My daughter does not want to do math?

Question

My daughter is having a hard time with math. she is seven and has a really hard time with subtraction problems. She does great with all her other work, but hates math. she cries, screams, rips up her math papers. how can I get her to relax about math. she says it is too hard, but when she calms down and does her work, she does a great job.

Answer 1

well my uncle ( who is now a lawyer) had trouble with math/. Im 14 by the way and i had trouble with math. It really helps if you put a dollar sign in front of questions. Its so much more fun that way cuz you thinking of it not Ohhhh MATHHHHHH kinda way but rather a real problem that you can actually use in life! and try teaching textbooks it a computer program thast easy and fun for a young kid!

Answer 2

be smarter than your seven year old, make math fun!

use buttons or beads of different colors  to teach addition and subtraction.

reward her when she does her math work

like have a jar, and every time she gets a certain grade on a paper (you set the grade) put a jellybean in the jar, then once its full, take her out for ice cream, or buy her a stuffed animal, anything you decide best for your family.

put her A papers on the fridge and tell her how smart she is.

make her proud of it, and she will want to do better!

good luck to you guys!!

Answer 3

Instead of doing math the 'conventional' way, slip it into everyday life.

EX: have her do cooking wih you where YOU read off the directions or measurments and she has to perform them and then figure out how much is 'left' to do--such as there are 12 steps to making these cookies, we have done 3, how many steps left?---and let it be mental math (not everything has to be written down).

When you go shopping take a list with you and have her keep track of the items on the list ----we started with 20 items, we've got 15, how many items do we still have to get?

<<Can you see where I'm going with this??>>>>

I use Ray's Arthimetic as the basis for our math and then spread out from there to whatever will work to help my daughter understand the particular concept we are working on.

We also play a game called 'Go Figure'. It is similar to playing 'Go Fish', just in math form and can be adapted to ANY math concept. You can either use regular playing cards or make your own cards out of  blank index cards......

  Parent (P): Do you have a 7-3

  Child (ch): Go Figure

     <<parent picks up a card form the extra pile>>>

  Ch: Do you have a  4-2

   P:  Yes <<and hands over card>>>

Like I said, it's played in the concept of 'Go Fish', just with number cards instead of picture cards and can be done for Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division (those are the levels my daughter has played at)....we are currently working out the kinks to Fractions , money skills and measurments.

My daughter is headed for the 4th grade and we have been homeschooling for close to 5 years now and yes I have held her back. She is really good in math and she blows us out of the water with her science skills and knowledge (she plans on being a Palentologist), can stand her ground when it comes to history and is finally emerging in her own on reading and decided (on her own) that she wanted to learn to speak French and German....and she's only 10.

   Nothing is done to perfection, but she tries and wherever she shows an interest, I'll be there to encourage.

Some children do better when they lead the education and some children do better to follow and some straddle the line--try to find out where your daughter is and then go from there, because it really does make the process less 'painful' for all.

Good Luck

Answer 4

Hmm...tough.

Try using cookies or something, like, if there are four oreos on the table and she takes away three, how many will be left...or something like that. I'm sorry, I'm not that imaginitive. Good luck with your daughter though! =)

Answer 5

Does she like addition? She may do better with 4+ ____ =6 because she may have got scared of the - sign by now.

Does she like making up stories? make flash cards have her make stories about it where in the end she has to have x amount of what ever left. Then she can flip the card and change the story to get the right answer. That way it will be easier to keep track of.

Do not worry about if she has a learning disability or not. Try everything you possibly can. We are going on our 10th math curriculum and countless activities. We've tried finally found one he likes. I know this because he did 10 extra lessons because it was fun.

It's not the type of math we wanted. We wanted one topic until mastery like Math-u-see. He likes more of a spiral like Singapore, which is not a true enough spiral for us to be okay with it.  When he gets older we'll focus on master of basics but right now it's more important.

Take the flash cards and she has to scream the answers before you can flip the card, so (Insert favorite relative name here)  can hear her. Tell that relative to complement her math skills or send an e-mail of what your doing to them so they know what answers they got right.

Answer 6

Two things that I know to work very well with children are flash-cards and maniputlatives.

