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 Post subject: Re: Preschool activities
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2015 11:17 am 
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Location: Central TX
Anna1111 wrote:
Well, I'm not much of a conformist on this stuff. I don't believe in the "not too much at this age" theory.

I think it's a huge blessing for a child to be good at reading and math early - and practice is usually what makes that happen.

If they're old enough to look around at their peers and think "I'm the only one who cannot read/multiply/whatever" then it is very hard for them to gain confidence in those areas later. I'm just now (as I successfully teach dd math) catching on that I COULD have been good at math if I had had good early math instruction. Instead, I lived all my life thinking I didn't have a gene for it or whatever.


Yes, and especially dealing with Christian's reading troubles, Saphira's spelling troubles, and both of them having poor working memory which makes memorizing math facts nearly impossible, I definitely feel like it can only help him to start these things early.

I also struggled with math. Not the concepts, I did real well with that part in higher math, like Algebra. But I was never able to completely memorize and retain all my math facts. I've seen the same thing in my kids. Christian is doing pretty well, but I see the same problems with memorization that I had. I just keep having him practice those facts, as we move forward with new concepts. We got behind because of me waiting for him to memorize everything and then I realized we would never move forward if I waited for mastery.

Well, turns out that poor working memory is common with not only ADD, but with Dyslexia, so my kids have a double disadvantage that they have to work through. But it's funny that where they are weak in one area, they are stronger in another. For example, Christian struggles with memorizing his facts, yet he can sit there and solve multi-step problems in his head, while I have to sit and write it out to see if it's correct. Anyways, I blamed school for me not mastering my math facts, when I really had ample exposure and time to memorize them, it was my poor working memory keeping me from mastery. In addition to regular practice of math facts, I've also found some games/exercises I can do with them to improve their working memory, so I'm hopeful that will help.

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Mom to Christian (13), Saphira (10), Xavier (5), and Adrian (2).


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 Post subject: Re: Preschool activities
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2015 11:26 am 
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Try Multiplication.com for yourself and your kids. It has helped ME memorize my multiplication facts. And thanks to that site, DD never encountered the problems I did with it. Now speed is yet to come, but she is already way better at multiplication than I am.

I agree with moving ahead before total mastery - *but* I do think you need to keep working at mastery every day - especially with a kid who has trouble with it.

Like you, I was great at concepts, but poor at computation - which meant that I often did the equation right and STILL got the wrong answer (because I forgot 7x4 and wrote the wrong answer :roll: )

They'll need to have memorized those facts eventually to do well - even if it takes them longer than most.

we also like "xtramath" for every day drill. We do it first after Bible each day, while the brain is still fresh : )

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 Post subject: Re: Preschool activities
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2015 11:38 am 
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Location: Central TX
Anna1111 wrote:
Try Multiplication.com for yourself and your kids. It has helped ME memorize my multiplication facts. And thanks to that site, DD never encountered the problems I did with it. Now speed is yet to come, but she is already way better at multiplication than I am.

I agree with moving ahead before total mastery - *but* I do think you need to keep working at mastery every day - especially with a kid who has trouble with it.

Like you, I was great at concepts, but poor at computation - which meant that I often did the equation right and STILL got the wrong answer (because I forgot 7x4 and wrote the wrong answer :roll: )

They'll need to have memorized those facts eventually to do well - even if it takes them longer than most.

we also like "xtramath" for every day drill. We do it first after Bible each day, while the brain is still fresh : )


Yes, we do multiplication.com and a few other websites for math facts. I did do Xtramath for a long time. Christian mastered his addition facts with that site, but then shortly after, I saw him counting with his fingers and I said "I thought you mastered those facts". He said "Mom, that was a while ago!" So, he *can* master them, just like I mastered them while I was in the thick of it, but it just doesn't stick in there long term. He's doing well with multiplication right now, and with division, but we are continuing to do daily practice of the facts. I just don't know how it will work long term. If your memory just isn't capable of storing random facts long term, how do you get around that, you know? I've lost count how many times I've "mastered" my multiplication facts and then forgotten them and had to re-master them. Somehow, I still managed to do well in Middle school and HS math, I just worked around my weaknesses and I was probably a tad bit slower at it than my class mates. But I agree with daily practice and working to strengthen those weak areas. You can't just give up.

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 Post subject: Re: Preschool activities
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:09 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2012 5:16 pm
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Location: Sunshine State
This math/arithmetic learning stuff is covered by Ruth Beechick in a book now called the Three R's. I used her advice with my youngest from the get go. I used them before when I pulled my older dd out of school after a horrible third grade where the whole class failed the TX TAAS test.

Anyhow, she says young minds are better at understand math naturally, without the symbols (+,-,=,x, etc) so don't even use sit down and write math problems until the 2nd grade. Dd grouped beans or other counters, added and subtracted toys.

Well, that approached worked for her. She is the one that does math in her head. My brain has always been too crowded for numbers (or empty, lol).

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 Post subject: Re: Preschool activities
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:48 pm 
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"Yes, we do multiplication.com and a few other websites for math facts. I did do Xtramath for a long time. Christian mastered his addition facts with that site, but then shortly after, I saw him counting with his fingers and I said "I thought you mastered those facts". He said "Mom, that was a while ago!" So, he *can* master them, just like I mastered them while I was in the thick of it, but it just doesn't stick in there long term."

I think that is VERY normal for all types of learning. If you don't use it, you lose it! I've even heard of people who forgot their native language! Regular & consistent review is a *must* for any skill : )

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 Post subject: Re: Preschool activities
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2015 11:04 pm 
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My best friend is from Trinidad and spoke only Spanish until she came to America when she was 12 and she can barely speak Spanish now.
Her dc have had to take Spanish in school.

You really DO have to keep up on things or the learning of it will slip away.
We can't remember "everything". :(

Also.. your X reminds me SO much of my own dd that I have to point out that she was so good at drawing and letters at a VERY young age. She's a phenomenal artist now (I kept plenty of blank paper for her use and plenty of age appropriate markers, crayons, pencils, etc.) <as she got older these items changed and finally we ended up with full quality artists pencils, charcoal, etc.

She taught herself to read at age 4 (before she was potty trained!)...
so they really, really, DO learn things at different rates.
Remember her speech was also delayed and she began speaking around 3 1/2 or so... she said "mama" around 3 y/o.
So her advanced artistic and reading skills were balanced by her lack in other areas.

She still struggles with math and I keep praying she'll realize her need for it and will try again now that she's older.


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 Post subject: Re: Preschool activities
PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 5:57 pm 
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Lisa, I encountered this resource today, and thought you might find some useful ideas here for little X.

http://syncopatedmama.blogspot.com/2015 ... eek-3.html

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