Basic Math Facts- Saxon?? Afterschooling a second grader.

[waterdreamer]

Well with all the talk about Saxon Math, and how important it is to keep your child ahead when it comes to math, I started focusing more on math with Wesley(7 years old, 2nd grade, on the higher end of the spectrum) this last week.

I'm struggling getting his math facts down. Frankly it makes me want to scream LOL. HE can add and subtract, and carry numbers, etc. But it takes him longer then it should because he works out each part of the problem. I'm wanting to help him get his facts down so there is no thinking about it.

This is why I started implementing minute math. I'm giving him 2 mins to complete a math sheet with 50 math facts 0-5. Of course the 0+3, 2+2, 1+5, he's not count, but 4+5, 7+2 he is. So right now he's getting just under 40 done in that time. Each day he gets faster. As soon as I can see it's more automatic we will start either shorting it to 90secs, and/or adding more numbers and subtractions with the same numbers.

I had parent teacher last night and while going through what they are learning, I'm realizing I really need to take charge and really start teaching him more. Wesley is in a grade 2/3 split class. When I asked her about math facts, she provided me with a Home Practice- Basic Facts- Addition and Subtraction booklet. Its a booklet of mini flashcards separated into "Number Families". Its actually put together very well. She was giving it to each family to work at home but told me that my child should master the facts with speed and accuracy only by the end of grade 3. Of course Wesley overheard this and now is telling me I don't need to worry because he has till the end of grade 3 to learn these.                   I told him too bad because we are going to learn them by the end of grade 2 and move on to times tables and division this summer. Talk about setting the bar high for the students....

Any suggestions for free websites that help children learn basic facts. Heck anything! LOL

I'm planning on making huge Doman size flashcards based on her Numbers Families and working on them with Wesley in front of Baby Z. Plus doing sessions with Baby Z on his own. I'm not making the same mistake twice and waiting too long.

Today was an inservice for Wesley. I just love having him at home. He did 40 mins of Dreambox Learning, read with me a chapter book for almost an hour, we did a few minute math sheets, and did some TestingMom stuff. Funny thing with TestingMom is Wesley figures since it says Testing Mom he should be testing me LOL. That kid cracks me up. He also sat in on his baby brothers LMs, LR, WTL,RightBrain Education Shop lessons.

 If I had the support of my hubby and Wesley's dad he would be homeschooled in a heartbeat. Wesley really does enjoy the social aspect of school, but coops would compensate for that quite nicely. I hate having him in school! But right now that is just part of his therapy, and until his father and stepfather will back me up, my hands are tied. I guess its so frustrating, because when I handed him over to his school, he could spell amazingly. After only a month or so, he was using "Kids spelling". So right now since he has had 6 hours of "fun and games" at school, I don't feel bad teaching him for 1-1.5 hours at night. To prevent him from regressing and set him to some higher standards.

Right now he has ABA tutor Mondays for 1hour and 15mins and piano for 30mins. Tuesdays he's with his dad, so we typically just do a 20 mins session of DreamBox before he leaves. But Wednesday-Fridays, I'd love to come up with a more concrete plan. Plus Spring Break is coming up and I need to keep him busy that week. iPod, iPad and gameboys seem to also encourage bad behavior so I'm limiting those to weekends now.

My main fear is even though he is doing FANTASTIC considering  his diagnosis. I want to do everything in my power to get him ahead academical, so school can be spent working on social skills and such.

Any help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Sorry if this seems all over the place, my mind is just racing.

[cokers4life]

Factball is a great app for math facts.  Its not too much time pressure but just enough incentive to keep them going in memorizing their math facts. 

I also like this one:  https://www.xtramath.org/  and this one: www.abcya.com
Others that might help are

www.carrotsticks.com 
www.gregtangmath.com
www.freerice.com
www.sumdog.com     (most of these came from a list a teacher gave me.)

I understand after-schooling.  It can be very frustrating working with a school that doesn't carry the same high standard as yourself.  I have a step daughter in third grade in a public school.  As a step mom, I don't really have a formal after-schooling agenda.  It causes too much stress on the family to make her go through Saxon Math or anything like it.   With her split between two homes, I just don't want her building up a negative view on learning as the both homes offer different environments (not that one is better or worse than the other just different). 

