dd7 having trouble with Singapore 1A/1B

[montanamom]

My dd7 is currently using Beyond. She used LHFHG last year with Singapore's Early bird math. This year we are using 1A/1B and activites as written in the Beyond guide. We are currently on unit 22/ SM 1B. I find myself having to 'walk' her through almost every step just to get it done. If I have her try to complete a problem 'on her own' (even if I've already helped her with similar ones ) she gives me a blank stare and 'freezes up' until I eventually give her more guidance. We have had problems of varying degrees off and on through 1A and now into book 1B. For example last week we worked on subtracting larger numbers like 37-9=. Some of the problems we faced were:
1- She prefers to just count backwards (36,35,34,...) no matter how large (or small) the number being subtracted is. Part of the problem with this is that she not breaking 37-9 down to (10 & 27) -9 or even to (17 & 27)-9 and apparently she didn't learn/retain the counting backwards section well because when she does this she almost always comes up 1# off.
2- She will often just guess at the answer, but it usually doesn't even make sense...ie: 30-7=33, 37, or 40.
3- When subtracting 10-8=_, I tried to remind/show her how she had learned to write either (-) or (+) statements by just changing them around...again I got the blank stare. Then when she tried to use this method 'on her own' she figured out that 8+2=10 so she decided that 10-8 must =10 ????

We have tried spending more time on the hands on activities but she doesn't seem to have any problem with those. I thought maybe it was my teaching, so dad gave it a try with similar results. We have tried a timer so that she realizes that math won't continue forever. The main way that she can do the the problems accurately is with manipulatives and just counting them out (not breaking them down into groups of tens & ones). We considered allowing her to continue doing this but are concerned that that will not help her to learn the singapore way of number bonds etc and it may possibly cause problems down the road.

I have read on other posts that additional drilling of math facts aren't neccessary...that the dc will just pick them up in time. But what do you suggest when there seems to be minimal retention of any of the topics covered??? Any advice would be appreciated!

Pam

[Tidbits of Learning]

So she is 1st grade in Beyond, right? At this age, I would let her use manipulatives. I would print a 100 chart, let her use counter chips, or base ten blocks. I would definitely let her get a sense of pictoral numbers. She is still learning the 1:1 ratio and seeing 5 blocks and taking away 3 shows 2 blocks left. I do think that the math facts will come the more math that children practice. I would practice addition and subtraction facts this summer with flash cards or triangle cards, but I would let her practice for now with manipulatives and get a good mental picture of the numbers and the concepts in her head. The abstract concept of the numbers and math facts will come later with practice.

[Tracee]

Edited
Ooops. I'm sorry! I just looked in our book and they do 37 as 20 and 17. We completed that page already, and I had forgotten all about it. I hope I didn't confuse you. I still used the manipulatives and grouped them by 3 groups of 10 and then 7. From that group I would have him show me 17 (10 and 7). One of the groups of 10 and the 7. Then he would count what was left over...2 groups of 10 (20). Hope that helps a little better. DS actually does better with the pictures than he does with the manipulatives, but when there isn't a picture available, I use the manipulatives.


One thing I noticed is you have 37 broken down by 20 and 17. It's much easier to keep it grouped by tens, for example 30 and 7 equal 37. We are at the same point, and I let my DS use manipulatives. I have blocks from MUS, but I use anything, paper clips, cheerios, raisins. For this problem, I would make DS break it apart. I would have him make 3 groups of 10 and them 7 off to the side. I would go through the number sentence with him until he really gets it. So then, I would say Ok, now look at the number sentence. It says minus 9, so what do you do? ...take away 9. Now, let me help you make it easier. You have 7 over here, so you could start with those 7 and now you need to take away 8 and 9 from one of the groups of 10. Now look, how much do you have left. You have 10 in this group, 10 in that group. That's how much?....20. Now count what's left over in this group....8. Great 20 and 8 is how much 28.

I hope that wasn't too confusing. I think once they get that the number can be broken apart like that, it makes it much easier.


Tracy

[Carrie]

Pam,

We are expecting kiddos to use manipulatives throughtout Earlybird Kindergarten, 1A/1B, and 2A/2B. By 3A, we are moving away from manipulatives to pictorial representations in the textbooks instead. However, we are still showing the kiddos how it is done through the pictorial representations in 3A on up. So, defininitely have her use manipulatives to see what she is doing!

At the 1B level, it's also good to remember that this is just the introduction to the Singapore way of doing things. It will come around again at higher levels. It would be miraculous for a child at the 1B level to get the Singapore method of breaking down a number like '37' to '10' and '27' before working with it. This skill is hit again in Bigger Hearts in 2A/2B, and even at that stage is a brain stretcher. Take heart that the level you are in is an introduction with the point being for kiddos to have heard and seen this type of thinking from an early age. It will be quite awhile before your sweetie will be expected to have internalized it and being able to apply it on her own. Right now, she's likely just struggling to comprehend how to subtract and add at all!

My advice at this stage is to come alongside her in these instances, give her the manipulatives, and model for her how to do it. You can model counting backward to find the answer, model counting upward to find the answer, model how to make the groups, model how to "think" through the problem by talking through the steps out loud. Help her as much as needed, and then have her repeat a problem on her own talking through it out loud too. Have her do the talking through the steps and prompt her as she goes. You'll be doing this for years to come, and it onlys helps the child understand better.

Think of it as a partnership where you don't let her flounder, and you don't let her practice it the wrong way. Allowing her to practice something the wrong way just cements the wrong method in her mind. When you see her going in the wrong direction, immediately halt her and redirect. I have found that I need to stay right by my math kiddos for this very purpose.

Blessings,
Carrie

[montanamom]

Thanks for the replies...the main thing I got from all of you was that letting her use manipulatives all the time is OK!

Tracy- Yes, I was a bit confused by your post, but thought that maybe I just hadn't understood the book right! Anyway, I tried the way you described and she did seem to understand it a bit better.

Carrie- Thank-you so much for your reply. I had no idea that manipulatives would be used all the time through 2A/2B. I just assumed that we would use the manipulatives for the hands on activites but then just the pictoral representations for the workbook or if there was no pictures that they should just be able to 'do it'. This new knowledge is a big weight off my shoulders! Being a Mastery program, I mistakenly thought this stuff needed to be 'mastered' now and that it wouldn't come back around. Like you said, I didn't want her to practice the wrong way, and I appreciate your suggestion of showing her how to solve a problem and then having her repeat it back to me...I think that will work great for her!

We already had math today, but with this new information I am excited for math time tomorrow...

Pam