Maths - 8 Year Old Problem Grasping Concepts

Hi-
I was a math teacher. I honestly didn't understand where you were going with that explanation. (Sorry!) But it's a little too complex for a little one. Can he do single digit subtraction easily? If not, go back to those and have him practice 9-9 and everything under 9's until he can do those with ease. Even do beans, pennies, etc. If he can do single digits quickly and easily then break down the double digits. Make flash cards with the double digit on top and single digit on bottom.
19
- 9
-----

Then focus on subtracting the right column first. (9-9=0)
19
- 9
-----
0
Then (1-0=1)
19
-09
----
10

Remember, he needs to master one concept first before moving on to the next. Math builds on each other. If he's struggling, he may not understand the previous concept.
Good Luck!
A.

My 7-year-old was having issues with his subtraction. He was much better at adding. So what I did is I had him look a the the problem

19 - 9 = what

and asked him (what + 9 = 19). When he said that (9 + 10 = 19), I would say so that means what? And he would understand that if (9+10=19) then (19-9=10). Might be a little confusing putting everything in reverse, but that is what worked for my son. He was able to follow that logic. *shrug* But in the beginning we did start with the M&Ms and fingers. Good luck.

;

Well frankly I don't think your suggestion was too helpful. Without getting into a long discussion of tutoring tactics, I would suggest that any child who has trouble with concepts should focus on simple visuals first. If the problem is 19-9, get marbles or pennies or beans and put them on the kitchen table and go from there.

As a math teacher I'm in agreement with some of the other responses. Use visuals. I think it's too early to be getting frustrated with him over this. It might be simple to us, but to and 8 yr old learning it for the first time it is a difficult concept. He will probably get it, just try to not show your frustration to him (if you are). It will only frustrate him more and possibly shut him down.

Hey, if I hadn't become a math teacher and I had to teach my child this I would be just as frustrated as you are. I've been surprised at what the kids have difficulty with. Keep trying and you'll find a strategy that works for your kid.

Some kids don't visualize it, they need to do it.

When my daughter was younger and even now at 15 when she is with me at the grocery or whatever, we use math. "I need 6 lemons, etc" or figure out the best deal...a 96 oz bottle or 32 oz bottle of detergent. You get the gist...apply it daily with him.... while cooking and measuring, etc.

There are books that use M&M's, Cheerio's, etc that helps the child work through it.

If you can't go through this with your 8 yr old, get a tutor or teacher from the school and they will help. MANY schools have tutoring in school to help children grasp the concepts.

Good luck.

I don't mean to be rude, but I don't see how an 8 year old could grasp the counting concept.

A few suggestions...

When it comes to math visuals really help. If your trying to teach subtraction, give him a handful of m&m's. Count out 19, then have him give you 9, now have him count how many he has left. As a reward he can eat the m&m's.

Another thought... Your son may work better with someone other than you. Do you know of any teens in your area that would help him a few days a week? Or maybe an afterschool program?

Good luck.

Maybe you can try to have something visual to use. Take say 20 pencils and have him count out 19. Once he does this have him take away 9 and then have him count what is left over. My daughter is very visual and this has helped her. She also uses her fingers to count.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

I've tutored kids in math, and learned that when they tune me out, it's because I've jumped too far ahead of what they can keep track of. If you slow down and handle just one small step at a time, as others have suggested, he might be able to feel little bits of success instead of big bits of failure. I also agree tht the visual, hands-on approach works far better for many kids learning math than trying to do it in their heads.

I'm a little shy to be this forward, but I illustrate a series of hands-on math and science books, and our little company, TOPS, offers a fine book that uses a homemade balance to help kids "get" addition and subtraction. (There's a free online activity using a second balance in the same book). If you are interested, check out http://topscience.org/books/balancing31.html.

When my daughter was in 3rd grade and struggling with math (with massive arguments every single night), I went to speak with her teacher (who I knew quite well). Her teacher said to me, "you know what her biggest problem is, don't you" and I said, "no". Her teacher said, "you". Of course I burst into tears (the teacher was absolutely right!). The way I was handling it (similar to the way you are) was eroding her self-confidence terribly and making the "problem" much worse. I immediately found a tutor and my daugther went once a week to her house. While she initially resisted, I explained to her that having a tutor meant that the time we spent together would be spent doing fun things, not fighting. It was a dream. She has since become a champ at math, getting A's almost always AND, more importantly, her self-confidence is very high in this area. She is in geometry now and has struggled a bit so she is having a tutor for the first time in about 4 years tomorrow evening to help her prep for a test - she is very open to it.

That said, my sister is a neuropsychologist (works with kids who are having learning struggles/differences) and it is about this age that more neurologically-based challenges appear - this could be what's happening with your son. Tap into school resources (they make it very difficult, so beware) as you don't want to mask the problem with a tutor (I have a friend whose daugther got good enough grades as a result of working with a tutor and it led to much, much more serious problems since she was excluded from special services - be careful).

Most importantly, work with your child - not against him. I believe he is doing the best he can. If he can't get, please do not reprimand him or get angry - he needs your help and support - that is our job. I learned this the hard way; now, when I see one of them struggling, I take a deep breath and become an advocate, not an "enemy".

Good luck.

all kids learn math differently i had to tell my son to listen to who makes the most sense to him they all come up with the right answer if you can afford it do sylavans now it wont cost you as much as if you wait. excellent school worked for my kid

Some boys do better with time limits - I used to set the timer in the kitchen to make homework more of a game. You can also work on math while out for a walk or kicking a ball. He could stand on his head and do math or lay on the floor.