She however does see the younger children advancing in math, reading and such.  This seems to be incentive enough to keep her focused on improving her self.   Our home is full of learning material, and she has full access to them.   I will often find her using them on her own without me asking.   She also likes playing teacher with the kids which helps to reinforce her learning.  For now this works for us.   I wish it were more but life just doesn't always roll the way we want.   Its harder to take a child who lives two different lifestyles as it is to also require a hard focus on after-schooling.     She needs lots of positive reinforcement.   Its as simple as recognizing her initiative to learn independently.   We focus on effort and mastery.   We encourage all the kids when they are working hard on something, and when one kid gets encouragement, it seems to push the other kids onward.  ( Whether competition is bad or good, it kind of happens without forethought). 

Every person's situation is different, and eventually you will figure out how to work it all out for you and your family.  Good luck!  I know its hard.  I certainly don't have it figured out yet. 

[PokerDad]

my suggestion would be flashcards, but it sounds like the teacher gave you those already. Too bad the teacher inadvertently subverted your goals.... perhaps you could make a point that just because the minimum is end of third grade does not give an adequate reason to sit around on your thumbs until then. It's just like any other task, you could put it off until the very end, or do it now and get it out the way
??

[Kerileanne99]

I can't imagine the frustration you must have with after schooling! Especially knowing that you are willing and able to devote the time and energy he needs, yet not being given the opportunity:(

In teaching Alexandria her math facts, we used many, many games and ideas, but I thought I would list some of our favorites...she is now three (as of December), and is truly fast at them. One thing I would suggest that was helpful for us in the long term was practicing all math facts through ten with a hundreds chart very close to see the patterns. As she learned 4+5= 9, for example, in the games or apps, whatever, she also learned that 24+ 5 = 29.

As Korrale4Q recommended, one of our favorite math apps is by ABCYa.  Math Bingo earns 'bugs' for obtaining a 'BINGO', can be modified for easy, med, or hard, and you can set parameters for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Or ALL! This is how we are now playing and this app is huge value for money...in fact, I can recommend ALL ABCYa apps highly enough...there is a great one for sight words, a Jr. Version for letters, colors, and numbers.  And the Money counting one is the absolute BEST I have found. After two days with it I could give Alex a handful of change and she could count it (additionally motivated by the fact that if she counted it correctly she was allowed to keep it:)

A fantastic board game called Sum Swamp is a lot of fun to play, involves two dice with an additional +/- die, and teaches even/odd numbers. There was a time when I think we played this hours on end:) or at least it felt like it!
http://www.amazon.com/Sum-Swamp-Addition-Subtraction-Game/dp/B00004TDLD
Bonus, you can also use polyhedral dice to prolong the games usefulness.

I highly recommend purchasing the RightStart Games set, as many of these games will be useful for a long time to come. In particular, a game called Go To The Dump was particularly fun and useful for math facts. It is similar to Go Fish, but the goal is to 'make ten.'
Here isademonstration video on YouTube
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7d8ZvoES5U8

You will also find videos of lots of other RS games for practicing math facts at the same site.

Another app that we absolutely love and that has been tremendously helpful is one by Macgraw-Hill, called Tric Trac...it is a lot of fun, surprisingly addictive for even mom and dad as it involves a bit of strategy as you go. Alex still asks for this one occasionally!

Also, I carried a pair of dice in my purse to play silly, made-up games...we would each role two dice at our turn, and decide who won by determining who had the highest 'score'. Of course, she was in charge of adding the dice and comparing. I also let her make up random games. She made up a game called 'Even Wins'.  We both had a turn to role a single die a total of two times.  The winner was the person who ended up with an even number:) this was totally awesome, because SHE figured out that Everytime you add to odd numbers you get an even number! Now she is totally obsessed with math patterns.
In this line of thinking, introducing math patterns definitely helped motivate her math fact learning. We read A LOT of 'living math' books, but one breakthrough book for her is called 'Rabbits, Rabbits, Everywhere, A Fibonacci Tale by Ann McCallum.
It was reading this book, and loving the idea of a Fibbonaci sequence (easy to learn the beginning when practicing early math facts!) that motivated her to move to larger numbers.

One other simple breakthrough I remember very early on. We were working on our RS-inspired/Melissa and Doug converted abacus (Loving it Teaching My Toddlers!) when she became tired and decided to roughly mess up the abacus in a random fashion. My first thought was "Oh! Yep, we are done, I guess..' But on a whim, I said, "Oh, look! You wanted to show me all the ways to make ten!" And we went through each row adding all the possible combinations of ten...this totally appeals to a child's 'destructive/mischievous' nature, so highly suggest it if you sense kiddo getting tired or bored of math drills or abacus work!

