So discouraged, have a child who extremely struggles with math: suggestions?

Oh, how I could have written this 🙂

I can’t count the number of math programs we’ve tried, and we too are using CLE. And like you – it is definitely going the best out of any we’ve tried, and he enjoys it the most (as much as he enjoys math, period).

Have you considered putting her back a grade? Perhaps just focusing on +/- only for now?

The only other thing I can think of, and while it would mean jumping again – have you considered that she may need a mastery based math program, instead of a spiral one? CLE does give lots of review, but it does have the children focusing on several topics at once, which some kids just can NOT do. They need time to focus on one or two things at a time.

In this case, I might suggest you look at Math on the Level. It is a very, very different approach to math, completely different scope/sequence that is based on HER development, and YOU choose what hse is working and when. There’s review too, but far less at a time.

There’s an idea = have you tried letting her play online math games? Reading Eggs actually now has a Math version, and I’m sure there’s other sites, too.

My son has always struggled in math and he is in CLE now.  It is working the best so far, but we still have to set if aside and review or supplement.  And sometimes I think I have done everything to help and don’t know what to do and then it will finally click and we move on.  But he is “behind” and having to stop and review just gets us more behind.  But I think of how lost he would be trying to keep up in a classroom, and I am thankful we can stop and go at his own pace.  I have come to realize that it is very unlikely foe him to get into higher math later.  But he will get however far he gets and will have good understanding of what he has learned.

We tried the MUS blocks with Alpha years ago and they did not click for him.  I then switched to RS level B and the AL Abacus and their card games.  These worked well for him.  We did not go at the pace I wanted to, but he did end up with a good understanding and mental strategies.  He also did level C.  Then we tried computer programs and it was the same way…frustrating.  It was not customized enough to meet his needs.  I thought about trying k5learning because it is supposed to customize as they go, but then found CLE Sunrise math and I prefer paper over computer.  He has done levels 304 – 405 in 1 and 1/2 years.  We had to supplement a lot too.  We liked RS, but it was taking too much of my time at a point when I was very busy with other needs.  Sometimes I wish we would have stayed with it and just spread lessons out more to shorten the daily lesson.  But back then, I couldn’t let go of having to do a whole lesson each day.  Now I could set a timer and stop and pick up there the next day.

I suggest using manipulatives with your math and mental math exercises for warm-ups at the start of the lesson.  Sit and help or have her circle problems she wants your help with.  Then do those problems together.  You do one while explaining it, then she does one with your help.  Break up the math lesson into two sessions.  Since this subject is a struggle, the first session should be one of the first in the day and then do a different subject using a different part of the brain.  Give a break before the next math session of the day.

We have used xtramath.org and it did not really work well until he understood it was more important to get it right than to do it fast, and speed would come naturally in good time.  And when they miss one, they need to say it correctly out loud before typing the correction.  If they do not have good math strategies in place first, it is not going to work very well.  They need to understand the why and how before memorizing facts for speedy recall.  That said, I think the speed drills in CLE are important to do once they know the strategies.  But we do not use a timer.  We have used Math wrap up keys in place of the CLE flashcards when they aren’t doing xtramath.org.

I plan to buy the SCM Mathematics book to use for supplementing too.  I think it uses manipulatives and mental math.  It may help you too.

He uses Life of Fred elementary on Fridays, town day.  It is shorter, independent and helps to show concepts in a different way.  He learns other things as well and likes the storyline.  It has made math less dreadful for him.   But I would not use it alone.  You could use other living math books in this way.  Livingmath.net

BTW, while my son works with his tutor, I can hear her praising his efforts and how impressed she is with what he really does know (she has noticed that he second guesses himself, also). He feels so proud of himself after each lesson, he beams with joy!  They work on math problems that would have caused so much frustration between us…it’s just a wonderful thing to hear him explain to her how he understands it and her saying, “Exactly. You got it!”

Her son was “not good at math, either” and is now taking Trig or Calculus, go figure. She has encouraged us to never give up.

I just typed something up but don’t see it.

Yes, use a timer. I think that age/grade is 15-20 minute lessons. My 9yo does two 15 minute lessons.

My ds who struggles uses his sheets whenever he needs to. We don’t make it a big deal and I encourage him to call them his tools. He’s not cheating. He’s being smart by making certain he is doing math correctly. If he doesn’t use them, well, that’s being silly. As adults, if we don’t know something or have forgotten, or if we just need to make sure, we use the tools we have. Address books, Google, dictionary (Google, lol), manuals, etc.

hope this helps!