It is frustrating but I think it is really important to keep the home safe and happy and leave the school to do its job. Homework made my son's life so miserable when he was that age and I made it worse by standing over him.

Good luck. As a side note, I hate math but I can do most of my son's problems (up to 7th grade now!) by thinking in terms of food. So something like Cheerios might help and they are not so bad for a snack.

Sounds so like my son when he was younger. He did the exact same thing. He too always counted the # he was supposed to be counting from. I was so frustrated as to why he couldn't get it. It just seemed so simple and he just seemed to not care or pay attention to what we were trying to teach him.The game Shutes and Ladders helped a lot. Whatever he would roll I would ask him to figure out where he should land (ie on space 9 and rolled 3 he would go to 12). at first he started out counting the same spot he was on and i would have to correct him. He learned pretty quick because the way I was counting and adding it it made me go further quicker than the way he was counting. Oh, BTW my son also is diagnosed with ADD and we are in the process of getting him re-evaluated for possible other issues too. But eventually he did get the process. And with him he just has to be able to be willing to learn it and ready to accept it. I usually can tell by looking at his eyes how any teaching session might go. Good luck.

use manupulatives (blocks, crayons, whatever, to help him count) Show him what you are doing with concrete objects and not just words.

Make sure he understands symantics (math language). Example: does he know what a sum, addends, product, and quotient, is? Math language is imperative to understanding how to perform the math functions the book is asking him to do. Also memorizing math facts are a MUST to be able to start venturing into upper level (above second grade) math.
If symantics and math facts have holes, you need to fill these in before moving on. Go backwards if you have to, to the point where he needs to fill in gaps. Does he understand place value well? This imperative also.
Seek a good math tutor if needed.

Hey S.,

Are you homeschooling? If you are....try looking into a curriculum called "Math-U-See"... We love it.

Regardless - he needs a little bit of visual aid. An 8 year old is a little young to be trying to grasp concepts solely in their mind. I'd save that for after he's had a good basic foundation laid.

I'm not a big fan of making things too easy - I personally feel that we as a society just seem to be getting more and more lazy, and frankly, stupid! I don't use calculators with mine at all, nor do we use too much visual aid.

I'd use visual aids like blocks or other small, easily countable objects to help lay a good foundation for him. That will help him later on down the road to visualize a concept in his mind alone, without the use of anything but a pencil and paper.

Try not to get frustrated! Its so hard, I KNOW! But be careful not to get huffy, you'll make him feel very dumb if he sees you becoming flustered with his lack of understanding.

Praise effort. Encourage him no matter how long he takes. Try to avoid scolding unless he's doing something inappropriate or just down right guessing at answers to get it out of the way.

Hang in there!

ever sat through a lecture on quantum physics? how about watch a half hour video on combustion engines? if you were fascinated, then that's the sort of brain you have, but if you're like many of us you went from bewildered to frustrated to bored and tuned out. and THAT'S how your son feels. he's not being lazy or stubborn, he just doesn't get the way you are trying so hard to teach him. there are lots of great math curricula out there that can help you. if repetition and practice is your son's style, try saxon. manipulatives? math-u-see is great for that. if he's a conceptual-learning sort of guy he might just love singapore math. i haven't tried horizons or miquon, but both work well for a lot of kids. if you get angry with him, stop and do something else until you cool down. i totally understand the frustration on your part, but never forget that he really really really doesn't understand, and blaming him for it will only make it so much worse for him, and make learning an abhorred activity.
good luck!
khairete
S.

I actually pulled by 9.5 year old from school because I realized the school system wasn't teaching basic math. No "doubles", counting on by 4s, 6, s etc.

I researched a lot of math curriculum and now use SIngapore MAth - BRILLIANT. It teached regrouping, which is what we adults do in our heads (I mean, you really don't count back from 19, right)?

So SIngapore would tell you to split the 19 into tens and ones - 1 ten and 9 ones

They you take away the 9 ones, so it would look like this:
19-9 becomes
10 9-9

10 + 0

answer: 10

i suggest you use visials. start with 20 and dont use money beause you might confus him once you try teaching counting money. lets say you used poker chips. lay down 19 then say now you have 19 how many if you tae away 9. let him see whats happening then try itwithout letting him move the chips. he can see them but h cant move them he has to use his mind then maybe he can do it without chips altogether he will have something to picture in his mind without it being there.

Hi there, I'm a homeschooling mom, so I completely sympathize with you on this one. I found that a number chart to 100 really helped my son grasp the relationships between all of the numbers and I would also recommend base ten blocks. They are an easy manipulative that can be used for all kinds of math. I remembered them helping me when I was young actually, that's why I found them for my son. Both of these items help a child understand and internalize the pattern that the numbers make. They and many more educational items can be found and ordered at http://catalog.teach-n-stuff.com/ This is the website that goes with the store I found locally, although I don't think it's a chain, I think it's just a local store. Anyways, they have a lot of good teaching resources on their website.

Really, your son just needs it to "click". I had to introduce my son to math through several different methods before one clicked for him. He's now 7 and he's not only doing the usual addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, but he's adding, subtracting, converting and reducing FRACTIONS now too. You just need to figure out which approach makes the most sense to your son and go from there. Once you find the correct path for him, you'll be astonished at how quickly he starts to breeze through things. It's simply a matter of helping the subject matter relate to him instead of the other way around.

I suggest getting a tutor it has helped my children in the past.

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