Do most kids need math supplementation?

At 5? There is something very, very wrong with a system/teacher/school where 5 year olds are brought to tears because of the work.

At 5? There is something very, very wrong with a system/teacher/school where 5 year olds are brought to tears because of the work.

Anonymous wrote:

At 5? There is something very, very wrong with a system/teacher/school where 5 year olds are brought to tears because of the work.

Why assume there is a problem with the teacher. Kids cry all the time (at least mine do). Is it always some fault of an authority figure?

At 5 (kindergarten, I assume), learning should be fun. If a kid is crying it isn't fun. So, either the curriculum or the teacher's approach should change.

My almost 5 year old cries all the time too -- because she's frustrated, usually. I don't want learning at school to be a frustrating experience

Anonymous wrote:OP another approach would be to find creative ways to supplement Math that build concepts and give it more real world substance. Workbooks are fine but in the end developing love for something is more about understanding and enjoying how it fits into your world.

You can search Amazon for math games and math puzzles. You'd be surprised how much you can do with some dice. If you like computers or iPhone/IPads there are some fun math games out there for all levels. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, probability, graphing, and estimation easily translate into different games.

The Sir Cumference book series is a good way to build more advanced math vocubulary. My kids love math but struggle more with reading. Mummy math and the other books by these authors are a good way to get my math oriented kids into reading.

Geometry can be supplemented through many types of art projects or building activities. Tanagram art is great fun. Kids who like math recognize patterns easily so many optical illusion type art activities are enjoyable for them. Origami animals, legos, equilibrium blocks and other activities like this all build understanding of symmetry, geometric shapes,and spatial relations.

If he is still into those matchbox racing cars, give him a stop watch to time his races. Let him chart each car's score over multiple runs. He can determine by how much each car is faster, find out the average of each car or the race. keep a score of the world record and best times by cars. You can even have him do this once on a flat track and the raise the elevation. He probably already knows that you raise the elevation and incline the cars will speed up but let him figure out how much they speed up by doing mutliple runs at different elevations.

The other thing you can do is just build it into everyday activities. You are going to the grocery store with your kid. Let him know that you need 2 slices fo cheese (or whatever) for every member of the family (4) and have him figure out how much you need. You want to hand a picture? Let him use the tape measure to measure the frame, the wall, and help figure out where it should go to be centered in the room. You are going to clean up your loose change that you've collected in the couch and your purse throughout the year? Don't use the coin counters in the grocery store, pick up the wrappers at a bank and have him sort and count the change. Let him keep it in the end. My kids now have over $200 in their saving accounts from doing this over the years. You would be surprised how often math is in your life and you don't realize it.

Anonymous wrote:

I totally agree. Look for books from the library to get more ideas. There's a lot you can do with cooking--undernstanding fractions (half cup), increasing/decreasing recipe size, etc.

Nice approach. My 7-year-old accomplished this the traditional way [b]mastering the EPGY K through 7 online curriculum on the computer (he loves the computer and this mode of learning) and Math Olympiad competitions. Another go around of pre-algebra for reinforcement this school year and he'll move on to Algebra.

There are many fun ways to skin a cat.

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium. They are great, and DC loves going.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium. They are great, and DC loves going.

Can you tell me more about what they do at Mathnasium? I am curious but the cost quoted to me was over $200 so not sure it is worth the high price. Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium. They are great, and DC loves going.

Can you tell me more about what they do at Mathnasium? I am curious but the cost quoted to me was over $200 so not sure it is worth the high price. Thanks.

It costs us $265/month. They have a set curriculum that follows the core standards. From looking at the FCPS curriculum, it covers the same topics. They do an assessment before the child starts a new curriculum, then the lessons are developed on the areas where the child needs work. They do individual instruction on a particular topic, then the child does worksheets at the center. They are able to provide additional assistance if needed. They check the worksheet and a child can earn prizes. My kid goes 2-3 times/week for an hour each time. DC has done over 600 worksheets and has completed 2.5 grades of curriculum above DC's grade. We feel that the individual instruction is where we have seen the most gains. Ideally we would put DC in private school with smaller class sizes. But even there, DC wouldn't get much individual instruction. For $265/month, it seems like a bargain compared to private school tuition prices.

I think they do a good job of balancing work and play. If DC does a good job, he is rewarded with game time. They are all logic games, but DC really likes them. DC also likes the prizes. We do some workbooks on our own at home, too. We tried just doing this in the beginning. We ended up in disagreements and tears, so we outsourced for our family sanity. Plus, with other children in the house I was always distracted. I couldn't stay on track and consistently provide the individual attention that Mathnasium can. As you can tell, we really like them.

Anonymous wrote:Mathnasium. They are great, and DC loves going.