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Math – struggling 6th grader hasn't mastered fractions / decimals
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I started homeschooling my ds in 4th grade – he was doing well in math @ public school – but I was shocked to see that they had not covered topics I thought he would have mastered better. I helped with his homework – and was concerned at where they were. After giving the placement test I started him on Singapore 2A & we have progressed from there. We just finished 4A & have started 4B – but he has not mastered fractions – simplifying – he does OK, but not great. Converting to or from an improper fraction really elicits groaning and changing to decimals is just not sinking in – along with multiplying, dividing, etc. I really am starting to feel like the lack of practice (or spiraling) in Singapore is not working for him. I have thought about trying intensive practice, but I am thinking that it would possibly be wise to work from a more traditional curriculum that has a spiraling method and helps him practice skills better. (When a previously covered topic comes up on a review – he has to be completely re-taught every time. And my math teaching skills are weak – I rely on the guide – and I just am not as happy with the Singapore Home Instructor Guides as I would like to be.)
I am thinking about Horizons, Saxon, and Teaching Textbooks. Horizon Math is probably not my top pick since it ends at 6th & we will have to find something else. But if the teachers guide will help me teach better then the curriculum looks very much like what I need.
Saxon – I don’t know much about – but so many use it and I see it is a spiraling method – that I wonder if it will help me. I think I read the teacher manuals are not really strong on how to teach??
Teaching Textbooks looks very appealing – but very expensive and from Cathy Duffy reviews the textbooks themselves may not be very durable and may not hand down well to my dd (and with their price – I sure need to be able to get use of it). Especially since I may be selling all my Singapore I’ve put money into – because I think part of the problem is my weak math teaching skills. Any advice would be very appreciate!
Hi We are using TT this yr! And my son loves it! FWIW, they seem to sell quickly on homeschoolclassifieds. So you can think of it as an investment. Also, of course using it again w/ the next child! 🙂 The textbook is fine IMO. It is spiral bound like you would see ummm…say Spelling Wisdom. It is huge and you may not use it for every lesson. I am not sure why Cathy is saying it is not durabe..I mean I can see it tearing or falling apart if you are rough w/ it and don’t store it properly. I am having my oldest write out answers on paper so my next son in line can use it too!
We add in some Scholastic Workbooks that I got from a teacher store. They are great! They have mysteries, decoding, and puzzles to solve that go along w/ what you are learning!
I don’t know about Saxon. But did buy Horizons and Math Mammoth and it just didn’t “fit” well w/ my son. He loves doing things on the computer and the little reward buddy makes him smile! 🙂 Not that is important..but he likes it!!
HTH
One of my dc did not do well with a mastery based program. He needed more of a spiral approach, so we switched him to TT. For this particular child, TT’s has been a God send; And also for a mother, who feels “weak in teaching math skills”
. We use TT and we love it. Resale is very good on TT, too.
We don’t even use the textbook (which is just a workbook, right?). DS uses the CDs on the computer.
One thing TT doesn’t do well, IMO, is spiral. There may be a few lessons on a particular topic and then they move on to something else.
In terms of supplementing because of that, though, Khan Academy is just excellent. If my son is struggling with a lesson on TT, I have him take a few days off and watch lessons on the same topic on Khan. That way he has two teachers before I even say a word. LOL.
Thanks!!! I’ll keep checking back for more on this – but I honestly was leaning toward TT – the only thing is the price – but I can consider it worth it if my dd uses it too. It really looks like a good fit for us. Do you both use the CD’s & text – that is how it looks like I would want to use it? I think the cd’s will help when I struggle with a good explanation.
Oh…and one more thing…jawgee!! I tried khanacademy and it is great. Thanks – this gives me some immediate help until I can afford to change curriculums! You just saved our morning – I hate frustrating him when I’m trying to teach him!
DS uses both. However, there are some lessons he has skipped in WB. It just reinforces the lessons w/ same type of questions just uses different numbers/circumstances. TT goes through the lesson/lecture first you have to answer questions here too..and then follows up w/ 22 problems pertaining to the lecture. The textbook is extra work to solidify what you have learned.
My daughter is in 6th. We tried Saxon for K, 1, and 2 and she did abysmally with it. In 3rd grade we started over in math with Math U See Alpha. I’m not sure how it compares to Singapore, but what I love is that the focus for an entire book is one area and so they really get to mastery. For example, my daughter is in the Epsilon book (5th grade usually does this if you begin Alpha in 1st). The focus is all things fractions. She’s doing wonderfully. The next book will focus on all things decimals and percents. Are we behind the ‘traditional’ schedule? Yes. But what we do is keep math going all summer and thereby she has completed 4 levels in 3 grades. By the time we’re rolling around to high school she’ll have caught up and gotten ahead of grade level.
