your child learn.

[Anonymous]

Signapore math book from Amazon. Don't give your DC a choice whether DC can do it or not because they finished the unit.

[Anonymous]

Not sure which Mathnasium you tried, but try again. The one in North Bethesda (near the old White Flint Mall) did wonders for both of my children at different times. I explained to my kids that math concepts build on each other, and you cannot skip some building blocks or eventually, the structure will come crashing down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grader is struggling with a couple of concepts and didn't do well on the latest classroom assessment. I help her as much as I can, but I also don't really understand how they are teaching some of this stuff so there's that.

The other issue is her mindset that once they finish a unit/concept it's out of sight, out of mind. She doesn't get that they will return to the concept she doesn't understand and build on it later.

Anyone else have a kid like this and if so, what finally worked for you? Should i have her teacher talk to her and tell her she needs to work on it at home?

Buy a series of math textbooks from amazon (used books are about $5 each and go through the grades 3-8 curriculum in the books. Your child will see what the spiral math topics are and why what they are studying in 3rd grade is important and what these topics lead up to. Show your child the roadmap.

[Anonymous]

Why don’t you understand “the way they’re teaching it?” If they’re using an algorithm you’re not used to, learn it first before helping your kid. Master that one, then, if you feel it necessary, teach a different one.

[Anonymous]

OP here - oddly enough she put up no resistance to reworking some of the items on her recent math assessment and did them correctly without a lot of help from me, so that's good.

When I say I don't understand how they are teaching it, I mean it's been 40 years since I was in 3rd grade and they are using different strategies to solve things that as an adult I consider basic, like addition/subtraction of 4 digit numbers. She gets frustrated when we aren't communicating on the same level.

I will look into some of the books recommended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - oddly enough she put up no resistance to reworking some of the items on her recent math assessment and did them correctly without a lot of help from me, so that's good.

When I say I don't understand how they are teaching it, I mean it's been 40 years since I was in 3rd grade and they are using different strategies to solve things that as an adult I consider basic, like addition/subtraction of 4 digit numbers. She gets frustrated when we aren't communicating on the same level.

I will look into some of the books recommended.

I don't know what district you're in, but DCPS uses Eureka Math, and there are videos for parents explaining the different strategies. Your curriculum may have something similar.