*+*Daily Chatterbox-Wed 21 Jan, 2009-ALL WELCOME!*+*

Burlesque_Babe

spud30 wrote: »

At least you're still a maybe, not a no

I'm a 'I really, really want to be there' stomping like a child with a tantrum, but I really won't know until a situation moves in one direction or another (and even the direction it moves in will have a bearing on stuff!)

Mud. Clear as.......I know, but I don't really want to say anything more as it's a bit complicated.

spud30

pepe2008 wrote: »

But sometimes being in the lower set can bring out an ability which would be buried by work that 'appeared' to be too hard.
DS was carp at Maths until I showed him the 'old' way of long multiplication...the answer was about 13billion, made up of 30 or so small sums, once he had done that, he lost a lot of his fear.
( This fear was initiated by idiot 'teacher' trying to teach them FACTORING at 9 yrs....stupid cow!

Thanks Pepe. For the last 2 years, he's had fab teachers, and has really improved form where he was. The 3 years before that, he was unlucky, and due to various issues within the school, had many supply teachers. I'll have a chat to his teacher next week, see how I can help (luckily I work in the same school )

pepe2008

SuzySu wrote: »

I had an appalling set of maths exam results in my first year of senior school and was moved into the "bottom set". This was brilliant for me though, as the teacher explained everything in a way we could actually understand for once as she wasn't having to teach 'en masse' (ie.keeping a class of different abilities interested). At the end of my second year I got my highest ever maths result and I know it was because we were taught at a slower pace. We covered the same syllabus as the higher groups.

It might be what he needs. Have you considered a private tutor?

BTW - I ended up passing my Maths O level so it can be done.

I became excellent at mental arithmetic when I played for my Dads darts Team! You had to get it right when you were scoring a League Match....get him down the Pub......btw I was 15 then. When I worked at Lloyds bank at 18 I could add up a string of 40 numbers quicker than someone with a calculator...thanks Dad and mis-spent youth.

spud30

SuzySu wrote: »

I had an appalling set of maths exam results in my first year of senior school and was moved into the "bottom set". This was brilliant for me though, as the teacher explained everything in a way we could actually understand for once as she wasn't having to teach 'en masse' (ie.keeping a class of different abilities interested). At the end of my second year I got my highest ever maths result and I know it was because we were taught at a slower pace. We covered the same syllabus as the higher groups.

It might be what he needs. Have you considered a private tutor?

BTW - I ended up passing my Maths O level so it can be done.

Funds wont allow a private tutor, so he's stuck with me I'm afraid. I'm a TA at his school, so should be able to access some books/work to help. I'll bend his teacher's ear next week

boredofbeingathome

I agree with Pepe, there is not enough practical in maths nowadays and children rely on calculators without understanding how the answer is achieved.
It can soon be built up and he will be fine.

schoolrunmum

I bought my DS a dartboard too to help with his mental maths...

Ames

Thanks Ellidee, I agree, life is too short.

I think it is linked in some way to the depression, I'm on the waiting list for a psychologist so hopefully I can start changing the way I think about things and not let them get to me as much.

Beanie, I am seriously thinking about looking into getting a handyman in to do it, it'll be less hassle and stress.

pepe2008

schoolrunmum wrote: »

I bought my DS a dartboard too to help with his mental maths...

Maths is one of the few subjects that can be made fun!

At 18 I have just taught DS how to do %'s....god knows what his teachers were doing!

Burlesque_Babe

not sure if the level is too low (although the Basic Math does include fractions and suff like 3y+2b = after a few levels), but he can practise his maths and do a good turn here

http://www.freerice.com/subjects.php?t=20812225376

I donated 2800 grains the other day, it was fun.

SuzySu

Not wanting to stray off topic, but a good/bad teacher can make an amazing difference to a child's education. My class teacher when I was 8 told me (and my parents) that I was rubbish at maths - I wasn't actually, I was ok at maths, but I was getting bullied at school for always having my hand up to answer the questions, so I learnt quickly to dumb down and act stupid. Backfired huh.....