# Not getting the Math!



## Horse Fork Farm (Jan 3, 2006)

My 12 yr old just got his test results back. Everything looks good Except his Math scores. He's going into 7th grade and unfortunately he's testing out as early 6th grade. It seems as though he can do the work at home but then when tested he couldn't remember anything he'd learned. What do you like for remedial math work at the 6th - 7th level? Thank you!!


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## Jakk (Aug 14, 2008)

My daughter is just finishing up 9th grade and has had a heck of a time with algebra. I am going to sign her up for 6 months on the Aleks program. I have heard a lot of good things about it.


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## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

Heartstrings said:


> My 12 yr old just got his test results back. Everything looks good Except his Math scores. He's going into 7th grade and unfortunately he's testing out as early 6th grade. It seems as though he can do the work at home but then when tested he couldn't remember anything he'd learned. What do you like for remedial math work at the 6th - 7th level? Thank you!!


Well, I don't think I have enough information to be of help. What specific sub-headings on the test brought his scores down, do you know, or can you find out? It could be as simple as his needing to really hammer math facts - not just +-/x, but also fraction conversion to decimals and percents, geometric formulas that apply to those grades and what have you. Sometimes a child will have a stress reaction, and be unable to remember processes in math because they are having to work to hard at computation. If you remove the computation road block, they can remember the steps to solving the problem. Other times it is gaps in knowledge - for example, they just do not know how to do certain types of problems. The other thing that might be tripping them up is not having a grasp of math vocabulary, and therefore not understanding exactly what the problem is asking. Sum, difference, dividend, common denomiator, common factor, greatest common factor... those things can cause a kid trouble in math - just remembering terms. Without further information, it's hard to make suggestions. 

Aleks is not a bad idea, though, because it is CAT based, so the assessment will tell you what types of problems your child has mastered and what types they need to work on. However, for a kid who is not very intuitive about math, you may need to generate worksheets on problem areas (which you can do from the parent page) so that they can have lots of repetitive practice. The program it's self does not give that repetition (as might be helpful to a child having retention problems) unless you tell it to. Or you can supplement with another math program based on the information in the assessment. (But I think it would be easier if you just generated the worksheets.) 

Well, good luck to you. I hope that is helpful. 

Cindyc.


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## BlueberryChick (May 12, 2008)

I may have just missed this, but do you homeschool? If not, I can't be much help. If so, here's what helped us.

My daughter had some trouble with math and, although I'm not a huge fan of Saxon math, it worked for her. Her scores came up to grade level within a year.


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

Is the problem basic computation skills (adding, carrying, subtracting, borrowing, etc) or is it recalling order of operations, formulae, etc? You don't give enough information to be able to help give specific suggestions.


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

If you do need to do some remedial work, consider Math U See. The program levels are according to Greek letters, so no one knows whether they are doing 5th, 6th, or 7th grade math unless they sit down and recall all the letters and count the levels. That way the child doesn't feel "stupid" about having to cover some ground a second time.

We have used MUS for the last 3 years and are very pleased with it. I believe the so-called 7th grade level is their pre-algebra, but they have an online placement test to determine which level to start with. HTH


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## Jakk (Aug 14, 2008)

My younger daughter is using the Math U See and I have been really impressed.


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## spencerschool (Apr 30, 2009)

We use Teaching Textbooks for Math. We love it and it is so easily understood by all of our children.


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## Jakk (Aug 14, 2008)

I typed earlier on that we were signing up for Aleks. Well, that didnt work well for us. I bought Teaching Textbooks and its AMAZING. I cannot say enough about it. I found it used on Ebay and I will never use another math program lol.. We went from sitting with our daughter going through EVERY SINGLE problem to her doing it on her own with 95-100% success on each lesson.


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## okgoatgal2 (May 28, 2002)

i don't know how it would work for individuals, but study island is an online program that works well. if a child doesn't pass the level they "should" be at, it drops them down to the next lower building block and so on until the get to the level they are currently at. when they master that, they move back up. www.studyisland.com we use it at my school and have had some improvement in skills and scores with it.


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## Pigeon Lady (Apr 4, 2004)

Isn't it amazing how one thing works for one child and not for another. Our son absolutely loves ALEKS. He's made fantastic progress after getting a bit behind and frustrated in math last year.

okgoatgal, is Study Island just for schools or can homeschoolers use it too?


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## okgoatgal2 (May 28, 2002)

dunno. that's why i said i wasn't sure how it would work for an individual. try it and see. they have all subject areas that are mandated to be state tested. reading, math, science, etc.


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