| "We have to move on class." Has your child | | | | meant. I would spend perhaps two days having |
| ever been told this by their teacher? | | | | them practice strictly drawing fractions; 2 |
| | | | 5, 3/10 etc. |
| Math for some students, just seems to fly | | | | |
| right over their heads. Has your child ever | | | | Finding your child's level of entry needs to |
| stated "I am really trying to listen to my | | | | be done with every new concept you and your |
| teacher, but I don't understand anything he | | | | child take on. The amount you need to cut |
| or she is writing on the board " When you | | | | back can vary significantly one concept to |
| find this is the case for your child, in | | | | the next. Your child may be great at |
| order to help, what's key is taking one | | | | determining area, but may be having it rough |
| concept at a time, just one, because chances | | | | with angles. Take it a step at a time. This |
| are your child is feeling overwhelmed by the | | | | is how the math concept as a whole will be |
| whole idea of math. Upon taking that one | | | | mastered, one step at a time. Once your child |
| concept the two of you are working on, you | | | | has moved up the line, then they will be able |
| may need to cut way back on your explanation | | | | to calculate the multi-step problems that go |
| in helping your child to understand. | | | | hand in hand with math. |
| | | | |
| When working with students, I discovered some | | | | At homework time or whenever you are working |
| of them were afraid to show they didn't know | | | | with your child, let your child know, you are |
| a particular concept, because as far as they | | | | there to help him or her get it, and that you |
| were concerned, they were supposed to | | | | will work with them to ensure that happens. |
| understand, yet they didn't. I had to help | | | | Set a clear goal of just how much work your |
| them see, it was safe to let me know this. | | | | child will need to accomplish. Once your |
| The manner in which I worked with them was | | | | child understands the steps of how to do a |
| one of warmth, never of ridicule or surprise | | | | particular type of problem, cut them loose on |
| if the child did not understand. If the | | | | their own. Then check a problem periodically |
| environment felt unsafe to a child, they shut | | | | to see how they are coming along. If wrong |
| right off. When I exhibited support, | | | | answers are appearing, many times with |
| immediately I would experience relief in my | | | | multiple step problems, they may be |
| student and subsequently a willingness on the | | | | calculating incorrectly only one of the |
| student's part to 'give it a go'. | | | | steps. If this is the case, help your child |
| | | | see that Hey, it's only this one step of |
| In my 5th grade classes I found routinely, | | | | five, so that's not so bad Once you handle |
| some of the kids did not know what a fraction | | | | the missed step, all should sail smoothly |
| was and therefore were unable to move forward | | | | from there Then rejoice with a cookie and a |
| into adding, understanding equivalent | | | | "Good going " to your child. |
| fractions, changing mixed numbers to improper | | | | |
| fractions and the reverse. In fact when I | | | | So again, find your child's true level of |
| began teaching 5th grade, I had to relearn | | | | entry on a concept. Let them know it's ok if |
| concepts. I also realized parents sometimes | | | | they do not understand something. Work the |
| needed to do the same. What I did routinely | | | | concept, one step at a time. Set up |
| was cut back for the students. I could never | | | | expectations. If your child is doing |
| assume they understood a concept at some | | | | multi-step problems and getting them wrong, |
| pre-decided level. I regularly started from | | | | check to see if it's perhaps just one step |
| square A. For instance with fractions, I | | | | they are confused on. And . . . . . don't |
| would show them how a fraction worked. I | | | | forget to rejoice with a "Good going." Very |
| would draw a circle and divide it into 3 | | | | important, that last step. |
| parts, shade in the 1 to show just what 1/3 | | | | |