[Mandabplus3]

Hmm this resonates a little too loudly with my life....
Oh well some things that have worked well for us
Firstly I learnt my math facts by mum saying to me " nope you can't eat until you say your times tables" I was a  hungry kid it was very motivating and I had to recite them twice a day envy day. We worked on one or two at a time for maybe 6-8 weeks. That covered times tables.
Once we knew them mum randomly asked us division questions from them until we fully understood fact families!
For my kids I tried minute math drills but the kids just weren't into it.
They all have math facts in their homework this year, thankfully! Including adding single digits to 20s,30s etc so they at least get regular written practice. I think that's the hardest thing about after schooling. Getting the regular practice in anything is difficult.
For apps we like number run. It's just like the normal kids games. It's timed and you have to crack the levels one by one. It is a little stressful ( timed quests) so its not a bedtime activity. But if your boy likes timed tests he will love this game. It is great practice as you cannot pass a level by counting!
We have a game sent home from school today you might like, your son will! 
It's a sheet with numbers 1-12 across the bottom. You need two sheets and 40 small lollies (m&ms) Each player gets two dice and 20 M&ms . place the M&ms on any numbers you like. you take turns rolling the dice adding the numbers and eat one M&ms on that number. The winner is the one that eats their M&ms first! Obviously after the first few rolls your kids will realise that M&ms on the number one are stuck there! So you may like to mention that if a tantrum is likely!
I am definitely going to have all my kids play this one!  maybe for dessert.
Personally I like dice games for math facts and right start has loads of them.
I memorised my math facts after they went every rusty playing the Nintendo DS game brain training. We have a kids version of brain training. If you own a DS I will check if the math facts are part of the kids version.

Alex had a birthday! I missed that. happy Birthday beautiful girl! 

[waterdreamer]

Thank-you so much guys! I will look into all these ideas and keep you posted on how we are doing.

[Mandabplus3]

We played "go to the dump" today. About 5 times in a row.  Even Jaykob can do this one now. I love that we can practice math facts without them thinking they are doing math. 
I don't have right start cards ( shipping!!!!$$$$) but it was an easy google search for flash cards then print multiple pages per sheet to get the number you need. For go to the dump you need 6 lots of 1-9. Mine have the number the number word and the number of icons to help Jaykob if he gets stuck. He usually plays with his abacus but is getting to the point of Knowing 7 and 3 make 10 without counting.
TMT your boy will like this game!
The girls keep asking for a new game. W pe bought 3 huge packets of M&Ms today.....tummy ache coming up 

[lzp11]

This is a little off topic, but Waterdreamer you mentioned about using Dreambox.  Can I ask how you are finding it?  I'm thinking about online maths curriculums at the moment and that is one option. It seems like it might be fun, but I don't know how much concrete teaching and learning is involved.

Thanks very much!

Oh, just a thought but if looking for a completely different way to master math facts then the soroban abacus is another possibility to go alongside traditional learning.  Could be a bit of a different game and because logical it can feel more like a puzzle than learning math per se.

[waterdreamer]

This is a little off topic, but Waterdreamer you mentioned about using Dreambox.  Can I ask how you are finding it?  I'm thinking about online maths curriculums at the moment and that is one option. It seems like it might be fun, but I don't know how much concrete teaching and learning is involved.

Wesley's school has a school subscription, so we are very lucky we don't have to pay for it. A few years ago we tried it and we both hated it. But since then they have changed it a lot and we both really like it.

I think its good as a supplemental math program. I'm not sure I would trust it as a stand alone.

Oh, just a thought but if looking for a completely different way to master math facts then the soroban abacus is another possibility to go alongside traditional learning.  Could be a bit of a different game and because logical it can feel more like a puzzle than learning math per se.

I keep hearing about this program. I know TmT is using it too. Frankly I have stayed away from it because I don't really understand it. But maybe its something to look into.

We played "go to the dump" today. About 5 times in a row.  Even Jaykob can do this one now. I love that we can practice math facts without them thinking they are doing math. 
I don't have right start cards ( shipping!!!!$$$$) but it was an easy google search for flash cards then print multiple pages per sheet to get the number you need. For go to the dump you need 6 lots of 1-9. Mine have the number the number word and the number of icons to help Jaykob if he gets stuck. He usually plays with his abacus but is getting to the point of Knowing 7 and 3 make 10 without counting.