So I guess what I’m saying is maybe a mastery program will work (MUS has lots of practice pages and an online worksheet generator for more pages specific to lessons your child needs work on). If your son has not mastered parts of fractions then moving ahead into decimals isn’t going to help. Let him master one thing first. (That is probably the #1 reason I love MUS, my oldest daughter really can’t learn 2 math concepts at once. She’ll never master either. She has to totally focus on an area until it’s easy, then she can switch gears to a new math focus. Some of my others are similar, while I have two that I think could do math with any program and be fine.)
MUS and life of Fred both present fractions in a whole year by themselves and decimals the next year. In MUS fractions come after division and multiplication.
Nebby
MUS was the mastery program that my 12yo ds (mentioned above) didn’t do well with. IMO, TT seems more spiral in its approach, and serves ds better in that regard. On the other hand, my oldest ds (now 17) has used Math U See for several years and thrives on mastery. So glad we have the opportunity, as homeschoolers, to cater to dc’s learning style.
Years ago I taught my neice who was struggling with fractions. She had a test the next day and if she failed it she failed the whole class. She didn’t get the whole concept. Now, even though I was in ps I was self taught. So, I taught her what I knew. Here is how you can do it and maybe this will help with the concept. Mind you I am not a math wiz or anything but she did pass the math test. She got and “A” She passed it so well she almost got kicked out of school for cheating. LOL… tearfully, she explained that she didn’t cheat. When given the test again she passed again. The teacher asked her how she could learn it so fast and this is what she told her…
There are 4 quarters in a dollar. 4 – 1/4 cups in 1 cup.
If you take 2 – 1/4 cups that = 1/2 cup or .50 in money. IF you have 3/4 cup that is like having .75 cents.
You can add these like money or like baking. 3/4 a cup and 3/4 a cup equal 1 and 1/2 cups or 1.50
If you have less than or more that 1/2 cup you figure how much it would be in coins and go from there.
Her teacher was amazed. She never had the concept to teacher in a different style. One she could learn easily and made more sense to a little girl who had some learning disabilities.
I talked to her a few days ago and you know what she remembered? That test and when I taught her to drive a car. (she was teaching her daughter how to drive last week.)
I was happy to be a part of such a wonderful learning process. I hope this helps you with teaching. This is the way I plan on teaching my children even though we have a math curriculum.
Blessings!
When my oldest was really struggling with fractions, we used Barron’s Painless Fractions along with the Key To Fractions series from Key Curriculum Press. These two together really helped her, and they were pretty inexpensive. They will, of course, help only with fractions. That was her specific problem at the time. This was 11 years ago, so I’m not sure that the new book editions are exactly the same, but I’m sure they’re close.
With my younger kids, I am using Life of Fred Fractions and so far, so good.
Someone told me that one key to doing well at higher math is that they MUST be comfortable with fractions and decimals and that you absolutely should not keep pressing forward if they are having problems in those areas. When she was in 6th, we basically backed up and re-covered the last two years of math at an accelerated pace. IT worked for us.
I’m not sure what I do or believe … Mastery vs. Spiral …. but for what it’s worth the concept of decimals is related to the concept of fractions (parts of wholes) so we do them together and spend plenty (did I say plenty loud enough?) of time on them.
Another small note on teaching Math that I’ve had to hammer in to my own head …. I need to be clear, present and engaged in every lesson on every day and a lot (elementary years) needs to be done orally. Math tends to be something I think of as “ok, you mastered the concept and now here’s practice” which I don’t think ensures as much mastery of the material. To say nothing of how boring that is to the kids!
Just my .02
Chocodog … I forgot to say that your example is what cemented fractions for me years ago too! I gained the confidence to see that the more involved problems weren’t out of my reach.
Claire,
Maybe if you go with the ruler then. Sometimes the ruler can be used to teach the finer ones. 1/8, 2/8, 3/8, 4/8, 5/8, 6/8, 7/8. 8/8 in an inch. then add those. You still have your 1/4’s in an inch. See if that helps. Sometimes we over look the little things. Hope that helps teach the bigger picture. Maybe even a clock might work. quarter hours, half hours, ect.. Maybe if you are not good with the ruler your husband can explain it to the two of you and a lesson will click in. Sometimes we even need a little help, ARC- Adult refresher course. 🙂 Tehe he
Blessings!
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