Look into accommodation (e.g., more time, open book formats, calculators and computers) for his math classes and exams including PSAT and SAT.

Yes. Accommodations for everyone, because we all know that life will make accommodations for us when we are adults. Lots and lots and lots of employers are more than happy to give extra time to employees to do the work that their office mate can do in half the time. Come on folks. We are crippling our children, by not allowing them to develop the skills to cope. My husband and brother would both have been classified as special needs and would have received accommodations under today's standards. Back in the day they learned to find away around their "disabilities" and now both are highly successful. All these "accommodations" even into college are creating false expectations and people who have never learned a method for overcoming their challenges.

Of course not. It's about play and creativity by which derivation of concepts such as multiplication occurs through forces of osmosis and native intelligence. Dream on baby dream on.

Many of you seem to jump to the mistaken conclusion that memorizing multiplication tables means that children do not understand math theory and are rote automatons. Knowing the tables is simply the first step to understanding. Geez, haven't any of you taught your kids to multiply, spell or write?

Anonymous wrote:

Stay strong. If he belongs on higher math try to work him into it, if he has not interest he will end up finishing Calculus anyway in the schools here. Maybe not AP Calculus for college credit. But who really cares - college credit in HS is nice but kind of over rated.

It is stupid btw. Also as the brain matures for kids like this the memorization of facts increases around 7-9th grade. One day he will just know it. I am not saying it is not important but it is not important in 4th grade. It is not important to hold him back for math facts.
You know your kid and what he can accomplish.

So says our resident neuroscientist

Exactly what my son's neurologist told me.

Stay strong. If he belongs on higher math try to work him into it, if he has not interest he will end up finishing Calculus anyway in the schools here. Maybe not AP Calculus for college credit. But who really cares - college credit in HS is nice but kind of over rated.

It is stupid btw. Also as the brain matures for kids like this the memorization of facts increases around 7-9th grade. One day he will just know it. I am not saying it is not important but it is not important in 4th grade. It is not important to hold him back for math facts.
You know your kid and what he can accomplish.

So says our resident neuroscientist

Anonymous wrote:interesting. My child struggles mightily with math facts. We have little poems, rubrics, etc., for each one. I try to keep it light, make it fun. On sheer calculations, he's going to fail, be behind, not finish the test. But lately the class has moved on to geometric patterns, geometrical figures, spatial reasoning. And he's doing so well. Suddenly he's scoring at the top of the class. He's great at problem solving, figuring out the answers without knowing the math fact. He still struggles with 8x3, 9x3, 9x4, etc. but he's writing a computer program right now for fun. He will most likely be in the lowest math track next year due to the math facts. Seems so stupid.

Stay strong. If he belongs on higher math try to work him into it, if he has not interest he will end up finishing Calculus anyway in the schools here. Maybe not AP Calculus for college credit. But who really cares - college credit in HS is nice but kind of over rated.

It is stupid btw. Also as the brain matures for kids like this the memorization of facts increases around 7-9th grade. One day he will just know it. I am not saying it is not important but it is not important in 4th grade. It is not important to hold him back for math facts.

You know your kid and what he can accomplish.

interesting. My child struggles mightily with math facts. We have little poems, rubrics, etc., for each one. I try to keep it light, make it fun. On sheer calculations, he's going to fail, be behind, not finish the test. But lately the class has moved on to geometric patterns, geometrical figures, spatial reasoning. And he's doing so well. Suddenly he's scoring at the top of the class. He's great at problem solving, figuring out the answers without knowing the math fact. He still struggles with 8x3, 9x3, 9x4, etc. but he's writing a computer program right now for fun. He will most likely be in the lowest math track next year due to the math facts. Seems so stupid.

Look into accommodation (e.g., more time, open book formats, calculators and computers) for his math classes and exams including PSAT and SAT.

Anonymous wrote:Don't you have a calculator from your elementary school days?

sure do. called my brain, aging though it may be.

i'm a NP to this thread. lots of name calling. too bad. would have been an interesting topic. programmer's comments included.

That's funny! I did an interview recently and we hired somebody from Computer Learning Center over Yale because of the attitude.

The hiree was probably from Harvard.

interesting. My child struggles mightily with math facts. We have little poems, rubrics, etc., for each one. I try to keep it light, make it fun. On sheer calculations, he's going to fail, be behind, not finish the test. But lately the class has moved on to geometric patterns, geometrical figures, spatial reasoning. And he's doing so well. Suddenly he's scoring at the top of the class. He's great at problem solving, figuring out the answers without knowing the math fact. He still struggles with 8x3, 9x3, 9x4, etc. but he's writing a computer program right now for fun. He will most likely be in the lowest math track next year due to the math facts. Seems so stupid.

Anonymous wrote:Don't you have a calculator from your elementary school days? Just plug and play.

I have one on my Blackberry.

Anonymous wrote:

Fail!

I have a degree in Math, I just got back from my review meeting on all the server upgrades that are being implemented this weekend. I have been a computer programmer, server operator, Math teacher (when I was 19 because after that the salary is dismal), statistician, hardware engineer - and yet I can't spell or tell you what 8x8 is.

You will also pay me $150/hour to tutor your 5th grader in Math but I think that is robbery so I only charge $50/hour for strangers and a botte of wine from friends.

Which community college or this an online degree in Math?

That's funny! I did an interview recently and we hired somebody from Computer Learning Center over Yale because of the attitude.

Don't you have a calculator from your elementary school days? Just plug and play.

Anonymous wrote:

From the guy who can figure out his remotes - or are they labeled.

Doesn't apply to our household since the we do not have a TV or subscribe to cable. The elementary kids will program the computer or use this device to access information under our guidance.

How many remotes do you have in your household?

1 runs everything - Harmony - it's awesome - I think I can turn on my TV from work.

8x8 is what - i forgot already.