math help ... for a child who can't do math!

[rumkimom]

I am looking for a new curriculum for my 11 year old son. He used ACE this year and has 1.5 books left before he is done with the 2nd grade level (about 2 weeks left in the books??). I do not feel that ACE is the best curriculum for him but used it as he could do it by himself and I did not have that much time due to his younger brother needing so much of my time. His younger brother is now attending the local school (that was a very hard decision to make!) so I have more time to spend with the subjects he is having a hard time with. He is in Preparing and now going full speed. I am considering themath that HOD recommends (Singapore), but have others used that with a child who has a very hard time in math. I tried Singapore with my oldest year ago and she hated it (she liked teaching textbooks, but I do not have the 3rd grade level and do not want to spend that amount if he might use it for only 1/2 of a year....we are considering sending him to the local school in the fall).

I guess my question is: Has anyone used Singapore successfully with a child who has a math disability? Of what would you recommend (that is not too costly as we have to also get Rev to Rev in about a month!)? He needs to start learning multiplication (he still does not have those addition facts memorize but uses an abacus to add and subtract).

[3greatkids]

I am not an expert, but I think Singapore works best for kids who are average to above average in terms of academic ability. I have 2 children who naturally do very well academically and they did okay with Singapore. My child with working memory issues and slow processing speed did disastrously. His standardized test scores fell from 11th grade equivalent to 4th grade equivalent after 2 years with Singapore. It seems to be mastery based so for kids who need lots of practice and to see a concept repeatedly before it sticks this is a struggle. I wanted my kids to be able to do basic math computation, but Singapore does so many work problems (many of which are multistep) at such an early age, it just wasn't a good fit for us. I transferred all three kids to CLE this year and while it does take longer, I feel their math awareness is far better. As an added benefit, there have been no math tears this year. Praying for clarity in your schooling decisions; we are having this debate in our home too.

[Nealewill]

What are your goals with math for the year? If you are looking for something cheap, you could still do Singapore this year and not worry about it. I would just look at the placement chart and start in the level that your child places at. Sounds like you are only going to be using it for 3 months anyway.

There are many great math programs out there that cater to children who struggle in math but they are all more costly. I would say that you probably aren't losing anything but using Singapore for a few months. I would just get something where your child can practice they skills they have learned.

[rumkimom]

Thanks all. After a discussion on facebook, I decided to go with CLE.

[mrsrandolph]

I have a math challenges child as well. We did Saxon 1 and then went straight into Teaching Textbooks 3. I sit with him for TT in case he needs me and to explain things more fully. Best of luck!! (Singapore did not work for him either).

[Carrie]

Rumkinmom,

This is an interesting dilemma. With the age of your son in mind, and considering the challenges he has had in math thus far it is possible that Singapore math would work in his situation. The reason for this is because it is easier to move at an varying and/or accelerated pace through Singapore than it is with other programs that are more lock-step and have large volumes of daily work for each level.

So, if you were to consider using Singapore, I would definitely give him the placement test located here: http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm

Be sure to give him the placement test for the U.S. Edition. I would begin with the 2A test and see how he does. I would be inclined to think he might begin in 2B, but with testing you will know better. Since math is a challenging area, I think you will have to commit to sitting with him or being available nearby to help often as needed. Be sure to teach the Singapore method in the word bubbles of each lesson as this will help! Then, I would move quickly through what your son knows and spend longer on what he does not. In this way, you could cover more ground. Be sure to use the U.S. Edition of Singapore, as the other editions have too much volume added to them which will slow you down.

Once you place your son, you can scroll down on the following page to order the needed levels of Singapore: http://www.heartofdakota.com/preparing- ... ckages.php

This honestly may be a good option with only a semester or so of instruction time to move forward.

Blessings,
Carrie