Is he just “good at guessing” or could he really do Math?

[Mae_Jakob_Ka]

I had been teaching my son Math since he was 2.1 years old using LM + Shichida files on LM library. We competed both a few months ago. I used to test my son using dots and icons to see if he recognized quantities or could do simple Math.  I always got a blank stare from him.

Frankly, I was satisfied with his Math skills because he can count, recognize numbers, knows what’s less, what’s more, and understands patterns pretty well. I thought, although he couldn’t do Math, he seems to have number sense and I am very happy with that.

A few days ago, a friend of mine showed me a vdo of her 11 months old son doing mental Math.  He was taught Doman style. On the vdo, my friend used different tactics to check if her son could get the right answer. One thing she did but I never tried was writing the numbers down on the card, flashing, and letting her son pick the right answer…

So I made some number cards (2+2, 5+5,4+2  6+4 6+2) , flashed, and let my 3.1 years old pick the right answers…..Not only he could pick the right answers, he also read the card to me “ (two plus two equal four, five plus five equal ten..etc)!!
I am so thrilled. I know this is just simple Math problems. I don't even know for sure if he got them right by chance or he did really know what’s doing    ..but  I am so happy and planning to do up to 5 problems with him every day!!!..

Elle

[TeachingMyToddlers]

That is wonderful, for both your son and your friend's son! I would love to see your friend's video or a clip of your son in action. It's always helpful to learn from other parents, my son can do quantity but has not yet progressed to equations so I;d like to see how you guys are doing it.

[Mae_Jakob_Ka]

TeachingMyToddlers, please let me ask my friend if I can put the vdo on this post..once I get a yes from her, I will post the link here. 

[DadDude]

I have no idea what the truth might be regarding your child (good job so far, anyway!), but I did want to point something out.  When H. was 3, almost 4, we started using the iPad to do math quizzes that allowed him to pick an answer out of a lineup, and at the time, I was very impressed that he was able to get the right answer much better than chance, just not always.  I thought that this might mean that he would start "intuiting" the answers to arithmetic problems.  But it didn't work out that way, at all, for us.  After a while I decided to test him without the multiple choice answers.  No could do.  He could only count up items and "count on" and very basic tricks like that.  I also discovered that having been able to "guess" the right answer reasonably well did not seem to improve his ability to memorize math facts.  We didn't use any fancy method like Jones Geniuses to do this.  I just started him on flash cards, and after we got past the easy ones that he actually understood, it became very, very hard.  It's only now, at age 5.5, that he is able to memorize arithmetic facts methodically and reliably.  For that we're using Two Plus Two Is Not Five, although to be honest I'm feeling a little guilty because we haven't tried out Jones Geniuses and I have a feeling that would speed him up.  It's not that I'm ambitious, I just like to do things as efficiently as possible.  Still, the workbook I mentioned really does seem to solidify both his memory and his understanding of basic addition and subtraction, so I don't really have any regrets on that score.  He's not far from the end of it now, anyway, and when he's finished, he'll finally have all his math facts (0-10) memorized.

I know there are kids who are able to do first or second grade math even before kindergarten, and maybe some of them started with the Doman method and other methods of acceleration.  We didn't start with Doman, but we did a fair bit of pre-math stuff (not an enormous amount--and I never forced him, and he was frequently cool to it) before he was five.  But all that early work did was to make him one year "advanced" in math, and has a really excellent grasp on the concepts at his current level (which is actually more important to me than being advanced).  I know there are people who had better results with their programs.  I'd really like to better understand what works here myself.

[Mae_Jakob_Ka]

Larry;

Your post gets me thinking! Honestly, my son can pick (guess?) the right answer if he sees the numbers on flashcards.
If he does not see any cards, he cannot give me the right answers.
The only equations he could do without seeing anything are the + 1 problems.

I don't know where he stands but this really gives me hope. It's like fuel to my passion to teach.

I read your blog about H. and want to try Two Plus Two Is Not Five too! I have Right Start but my son does not like it that much. He does not care for "Math game". I will wait for a few more months before I try Right Start with him again. I also want to try Singapore Math. You see, I am all over the place when it comes to Math materials. I don't know what best and just try to seek for tools that work for my son.