If she has a pile of coins to count with and a stack of flashcards and a pencil and paper she will be empowered to learn and have fun doing it.

There are many ways to make flashcards work.

The most important thing is that she can understand the function and concepts.  By working out the equations with coins she will start to see the way it all works and once she develops an understanding she will be able to enjoy the process.

Answer 7

You should really losen up on her and often thats okay not to understand right away. She is only seven, many years left to grow, dont worry its a phase.

Answer 8

Sometimes kids (and parents) need to take a break from frustrating subjects.  I would back off for a few weeks.  Think about her learning style.  Is she visual/tactile?  Auditory?  Does she need lots of repetition?  

Think about your teaching.  Are you trying to get her to move through material at a certain pace so she can stay "on track?"  Are you patient or impatient?  Can you teach the same concept over and over until that light bulb comes on?

When you are both refreshed, come back to subtraction with some new teaching concepts.

Hang in there...my child had a terrible time with subtraction as well.  But it DID click and she has been fine ever since.

Answer 9

Consider finding another way to do it all, but most of all, find a way to reassure her and keep reassuring her that it's okay for things to be difficult. My son is 7, too, and has started the same sort of thing--total meltdown because he's convinced something's wrong in his work (in particular, math). I know he's capable and he's somehow just picked up on some perfectionism that he thinks incapable because it's difficult. He's slowly learning that it's okay for things to be difficult. I have been trying to point out often when I can't do something right away--I even work on a physics text on the side and I often can't do the questions and have to try several times--so when he sees that, it helps reassure him that it's okay to not understand, okay to have to erase and try again. It's too high of expectations that they place on themselves that causes such outburts, ime.

Just stay calm and reassuring and as soon as the 'fit' lets up a little bit, get her focused back on the task at hand, "So, how can we figure out...?" Don't punish, don't chastize her, just let her blow out her feelings. Although, when she's calmed, she should be talked to about ripping up papers--it's a wasteful way to express frustration. Come up with other ideas with her that she can use when she starts to feel that frustrated. My kids like to get a hug. :)

Answer 10

From what you said it sounds as If she understands how to do subtraction but does not have them memorized and she may just not want to be bothered with the process of counting it out to figure out the answers. (My son was like this and seemed frustrated at the process and time of doing it on paper or with an abacus because he couldn't do it in his head fast.)

The best thing to do is step away from the worksheets for a bit and make it fun for her. Espicailly with math some people need to learn it in a different way, and she won't be as stressed if it's disguised as fun. This will get her to do subtraction frequently and will develop her confidence and skills. Then when you reintorduce the worksheets she will find them mroe simple.

Play board games with her frequently where she will have to do math (any game with money in it will have subtracting for example.)

You can also search free computer game sites for math games. We think of computer games as a waste of time but there are many that can enhance their learning while they thinkt hey get a break from work.

I also like to do math with something sweet, such as jelly beans (they don't get melty when you do stuff with them), we will add some, and then give him a number to subtract from the pile. The ones he subtracts he gets to keep (and eat.)

Answer 11

try using jellybeans with math and then let her eat them afterwards

Answer 12

When my son is having a hard time with a concept or when a particular subject is getting especially frustrating, I take a break for a few weeks and usually when we come back to it, he flies through the material.  I think sometimes they need a little downtime to process everything.

You may want to take a break from book work and spend a few weeks on real life math.  Here are some ideas:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

Hang in there!

Answer 13

Try using objects to count with such as her favorite stuffed animals, candy (which you can let her eat when she's done), or you can even buy those counting bears that you can get from walmart.  She might be a visual kind of person and needs to be a little more hands on when it come to math.  Best of luck!

Answer 14

I agree with Dr Pepper Queen - it's likely either the curriculum doesn't match her learning style, or it could be that she's just not ready for it.  There really isn't anything wrong with putting it away for a while, and trying it with a different curriculum in a few months.  

I started my son out with Saxon (which is good, but doesn't match his learning style) and he actually became so frustrated and confused that he lost his math facts - like couldn't remember anything more complex than 2 + 3.  It just didn't "click".  I chucked the Saxon (read: sold) and tried Math U See, which worked like a charm.  He went through 5 levels in 18 months, and is now 10 and in algebra.  He can totally do it, it just needs to be presented to him in a way he understands.

