Do I have too high expectations?

mcja

barbiedoll wrote: »

We also used to recite one at bedtime....I once heard him saying his times tables in his sleep.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

We do do them after school just 2 a day at the moment, then recap them and 2 more the next day.

dizziblonde

mrcow wrote: »

I agree. 7 and 8s are usually the last ones learned surely? (They're the hardest).

I'm a teacher and I still slightly struggle with 7s and 8s and use various shortcut ways to get to the answers with them!

Wouldn't worry about being able to parrot fashion (that really annoying sing-songy voice is optional) one times two is two... two times two is etc... if he can get the right answer by any means that works for him. Indeed NOT needing to go through the entire times table drone to get to the right answer will probably help him in the long run when time becomes a consideration - the number of y6 kids you can watch visibly bouncing up and down as they recite the entire rhyme under their breath, or with fingers whirling so fast you could harness it as an alternative to wind turbines, in mental maths tests is always mildly amusing to watch.

If he can work on shortcuts to get to the answer he needs it'll help a bit - so for eights - double the four times sum (2x4=8... double that to get the answer to 2x8), for sevens if really stuck splitting it to a x3 and x4 sum and adding them back together is a work around (so 3 x 7 splits into 3x3 PLUS 3x4)... to be honest with sevens even to this day I tend to stick to ones I know and count on/back from them 7x8=56 is a nice one to remember as it's got the digits 5, 6, 7, 8 in it too.

Someone mentioned dyspraxia - I was wondering along those lines too to be honest.

I used to teach Y4 and we had a real spread from kids still working on knowing their 3x table (and I never tested these in the "right them out in order" way anyway btw) to kids who knew them all, and writing-wise from kids you'd sing, dance and rejoice if we got a sentence with a full stop in the right place (as opposed to randomly shoved in anywhere so they could shrug and say, "I've put some in, Miss" to kids paragraphing and using punctuation up to the very occasional outbreak of colons and semi-colons correctly

Tutoring might well help to be honest - especially if he's been struggling to hear and focus in a classroom context (and if he's been one of the weaker members of the class but not the real needy end so got away with flying under the radar a bit) - but I think if you go down that route you have to expect it to be a long-haul (I picked up a lad at the start of Y4 and worked with him right up to just before his SATs - working with the school we managed to pull him from not getting onto the NC levels at all to having a chance of getting a level 4 depending on how focused he's been on the day in question). Time will probably help a lot as well - the lad I just mentioned suddenly just took a massive leap in concentration and writing ability mid-Y5 as he matured a bit (I've re-written that sentence about four times to try not to phrase it like the OP's son is immature in a negative way - hopefully you get the meaning behind it)... Y4 lads can't half be a right flighty bunch at times - particularly when you get 'em together (I've always maintained that it's Y2/3 and Y6 girls that cause grey hairs from the falling out, and Y4/early Y5 lads from just being a generally dippy bunch!)

mcja

Dizziblonde, I wish I could thankyou twenty times. Don't worry about rewriting things. Joes not immature but isn't particularly worldly wise.

Year 4 lads seem to be little !!!!!!s, and think they are so much bigger and cooler than they are but come out with stupid things without knowing what they are actually saying. Mine wants to do all the grown up things but is currently playing with my Fisher Price from when I was a kid with his sister.

I have had a chat with him about tutoring and he seemed keen to have someone he could ask questions to without feeling judged or like his friends would take the mickey.
I like the idea of whatever it takes for the times tables and I think I will work on strategies with his rather than the parrot fashion method.

Thankyou again, and enjoy the week off work.

Claire

Willowpop

I used a couple of tricks to help my 8 year old learn a few of the times tables...
I've dug out some links..
http://hedgehogcomms.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/times-table-tricks.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8EqBSi8z_4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6oJ5rw9mys

Hope they help a bit.:)

mcja

Just found out he has got the same teacher for next year as well, and had not progressed at all in numeracy or literacy over the year. Am going to have a chat with the teacher who offered to tutor today and ask about moving schools. Feels so drastic but its my boy, I want him to be the best he can.

mrcow

Or would changing classes be an option? Or is it only one form per year. Do you think it's the school, or just this particularly class/teacher?

It may feel drastic, but it's far better to do something about it now rather than just let the next year drift by and no progress to be made again. Children move schools all the time for a variety of reasons and make new friends etc quickly enough.

mcja

It is only one form per year from years 2-6 sadly. I think it is the school ethos, the teacher and his peers that just don't sit right with him. I worry about the effect this will have on him at comp and onwards.

Thankyou so much all for your support.

Xx

mummypig321

Please do remember all children especially boys at the age of 8-9 are going through pre teenage stage, so all the lack of concentration and pre occupied tendencys are due to the emotional roller coaster they are on. my son at the moment is a wreck, one minute crying over nothing then so angry for no reason and takes it out on all of us. yet usually he is lovely but has his moments. So my son at the moment in year 3 cant even remember his 5 times table yet 3 times table. his reading he cant even pause after a full stop, they all catch up to a point at some time or another and you may find that after his hormones have chilled out a bit he may make some leaps and bounds.

What ever you decide good luck and make sure he doesnt know that your worried otherwise the pressure may creap up on him. As they say a relaxed and happy mummy has the same effect on the whole family.

mcja

Thanks mummy pig..I am a coiled spring at the moment!!

Mankysteve

Tenyearstogo wrote: »

Also, why do you need to work through times tables in sequence?

I have a b at GCSE maths c in maths SATs and a B in AS use of maths. Still can't do times tables. I don't why they still teach it. Doesn't teach children maths just teaches them to recite figures, unless.

Has he been assessed for any special needs. I.e dylexia/ specific learning disability.