My son is really having a hard time with 7th grade pre-algebra. They are rushing through the book (which even the school psych. says is way above most of their heads…), and I know my son is not getting the concepts, even though his math reasoning skills on testing are quite high, and he is failing his tests.
He has math homework every night, around 20-30 questions, and by the time he does all these plus his other homework, he is totally at his limit. What I want to do is use that 30 minutes to “re-teach” him the material he would have learned in class were there not 38 students and no time to address different learning styles (my son is not eligible for resource help). However, there is no way we can do this plus the 30 or so problems he is assigned. If, rather than wasting time doing repetitious problems he does not really understand, I spend that time making sure he actually understands what he is doing and then assign him 5 problems which are representative of what the chapter relates to, would this be a reasonable compromise to present to the math teacher? I just don’t feel that 20 or 30 practice questions prove anything when he doesn’t understand what he is doing and then goes on to fail tests.
My hope is to provide him somewhat the same sort of experience he would have if he could be in the resource math class where, as I understand it, they actually spend more time with concepts, do not assign homework, and work with the kids through any testing. Any thoughts?
Re: Does this sound reasonable?
I posted a response, but I guess it got lost…
The only reason my son is able to get the work done is because I talk him through it. The reason I believe he isn’t getting the concepts is because, for instance, I can talk him through a problem such as 30% of 2000, and he will answer 6000. He gets changing 30% to .3 x 2000, but unless I point it out to him, he thinks 6000 is the correct answer. When I do sit with him and use money, drawings, etc. to explain how it works, he gets it. That doesn’t happen in class.
It’s funny you mentioned your husband does the problems- I had already decided that was what I was going to do. I just want to make sure I am not doing him a dis-service by not having him do more than a few questions just to be sure he knows how to answer them on the test. I just feel the time would be better spent in explanation rather than drill work.
Re: Does this sound reasonable?
You can’t “drill a skill” a student does not have. If he is not understanding the math, the most important thing is that he does.
The number of problems assigned each night varies from teacher to teacher. Some teachers assign homework to “keep kids out of trouble, build character, and/or develop a sense of responsibility”.
That means they’re not assigning homework based on mathematical learning needs. If your son is able to “get it” after doing a few problems, and your husband is willing to do the rest of the problems, I can’t see the harm.
I counsel my son carefully though that this is a family secret and as long as it stays one, it will work. He can’t go bragging even to his best of friends that “Dad does my homework”.
Good luck. It worked for us.
Re: Does this sound reasonable?
are you sure he is not eligible for resource help? My 13 year old has adhd and finally when I learned the rules I found out she is eligible for the 504 plan, which helps accomodate some of the areas she needed help in like longer test times, etc…. You kind of go in there and tell them what’s needed without an IEP, and if they don’t like that get mediation or due process, because he is eligible for some help. Good luck!
Re: Does this sound reasonable?
Thanks, Kim. He does have a 504 plan that was just written up. We hope this will help.
It’s hard to say what any teacher will find reasonable. How though is he able to even do the 20 or 30 problems every night if he does not understand the math? That’s a little hard to understand. And if he can do those problems, why is he failing the tests?
In any case, if he truly is not “getting” the math, your plan makes sense. Is he IEPed? If not, I wouldn’t share with you that you plan to “reteach” him at night. That might put the hair up on the teacher’s back. Instead, I’d ask for a reduction in homework problems based on something else… his pace of working, his issues with homework, the school psychologist’s recommendation… whatever works.
Then if you get the reduction, use the time to reteach him as he needs.
If the teacher refuses everything, you could always consider the approach my husband and I took to the same problem. I retaught the math and my husband did the 20-30 repetittious problems every night and my son handed in the problems my husband had done now understanding how to do them himself.