My dd's teacher makes me want to SCREAM

[MELISAZACK]

DS 2ND grade same issue - they have a 6 min time test 100 problems it is addition and subtraction and need to get 93% done and right to be considered proficient....are ;you kidding me???? even if he can do the math maybe the time issue stresses him and he can't do it there so he doesn't get 93 of the done and done right because of the pressure does that make him NOT prof....i dont think soo....sorry he isn't a speed wiz.....
Now on the other had they dont' use flash cards and depend more on computer there and do flash problems that way. He is in a special math computer class 1 day a week at the school before it starts...he has improved in math but not on the speed test...I think it is a stupid way to test and determine there knowledge.

 

[tjmw2727]

Sorry the teacher put things so negatively. My dd was/is struggling with time tests in math as well although she is older and working on multiplication. We moved from one school to another she had never had time tests, her biggest issue was nerves.

I will say that although my dd does play some math games on the computer the flash cards have helped her more than anything else. I think its the contact between her and I (or dh) vs the computer or math blaster.

We made up games with the flashcards, one we call "pile up". If she gets the answer she gets the card and if she dosen't I get the card, then we count up the piles and declare a winner. Right away she made it a goal to beat mom, much more fun than passing a test!

We have a few other games we play 'cause it does get kind of boring. I make some popcorn and we sit to do them in the evening. It didn't take long before she was "winning" and gettig more cards than I did and now she usually gets them all. After a while my dd knew the facts cold so there was no time for the nerves to kick in.

Maybe despite the teachers negativity you can give her advice a try. I agree with you that flash cards are not the only way but they are tried and true! It can't hurt to give them a chance. It also helps if you can have a positive attitude about them then likely your child will.

Good Luck
TJ

 

[Arielle22]

My older dd hates math. However every night we sat with the flash cards until she knew them by rote. OP, it sounds like the problem is your dd doesn't know them without thinking. If the computer game hasn't helped I would use the flash cards. Why does it matter if the game is used or paper cards as long as she knows them. I sympathize that she doesn't like it, my dd ocmplained every night, however as she learns more and more the complaining goes down.

 

[mickeyboat]

I think I would probably give the teacher's suggestion a shot. She has a lot of experience with how kids learn, and six months of experience in how your daughter learns. She might just know what she is talking about. Plus it seems a lot of parents here have had good luck with the cards.

When Emily got her report card it said she needed to work on the numbres 10-20. I could have sworn she knew them, but when I started working with her on them, she was getting confused (who named thirteen and fifteen, anyway - why isn't is threeteen and fiveteen?). Maybe this teacher knows more than I thought.

Good luck.

Denae

 

[DisneyDotty]

OP--I feel your pain.
Climbing on my soap box here...
I know I'm in the minority, but I hate timed math tests and really think they do more harm than good. Working in my DS's classroom, I see how tense the kids get during those darn things--and how hurt they are when they don't "rocket" up to the next math-fact level. And then when the teacher says they can't use manipulatives to help figure out the answer--they're 7 years old!
Don't get me wrong--I'm all for understanding math--math pays the bills in my house and gets us nice trips to WDW! But really, how many of us have to answer--"Quick--what's 15 plus 27? Hurry--time's almost up!" If the kids don't know WHY 15 plus 27 equals 42, then telling them to memorize it and be able to spit it back out FAST isn't going to help.
So, OP, does your child understand where the answers are coming from? If not, there's more work to be done than looking at flashcards.
Good luck to you.

 

[Disney Doll]

Why not let her do both? Let her play the MathWhiz game, which she enjoys and do some flashcards with her every night.

The combination of the two modalities may be just what she needs to catch up.

 

[golfgal]

DS10's problem with the timed tests were that he was trying to do them fast and neat. We worked with him on not erasing answers, just putting one line through if it was incorrect and writing the correct one next to it. We told him he was being tested on how fast, not how neat, and that helped him a lot.

 

[kristen821]

I didn't read all the responses, but why don't you make some timed test for her. That will probably help. She might be doing poorly because she is lacking confidence and stresses out. If she is at home she will have more confidence and when she finally gets it at home she will do much better at school. I hated timed test because I would be so stressed about the time I couldn't concentrate on the actual math.

 

[MinnieM3]

My 3rd graders have to do 25 mult. problems in 3 min. We practice, practice, practice. Worksheets, dice games, another game called "buzz" another game called "ding dong math" and flashcards. They just HAVE to memorize them. There's no other way around it.

Try working with the teacher. Ask if she has any extra worksheets your DD can work on. Does she have any other suggestions? Has she seen anything else work with children in the past? You can also go to www.superkids.com to make your own worksheets. Your DD will improve the more she's exposed to working for one minute.

 

[N.Bailey]

DS 2ND grade same issue - they have a 6 min time test 100 problems it is addition and subtraction and need to get 93% done and right to be considered proficient....are ;you kidding me???? even if he can do the math maybe the time issue stresses him and he can't do it there so he doesn't get 93 of the done and done right because of the pressure does that make him NOT prof....i dont think soo....sorry he isn't a speed wiz.....
Now on the other had they dont' use flash cards and depend more on computer there and do flash problems that way. He is in a special math computer class 1 day a week at the school before it starts...he has improved in math but not on the speed test...I think it is a stupid way to test and determine there knowledge.

This is the thing I think most people miss. They're not trying to determine what your child's knowledge is, they're trying to get you to memorize the basics so that you're able to move on and do much more difficult maths. Without the basics, you're bound to not do well later on.

If I say 8+7 =_____ or 9*3 = _____, it's my guess that you do not have to do the math to come up with these answers. It's the repetition that builds these skills.

For those who think these should be done orally, well, I understand how it could boil down to a child not writing fast enough, but if the teacher was required once a week to spend X amount of time testing all the kids, my guess is, it would take MUCH of the day to accomplish that.

IMO, you have to make it fun. Get as creative as you can (I do lack creativity) and make the kids actually enjoy and look forward to the time you spend together. For us, it's a little easier because my kids are 13 months apart AND in the same grade (son held back 1st year of kindergarten) so we can make it all competitive. Their wanting to beat the other is always incentive to try your best.

We too use flash cards (even now in 8th grade) to study for tests. My kids thrive on the competition with one another, so it's usually enjoyable for all of us. Making the cards isn't always super fun though! LOL