Does Your Child Need Help in Math?
I found this at GoldStudent.com, http://http://www.goldstudent.com/GS_ResourcesAnswer.aspx?i=1 and they do online math worksheets so I removed the self-promotional paragraphs but kept these nuggets of advice:
Children can need help in math whether they are at grade level, working above their grade, or if they are struggling to keep up. But few children will speak up and simply say help me in math! Instead, children react in many ways to math at school. They could be bored, frightened, they might lack motivation, they may need more drilling, or they may need more opportunities to take tests to reduce their stress or fears.
Whatever their skill level, here are ten ways to decide if your child needs additional math help:
- Your child understands the math worksheets and material, but makes careless mistakes.
- Your child understands the math worksheets and material, but takes too long to complete problems, resulting in poor results or test scores.
- You would like your child to do more math homework, but are unable to find math worksheets and other materials at the right level and in sufficient quantity.
- You would like your child to do more math homework, but you do not have time (or the ability with more advanced work) to grade the extra work or provide test situations.
- Your child seems unmotivated and does poorly on math homework and tests.
- Your child seems to understand the math worksheets and material, but does poorly on homework or on tests.
- Your child panics in test situations.
- Your child is baffled by one math topic, although in general does well in math.
- You are unable to help your child with their math schoolwork, either because you do not have time, your schedule does not allow it, or you simply cannot follow the assignments.
- Your child is very advanced in math, and the teachers at school seem unable to meet his or her needs, resulting in boredom or poor performance.
From Me, Pragmatic Mom:
This advice rings true to me. Most children do need math supplementation at home simply because math is taught, typically, in a largely undifferentiated way at school. Math could be too easy or too hard. Certain concepts may be hard for your child but not others. My oldest is a visual learner so geometry and fractions really make sense to her. Algebra is tougher. My middle is really proficient in math, but she needs additional home supplementation for subtraction math facts. And ditto for oldest on multiplication and division facts.
We are having really good luck with those free online games that I post on and have listed at the bottom of my blog. My kids will play 3-4 games at a stretch and really enjoy them. My middle just figured out how to create a private game that you can customize for a fact set. She does the race car subtration, sets up a private game, and then sets the facts from 3-12 which is what she’s focusing on.
The URL for those FREE and GOOD online games that our teachers assign my kids to play, if you want it handy is: www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/
Or find them listed out on the bottom of my blog.
