How to help DD with GCSE Maths

[Kit]

My DD will take GCSE in June 2013 and used to enjoy (and be very good at) Maths at Primary but has lost confidence during the last couple of years at GS, not helped by having a teacher with quite a heavy accent whom she found difficult to understand for the last 2 years. DD now has a different one and is in Set 2 (of 2!) at at high performing GS. (I should add my other DC had the same previous teacher and thought she was great- no problems- so horses for courses as they say!)

My DD absolutely does not want a tutor and the new teacher seems to think an A is possible with hard work, but my DC is getting upset/ struggling and starting to believe she just can't do Maths. She would also probably need an A* to do the university course she is currently thinking about. She has no problems in any other subjects.

I DIY'd for the 11+ and we both enjoyed it- are there any Maths teachers out there who can suggest how I could go about trying to go through GCSE Maths together aiming for an A/A*- books/ question papers/ online Maths course etc. (I was pretty good at Maths at school but it was a long time ago obviously!). I think there are gaps from the last 2 years which is why DC feels out of her depth. One "course" to work through with lessons and questions at the right level would be perfect.

The GCSE will be Edexcel Linear Higher Tier.

[scary mum]

Watching this with interest as we are in a similar position. Guest55 is a maths teacher so maybe she will be able to offer some advice.

[Y]

I helped my DD through one of her modules by working through the CGP guide with her. We both did the examples, then compared answers. The problem comes when you have no idea what the maths is talking about... My DD did have a tutor for a little while, and I was good enough at maths that by sitting in on the sessions where I'd never seen the maths before I was able to work through the material with her. How good is your maths? And would your daughter work with you? Fancy getting some tutoring yourself!?

[Guest55]

I like the Collins textbooks because their questions are graded so you can see the progression in each topic.

If the school subscribes to MyMaths then this website has explanations and, again, graded questions and a 'booster' section for all grades.

Other good websites are http://www.kangaroomaths.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - go to Kenny's pouch and there are loads of free questions:
http://www.kangaroomaths.com/kenny3.php?page=KassessKS4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

E-maths is similar (but I'm not fond of the 'updated' format of the site) - this link has videos on key topics:

http://www.emaths.co.uk/index.php/4-stu ... -tutorials" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Exam board websites have past papers BUT beware revision guides that are not aimed at the new syllabus examined first in 2012 - sometimes called 2010 specification.

Hope these help as a starting point.

[Amber]

My DD did her Maths GCSE last year and she definitely found MyMaths really helpful for the topics she was struggling with. In the main though, she just went over and over stuff on her own - she told me later that she taught herself everything she knew, in the sense that you need to be able actually to understand and replicate, not just take on what the teacher says. She asked the teacher for extra questions on the hard things and just plodded through them, hours at a time it seemed. As I am anything but a mathematician, I don't know if this is a recognised method, but it made sense and worked for her as she got an A*. She is now doing Further Maths and loving it, although she would not call herself a natural mathematician at all.

Oh, just to say she did the Edexcel linear too, and there is a brilliant revision guide produced specifically for it. I am using it to teach that very exam 1-1 at the moment and even I can understand bits of it.

[scary mum]

Revision guide sounds good - is it obvious whether the GCSE is linear (what does that mean?)? DD is doing Edexcel but I don't know if it is linear or not. She is also doing statistics, does anyone know of any revision guides for that too? She does have MyMaths but it is a struggle to get her to do anything extra at all for maths although I think she will have to before June . Hopefully her recent mocks will help her realise that!!

[Looking for help]

I think linear means it is examined at the end of the two year course as opposed to modular (ie 4 exams over the 2 year course). I think from next year all courses are to be linear, is that true?

[scary mum]

Ah, in that case it is linear, although I think the stats had a controlled assessment or coursework, or whatever it is these days <confused about GCSEs emoticon>

[Looking for help]

<confused about GCSEs emoticon>

Me too, because the format has changed so much between all my children. My oldest did linear in all subjects, my next one was one of the first for modular science and maths, the next one probably wouldn't have got either GCSE Maths or Science if they had been linear, and God alone knows what my youngest will be doing when he does them starting next year, although I have to say I've kind of given up with the worry now. It will probably all work out in the end.

As far as helping out with GCSE Maths, with my third one who was weak in the subject , we did spend a fair amount of time going through past papers and working through the text book especially in the areas she was hopeless on, but it didn't really help, because we kept falling out all the time (more my fault than her's, I am no teacher) She did manage a B in the end, though , although it would have been a different story had her exam been linear.

[Barnet Mum]

Just do as many past papers if he has the time. My DD is also taking GCSE this June 2012 but I was more worry for the younger DD 11+ exam. Felt release now but found too much for all these exam...