Bringing my DS on in maths

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fatbananas
Posts: 1411
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:03 pm

Bringing my DS on in maths

Post by fatbananas »

My DS will enter year 3 in September. He is currently top of the middle group for maths. In English, he is near top of the top English group (his story writing could do with some work). I have read on here how parents have done extra work with their DC and really raised their game and I would like to do that with my DS with his maths.

I have recently started doing CPG year 3 book with my DS and he gets all the concepts. Probably needs some consolidating practice to really remember concepts like equivalent/ improper fractions etc. etc. but he doesn't struggle once the principle has been explained to him. Do I just keep doing workbooks/ computer games similar to the stuff in the workbook until he knows what to do on his own when faced with a question? Is that when I know he's really grasped it? Is that when other parents have then moved their DC up a level?

I suppose I'm asking how other people have worked to help their DC progress. I feel I'm slightly floundering. Did I write 'slightly'? ...... :shock: :)
Seize the day ... before it seizes you.
Booklady
Posts: 522
Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 10:39 pm

Re: Bringing my DS on in maths

Post by Booklady »

Hi there - we are using a great website that makes you a 'whizz' in maths! My DD yr 2 loves it - it really makes it fun for her - and continually assesses and rewards progress. If you google 'whizz' and 'maths' it should direct you! You can try it out and see what you think. :)
rosered100

Re: Bringing my DS on in maths

Post by rosered100 »

That looks quite pricey to me especially when there are so many free resources out there. I can recommend http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/ out of all the freebies I've tried but also try to bring maths into your everyday lives ie measuring out for cooking, playing darts & calculating the scores (with a little help),adding up or simple multiplication for a shopping list - it makes it feel less like work when its to do with something more practical.
My DS2 (in year 3) personally has problems with the language of maths - for instance all the variations of saying multiply(he's always asking me what that means) as they use "lots of " at school & not product or times etc so broadening the mathematical vocabulary can help as well.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Bringing my DS on in maths

Post by yoyo123 »

lots of free stuff online.

maths should be fun ( well I think it is!)

try bbc and woodlands junior for a start,

http://www.year2maths.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; a brilliant website, don;t be put off by the year 2 bit, some of the links go further than year 2 I have used some of it up to year 6

http://www.mad4maths.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; brilliant ( especially if your son appreciates toilet humour!)

For maths vocab, put 4 card with + , -, x, ./. and then have a stack of carfs with different phrases eg share , add, multiply, lots of, times, subtract etc and then match to the sign. You can extend this by having word problems and decide which operation you need to use..interesting because sometimes small multiples are easier to add..eg 2 children have a bag with 5 sweets in each, how many sweets altogether. This leads to discussion , division can be repeated subtraction ( which leads to chunking , which leads to long division) , multiplication is repeated addition..it really helps children think about number
fatbananas
Posts: 1411
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:03 pm

Re: Bringing my DS on in maths

Post by fatbananas »

Thanks for those really helpful suggestions. The websites and games will 'lighten the load' of formal teaching!

I was also wondering how parents (or tutors for that matter) knew that their DC/ pupils had 'got' a concept and could move onto the next level for that topic? Do people just make sure their DC have understood a topic and then moved on and then intermittently revised the levels of the topic to make sure it's fully rooted in? Or do they ensure it's fully in their brains before moving them on?

And does this mean that, when their DC is in the classroom and their teacher can see that DC can do the problem set, quickly and easily, or that they already know how to do the problem that they, in turn, get moved up a level in school?

Sorry, I'm probably not making myself very clear. I just want to raise my DS's game a bit, because I think with a bit of 1-on-1 that's possible, but just not sure of how to do it! It's only really been in the last year that I've appreciated the extent of kumon and tutoring on the top table and that that, in most cases, seem to be the distinguishing factor between the top table and the middle table!
Seize the day ... before it seizes you.
scarlett
Posts: 3664
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:22 am

Re: Bringing my DS on in maths

Post by scarlett »

I think you will know when your son has 'got' a topic, FB because he will be able to complete the work without asking how to do it or moaning and then get full marks....then you can try him on the next age up work books but it sounds as if you are doing that already ? Also if he is able to work through year 3 maths ok now...then I'm not sure why you are worrying or is it because you want him to get a place on the elusive top table ?!!!

Just keep up with the practice...maths is mainly the same topics for each year but harder, isn't it ? I've got some maths books which are specifically for the NC levels rather then an age and I did buy these Level Up books which are supposed to raise the level of your child.It's just practice with maths so I'm sure if you're going to sit down and help him he will naturally raise his game. I used to get het up over the different ability groups but then I found out children are sometimes matched with others because they may be a little less confident in their skills and need more time going over the basics.If your son is in a bright class there may not be much difference between his group and the next anyway.Nowadays, I'd rather not know what's what at school and just make sure I know my child is where he should be ( at least ) and then work from there. :)
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Bringing my DS on in maths

Post by yoyo123 »

one thing to help consolidate is to do " word problems", practical problem solving and investigations. They make sure the concepts are firmly embedded and make further work easier..

for some reason this is a sticking point with a lot of children.

eg There are 234 children in school and there is a whole school outing. The secretary is booking coaches. How many 52 seater coaches will she need to book?

John has 12 blue pens and 14 red pens how many pens altogether?

Highlight the important bits in the question to find what you need to do. A stack of questions like this go well with the operation sorting activity suggested earlier especially if you discuss each question.

Google word problems year 3 and you will find all sorts of things. Online games also make the maths automatic as you don;t have time to ponder before the alien gets you.

Rather than go on to further content ask the children to explain why or how they got an answer, does this work with all numbers? Can they see a rule?
If you do combination type investigations eg how many different combinations can you make with 3 flavours of ice cream, what if you are only allowed a maximum of 2 scoops of each flavour? What if a 4th flavour is introduced? If vanilla is the cheapest for the ice cream shop to buy, what combinations give him the best profit etc. Sometimes children suggest variations eg with or without a chocolate flake..

look here too

http://nrich.maths.org/public/search.ph ... ll%20Games" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

make maths part of everyday life, ratio and proportion, measuring, circumference..adapt a recipe for biscuits and make them.

mental addition ,subtraction , division , multiplication through shopping, making meals, pairing socks etc.

convert ml to litres , kg to grams to work out the prices in supermarkets ( don't even attempt this after work when you and the children are tired and hungry!) which is better value - the price per unit is displayed but some are per kg, some per gram.
scarlett
Posts: 3664
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:22 am

Re: Bringing my DS on in maths

Post by scarlett »

That's interesting ,Yoyo.My DS2 found word problems hard actually, working out what was required of him and of course all the different ways of saying add etc....but once he cracked that his maths has really come on.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Bringing my DS on in maths

Post by yoyo123 »

it seems to be an area that teachers find needs a lot of work. when I do 1:1 tuition ( at home and in school) it often crops up as being something the child needs help with . If you think about it that's how we come across maths in real life not as a page of formally set out sums.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Bringing my DS on in maths

Post by yoyo123 »

I like this

http://nrich.maths.org/6605" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

brilliant for place value..you can vary the number of digits to suit the child
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