[aangeles]

Elle,

Have you considered teaching him Abacus/Anzan? I just posted on a new thread about Ella's surprising (to me, at least) progress in mental math after doing abacus for a few months. Like you, I also had to try several different math programs (Doman, Jones Geniuses, Singapore, some Montessori) before finally hitting on what is working best for her right now - which is Rightstart Math + Mathstart books + Abacus/Anzan. I don't really regret doing all those other programs because I think they all have helped one way or another. In fact, she still enjoys doing Singapore Math workbooks occasionally, even though what I have right now (Earlybird Kindergarten B) is already too easy for her. And, also, like your son, she did not like Rightstart Math right away. I took a complete break from it and came back after a couple of months and now she really likes it. 

[Mae_Jakob_Ka]

aangeles,

Thank you for your input. I have Mathstart books too! You know where I learned about these books? I bought the books because I read one of your posts..   See, I buy everything I hope it would help my son's Math skills. 

I will definitely take a look at Abacus/Anzan. I've never heard of this program before. I can't wait to get my hand on it.

I have always wanted to try Singapore Math but didn't buy the workbooks because my son didn't like them. Since he goes to Preschool, I can see that he is more comfortable using pencils or pens and starts to enjoy drawing and working on those connect the dot or matching worksheets. So, I am hoping that he won't resist or maybe even enjoy SG Math workbooks.

Have a wonderful day!!

Elle

[TeachingMyToddlers]

AAngeles, do you find using RS & a traditional abacus to be in conflict with each other when used simultaneously? Well, not at the same time but I think you know what I mean. 

[Mae_Jakob_Ka]

Hi All,

Here is the VDO of my friend’s son doing Math.
We are Thai so the VDO is in Thai..so..:P

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/vCnWBGWIoPI&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/vCnWBGWIoPI&rel=1</a>

This is quite a long video because she recorded it for the baby’s Grandma. Normally, she only does a few equations with him per session.
You will see that in the beginning of the video, she was flashing the dot/icon cards and let her baby pick the answers.  In the second part, she wrote down the equations and let him choose the answers. Then, she did algebra, and by the end of the video, they did fractions.

He started showing the ability to do Math since he was 9 months old. He is now 11 months old and does not need the dot/icon cards anymore. My friend simply read him the equations; he then picks the answers!

It’s amazing, isn’t it? This is a 10 minutes long video and he chose the right answer EVERY SINGLE TIME! This is not just a one shot, one time getting the answer right but he does this every time he’s asked to. He is so young to say the words. I really can’t wait to see what he will achieve when he is able to talk. Not only he can do Math, he also can “read” baby style by pointing at the pictures when his Mom sounds the words out for him.

 He and his Mom inspire me to continue on with my Math journey and confirm my belief and faith in early learning.

Elle

[aangeles]

AAngeles, do you find using RS & a traditional abacus to be in conflict with each other when used simultaneously? Well, not at the same time but I think you know what I mean. 

Not at all! I use the RS abacus to TEACH math concepts and to show her the actual quantity of the numerals she is learning on the soroban - to make sure she really understands the concept we are learning. Then, once I am sure she gets it, I teach her how to COMPUTE for the answer on the soroban. For example, before we started teaching her to do 2- and 3-digit addition and subtraction on the soroban, I used the RS abacus and RS manipulatives to make sure she fully understood the actual quantities the soroban beads represented and about the concept of place value. So, actually, it is not at all unusual for us, especially when we are tackling a new concept, to use both the RS abacus and the soroban at the same time    so I can show her different ways of thinking about math problems and different approaches to solving them. For example, way back when I was introducing addition, I showed her how she can use the number line, the counting-on strategy, skip counting, the RS abacus, and the soroban to get the same answer. Then I ask her, which method is faster, which one can you do in your head, which do you like to use and, invariably, she answers, the soroban!    In short, (you probably know this already, but for other people who may be reading), the soroban is not used for teaching math, but is simply a tool (one of many) for doing rapid computations and as a stepping stone to doing mental math.

[Scruff]

Hello Elle

Wow! Your friend's little boy really is amazing! What age did she start teaching him maths and what methods did she use?

Thanks.

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