Son trying to do it all in his head!

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nervous parent

Son trying to do it all in his head!

Post by nervous parent »

any tips for encouraging my son to work out his answers on paper? At the moment he is trying to work out the answers to nearly all the questions on the nfer maths papers in his head and it is driving me mad! He is making silly mistakes on the easy ones and god knows how he ever gets the more difficult ones right. Also it is taking him far too long this way. I have sat down with him and showed him how to set out his working but he just says "yes i know i am not stupid"HELP!!
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Post by yoyo123 »

arrgghhhh sons!!

I've no idea how to make him do it I'm afraid, but just wanted to sympathise.
patricia
Posts: 2803
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Post by patricia »

Dear Nervous Parent

Stereotypically, I know, but its definitely a boy thing! Some children do not seem to see that making notes CAN save time...

I would dangle a carrot for so many questions marked correctly, BUT if any are marked wrong [ due to not making notes when appropiate ] then deduct 2 marks instead of 1.

Carrot Dangling could be so many stickers and a prize, to be worked out before regime commences, so he KNOWS the rules and boundaries.

Good Luck!

Patricia
solimum
Posts: 1420
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:09 pm
Location: Solihull, West Midlands

maths workings out

Post by solimum »

Did you see the "Beautiful Young Minds" programme about the Maths olympiad contestants? A large proportion of the marks was actually given for the "working out" - it demonstrates the way the mind is working. My son is currently going through Maths/ Further Maths / Oxbridge entrance papers and again it is vital to show workings out - if you get the answer "nearly right" but with no workings to show your method you will get no marks at all. Perhaps you can persuade your son that "proper mathematicians" always show their working....
nervous parent

Post by nervous parent »

Thanks for the support and advice feel much calmer now and will give suggestions a try. Boys eh :roll: he is the same in sats practice never gets those extra points for showing the working even if you get the question wrong it is sooo frustrating! No wonder his maths teacher says his test results never reflect his true abilities. I am keeping fingers crossed i can get through to him otherwise the maths 11 plus could be a disaster.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Post by yoyo123 »

when I teach a class I always tell them the story of one of exam questions in my final uni year.

I got all teh way to teh end, realised that there was no way that my answer was right, but didn't have time to go back and start again. Skimmed through and realised I had probably gone wrong in teh integration working out and so wrote a quick line at the end of teh problem saying how I knew it wasn't right and where the error probably was, I got almost full marks for teh question.

At primary level I stress that if they write down what they have done then I will know how to help them to get it right next time if they didn't get the correct answer


With my own son I just yell!
patricia
Posts: 2803
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:07 pm

Post by patricia »

Dear YoYo123

You have just reminded me of my attempts to tutor my own children the 11 plus....I made them ALL cry...

I would hasten to say that I have only made 1 tutored student cry, I was trying to describe the word IRE, by being angry with her....she thought I meant it. [ I promise that I DID tell her I was about to describe the word in action ] I will be teaching her younger sister next year, I have been told by mum that *** has NEVER forgotten the meaning of IRE..

Patricia
Guest

Post by Guest »

Also it is taking him far too long this way. I have sat down with him and showed him how to set out his working but he just says "yes i know i am not stupid"HELP!!
Absolutely amazing how familiar it sounds! It make me feel better that not only I have to go through it. :wink:
Must say I have never regretted taking the tutor, no matter how expensive. My son would never dare to answer him back!
My son also makes heaps of silly mistakes. Maths test that I he could have done in theory at 97% he does at 82/85%. And if you point out mistakes he just says : "oh yeah". Nerve wrecking!
fm

Post by fm »

Not just a boy thing. My daughter keeps doing it all in her head despite cajoling, preading, bribing.
And it is the better mathematicians I tutor who do insist on doing it mentally and get silly, easy ones wrong, only showing their true ability on the harder ones.
I think mental arithmetic is possibly too encouraged at state primaries whereas the independent primary students do everything on the paper--even the most ridiculously easy stuff.
i-qah
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:48 pm
Location: Berks/Bucks

Boy thing

Post by i-qah »

My son is just the same!

I now have a bet with him, for every prep session I do with him - he can by all means 'do it in his head', as I want to encourage some mental arithmetic, but the minute he gets the first one wrong - he HAS to swap to showing all the workings there onwards!

OR, I work along side him (doing my workings on papers) and if I beat him in any one question by doing it on paper, he HAS to carry on with all the remainder on paper. He has realised early on that pen to paper usually quicker! And humiliating if beaten by his Mum!

I am trying to get him to be neater in his workings out, rather than just scribbles all over the place!
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