Just googled the game. I'm going to totally try this. I wonder if the game can be modified after the child masters making 10's to making 9's, etc...

[nee1]

Waterdreamer, on the Robinson Curriculum yahoo group, several members kept mentioning this free resource for mastering math facts of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Link to the math website - https://www.xtramath.org/.  I've gone over to check it out, and it seems like a good resource for improving speed and mastery in math facts. Hope that will help.

[Kerileanne99]

Waterdreamer and Mandabplus3,
You can totally play all sorts of variations of Go To The Dump!

I reread my above post and realized I wasn't very clear regarding the Go To The Dump link, but here is the link to loads of RightStart games and variations on their games channel:

http://m.youtube.com/user/ALAbacusMathFun

In almost all of the games, there are a tremendous number of variations, and it really comes down to simply figuring out which cards and how many to make the game come out right:)

I have the RS games book here in front of me, so I thought I could save you a bit of hassle-
The original version of GTTD requires a total of 54 cards, six each of numbers 1-9
**GTTD to make nines uses the same cards
**GTTD to make elevens uses six of each card either numbers 1-10 or 2-9

One of our favorites variations was to use any combination of the cards to reach a target sum, usually ten. So instead of just a pair of cards with a sum of ten, a player might make ten with, say, 2+2+3+3. Or similar. It is a lot of fun, and the game ends when the first player has successfully used all of their cards.

Here are a couple of other RS games played with the same cards to practice basic math facts:
1) Old Main
Similar to Old Maid, but unwanted card is called 'dead end'.
2) addition memory: lay out an array of two sets of basic number cards 1-9, then play memory to make all the pairs equalling ten. ( I really like this because they can do it pretty much on their own, even if they need the abacus in the beginning
**3) Addition War/ Subtraction War: a favorite of ours! Definitely helps quick response!
Requires ~40 cards from the same basic set (1-9, 0's are optional)
After dividing cards up equally, each player divides their cards into two stacks (I actually found it easier to just deal 4 piles for 2 people), and then you are ready to play. Each player flips over one card from each of their two piles, then they each quickly add (or subtract) their own two cards. The players whose sum is largest wins the round and collects allthecards. The game continues until one player has all the cards.

I am on the IPad, but am going to try to paste in specific links to each game if they are all there. If not, I can always help clarify if need be!

Mandabplus3- I know! My big girl turned three in December! I still can't believe it

Edit* Apparently, none of the games I added are on the channel, so please let me know if you need further clarification!

[Mandabplus3]

Toatally playing addition war in our house tonight! My kids will love this! Super competitive brats that they are  thank you Keri.
Jaykob was so impressed with our Go to the dump game we were all late to school and work this morning... .new rule no math games before school unless everyone is completely ready to walk out the door! 
These games really do make a difference to the kids actually MEMORISING their math facts. Speed is important. The more Natalya memorises the faster she is finishing her Saxon I am hoping she will get to the point where she can finish a whole lesson during her daily commute/car time ( usually 40- 45) minutes. She has such a lot of car time. 20 both to and from school 40 mins to and from Gymnastics. 360 mins a week!
I watched quite a few of the right start math videos. We will add a few of them to our week. It's much more fun to play games than recite times tables for homework. 

[lisayvonne]

Hi waterdreamer, we've been using this site beestar for free math. The worksheets are full of all real life world problems, challenging stuff to help kids thinking. The honor rolls is an additional incentive. Hope your kids have a great math adventure!
Lisa

[akalori]

I'm in the same boat.  My son had been behind in absolutely everything.  Finally we are coming to the conclusion at age 11 that perhaps he is a tiny bit on on the spectrum.  However at the same time, he has been making great strides and is finally catching up to his peers.  Anyway math facts have been particularly difficult.  We did touch math for awhile, but it doesn't lend itself well to multiplication.  Lately we are trying rhymes.  I afterschooling when practical because sometimes regular school homework takes us the whole evening.  Maybe I have to try some of these math card games too. I have expressed my concerns with his teacher. My son is in fourth grade and his teacher is telling me that even the kids without learning disabilities are struggling with their math facts - Yikes!!!!  You are inspiring me to put more effort into these math challenges.
Good Luck, Lori

[alpha20]

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