It's not you, and it's not that she can't do math - it's either that she needs it presented in a different way or that she isn't developmentally ready to move on in it yet.  Both are easily dealt with - either find a curriculum that matches her style or hold off for a few months :)  In the meantime, there are lots of fun math games that you can hone her skills with - M&M math, Skittles probability (my son loved this one - graph the colors of a bag of Skittles a day for a week, compare the results), cooking to learn fractions and addition/subtraction, etc.  Just find a way to make it something that she latches onto, and she'll do fine.  :)

Answer 15

try to make practical applications for math because that is what learning math is eventually for. Some great ones would be cooking measurements and helping calculate shopping bills. Here is an example: give your daughter an allowance, but only allow her to keep getting it if she keeps a record of her spendings.

Answer 16

The premise of NCLB is that all children can learn but not all people can teach. You did not indicate if you were the teacher. If she thinks it is too hard then I can only fault the instruction. If you have a profound understanding of fundamental math ( Liping Ma "Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics" ) then you will know there are many ways to approach a math problem to lessen the frustration.

If she has to calm down to get the lesson then I think you should try another technique- let someone else teach her math.

Answer 17

Does the curriculum you're using match her learning style?  If not, then either change, or try to adapt what you have to her style.  If she needs hands-on materials to learn, then use those.  Use M&M's candy for addition, subtraction, and things like charts.  They're great for probability, too.

Another thought, and this may sound *weird* is that it might be too easy for her.  My son is like that if something is too easy.  It's a common trait in gifted kids.

Not to scare you off, but there are some learning disabilities such as "dyscalculia" that can be an issue.  It's like dyslexia, but for math, not reading.

Are you also making her do a lot of "busywork" in math, or trying the "school at home" approach?  If so, you may need to "think outside the box" a bit.  Make a huge number line on a shower curtain liner w/ permanent markers.  Have her jump on the numbers for her answer.  Or play "math hopscotch".  Have her do problems in sand on a jelly-roll pan, or with shaving cream on a shower wall.  Try dry erase markers on a mirror or window or sliding glass door.  These are all very helpful if she's a hands-on learner.  They can also help very visual learners.

Just some random thoughts off the top of my head.

Answer 18

Go to coolmath.com and read the math lessons there, and then try to do the same with your daughter. That site makes it extremely easy to learn math.

And don't just sit there and be like, "Okay, this is what we have to do.." If you're different about it, she will be too. Say things like, "This will be super fun!" And try making it that way. Use jelly beans or smarties, something like that.

Answer 19

It sounds like the approach and / or curriculum you are using isn not working for her.  Perhaps you need something more hands on, like Miquon or Math U See.

If you want to continue with what you are doing now, at leas provide her with objects to do the subtraction with for now, and in the mean time work on just a few facts at a time.

There are also tricks you can teach her about subtraction, for example if you start from the smaller number and count up to the larger, you get the difference.  (For example, in the problem  9-5=?, she can start with five and see how many more she needs to get to nine, so she counts up from 5, "six, seven, eight, nine", and finds that she needs 4 more, therefore the answer is 4).

There are many ways to make it easier and more fun, just realize that 7 isn't the end of line for math skills, many kids grasp very little until they are 9 or 10 years old, just keep working a little each day, and let her use objects so she can truly understand what she is doing.

Answer 20

Try a tutoring program (i.e. Silvan) and see if she does better with that. If not she may have some kind of learning issue. If she does fine, then she may need a different teacher. Math is hard for some while English is hard for others, for those people I would recommend a strong teacher. Try doing MATH first thing in the day before she becomes stressed and tired. Avoid right before lunch or at the end of the day. Put on some Mozart and leave her alone to work on it instead of standing over her and "assisting". You might already be doing those things, but if you aren't try them. I was homeschooled, and REALLY struggled in math. It took years to catch up, and at times I still come across things I should know as an adult. I hope you can get this wagon fixed pretty quick. She HAS to be able to subtract and add. Those are the basics. If she "fails" this year because of it, it's ok. That way she can do it again, maybe after she matures a bit more too. There's hope.