A little bit of light...on Math.

Despite knowing the problems that Mark is having in Math, none of the alternatives I was trying were doing any good.  I think, now, that part of the problem was that I was using the same techniques that were being used at school - manipulatives, cards, dittos.  Mark was responding the same way he did for school.  He expected everything to be HOH, and he expected me to tell him when to stop adding manipulatives.

Well, this was severely frustrating.  So when another mom, Mary, suggested an alternative approach I decided to try it.  Her suggestion was Cuisenaire rods.  And since she was done using her set for her children, she offered them to me to try with Mark.  So I went digging on line just to find out what these rods were.  And that resulted in a DUH! smack to my head.  I did not have the rods but I did have two alternatives that I could use alongside the rods.  I have a set of rods done in inch segments (Cuisenaire rods are done in cm segments).  And I had snap blocks.  So I found both of those items last night.  And recolored the numbers on the rods.  And then today I picked up the Cuisenaire rods.

Now, the reason I still got the Cuisenaire rods is because there is a whole solid math system for teaching counting, addition, subtraction, division, multiplaction, etc.   If Mark responded positively to the rods, I would need the set to continue using them.

So this morning we sat down and did a very simple math session.  I put a number magnet on his board, and then I had him put the corresponding Cuisenaire rod above the number.  And a light came on in his eyes.  I don't think he's suddenly understood everything but I think he's made a connection that he hadn't made before.  He actually had fun doing math with me today.  We used snap blocks to count 1 to 5.  Then I took the blocks apart and had him give me a certain quantity.  We worked through 1 to 5.  He gave me 1 and 4 without any help at all.  And he did the others with only verbal reminders to check how many.  I did not tell him to stop.  Then we did 1 to 5 on his abacus. 

So, if this continues to improve, then I'll probably follow the Miquon math curriculum.  And I'll work separately to get him to transfer his counting skills to other areas.

Oh, and yes, Mark has an abacus.  I took him to a local toy store that has every Melissa and Doug Toy in the catalog.  And he spent his valentine's money on an abacus.  You remember his love of bead toys, right?  And then I got him another set of the letter magnets so that we can get through spelling words like "see".  And I still got grins and extra hugs.  I've got a happy, and tired, child tonight.