Hello Stoybookmum,

I am finding more and more for some girls it takes longer to understand these concepts. Sometimes it is that we are moving them to quickly and not giving them enough time to “nest” with the idea. Sometimes we are taking too long in a session of math. Yet I find most times it is because we are not teaching the sporadic way their brains are put together. (This is not to insult any gender or learning ability; it is to hone in on the dilemma at hand).

I will give you an example. I have a child who I will tell a short to sentence reply to a direct question, and all the other children understand what was said and meant, and then the child will restate the question all over again, as though nothing was said at all. So with this child I know that a straight answer will not work, nor will a long one.
For this child I must draw the answer then this child hangs on to it forever. So you may have a child that needs to have it drawn, or told in a story format, or she may have to do the talking. There is a way that her mind will understand these concepts, and sometimes it is nothing short of time, and development on the child’s part, or that we have not figured out the way to reach them.

This is where being the teacher becomes handy since you know her best you can try different ways to reach her.
For instance, when the same child and I quarreled for almost 5 days that 5-5=0 (the child continued to debate that 5-5=5), I realized the losing battle I was in and made her the teacher, and she quickly saw she was wrong but didn’t know why. At this point I showed her by drawing on the white board and using the abacus HOW it worked and for the next few weeks we didn’t that same problems and branched out to other problems having her recite it while she drew it on her small white board or I had her do it on the abacus as she said it. It was then I learned that she is an audio learner, who learns by talking, not by listening. So we spend much of the time having her repeat what I say, it is slow and it can be taxing (more for me than for her) but it works and what she knows she knows well.

My whole point is that she will learn when she is ready and when it is taught in a way she hears. I have no doubt that this program can teach her correctly, but it is heavily dependent on the teacher to recognize the child’s individual needs too. So stay where she is not understanding and play more games, and try different approaches until you discover the way to reach her.

Also if she can explain it she understands it; if she is just slow, don’t put the time pressure on her, give her the time. If she can’t explain it, then stay until she can. TAKE YOUR TIME! This is not a race to higher math; this is a solid foundation of math on which the higher math skills will have to rest upon, so take your time.

Also, if you are worried that she is finding short cuts to find answers, I would not worry, that is normal, all humans look for patterns to make life easier. Applaud her for her efforts and then remind her that she should be trying to cheat with the abacus, as that will help her in the long run.

And as always the best way for better understanding is to do the games, limit the amount of time spent on a math session, and to make the abacus available at all times.

Please let me know if you have any more questions. You can email me directly at Carissa@alabacus.com .

Thank you for giving your child a RightStart in Math,

Carissa
RightStart™ Mathematics by Activities for Learning, Inc.

For program questions: 888.272.3291
To place an order: 888.RS.5.MATH (888.775.6284)
www.RightStartMath.com

Our Mission: To help children understand, apply, and enjoy mathematics

That was a great answer, Carissa, thank you.

Meredith does do REALLY well at talking her answers through - where Caroline, my older girl, can't tell you, most of the time, how she reaches her answers. Meredith likes to sing-song her way through the process, one step at a time. I'll work with that, and stop worrying about the "crutch" of the abacus. Why do I need to hear that over, and over and over again?? But I did need, again, and I appreciate it.

You are welcome!

We need to hear it over and over again, because we have never seen this done first hand; and compared to the way most of us were raised, this is so different, we can't believe that there is another method that produces good results; thus we are in a constant pull to fall back on our training, which was our childhood example-"push the child-push the child, make the child conform."

As the years go by and we get more comfortable with the path we have chosen and it gets easier. Then you find that you are on territory most have never tread (home school high school), and it will be overwhelming at times, but cling to the stories of success and you will get through just like others have before you. The key is to have patience, love and joy. those three will win your children hearts and you will all do well. and remember they don’t call it a labor of love because it is easy and peaceful.


Please let me know if you have any more questions. You can email me directly at Carissa@alabacus.com .

Thank you for giving your child a RightStart in Math,

Carissa
RightStart™ Mathematics by Activities for Learning, Inc.

For program questions: 888.272.3291
To place an order: 888.RS.5.MATH (888.775.6284)
www.RightStartMath.com

Our Mission: To help children understand, apply, and enjoy mathematics