maths problem

gubby

This question may have been asked here before but if it has I'm sorry. I wonder if anyone knows of any IRISH websites that help kids (7yrs) with maths. My granddaughter is finding it fairly hard to learn her maths. I think she is like me and just doesn't have a head for figures but I don't want her to end up like me and have it be a problem all her life. Surely, in this day and age there are easy ways (like games etc) that can help learn maths. I have goggled but all I get are American site and while they are ok they are not along the lines of what Irish schools teach and I don't want to totally confuse her with other methods. does anyone else have kids that tend to turn their numbers and letter the wrong way around? how did they solve that problem. I know my own kids did when they were small but eventually got the hang of it.

Abi

hi Gubby - have you considered using tutorial CD's. Im going to get one for my son. Hes not having any difficulty per se, but I want to keep his mind ticking over.

A good CD rom will help make it fun for your grand daughter. I've seen these spring up in the likes of Lidl at times. Also the likes of Easons or a good book shop will have them on a stand. This kind of thing here.

I cant speak of them myself, just an example.

Abi

This one here is an Irish site.

Does it have to be a website?

Shifty

Hiya, its not an Irish site but I have used this with my own children and found it good.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise

HTH

Deliverance

gubby wrote: »

This question may have been asked here before but if it has I'm sorry. I wonder if anyone knows of any IRISH websites that help kids (7yrs) with maths. My granddaughter is finding it fairly hard to learn her maths. I think she is like me and just doesn't have a head for figures but I don't want her to end up like me and have it be a problem all her life. Surely, in this day and age there are easy ways (like games etc) that can help learn maths. I have goggled but all I get are American site and while they are ok they are not along the lines of what Irish schools teach and I don't want to totally confuse her with other methods. does anyone else have kids that tend to turn their numbers and letter the wrong way around? how did they solve that problem. I know my own kids did when they were small but eventually got the hang of it.

You might try the 'Jo Jo in numberland' series:
http://www.brightminds.co.uk/Jojo-in-Numberland-Basic-Number-Skills-B7200.htm

It is a CD series, the first one teaches kids interactively the basic concepts of numbers and how they work up to a 100. There is also 'Piggy in numberland': http://www.learninginmotion.com/products/piggy_numberland/index.html

I did a pedagogical analysis and some research into 'Jo Jo' for a college project and would highly reccommend it as a very engaging entertaining animated instructional CD which is very appealing and instructive. My own daughter loved it even though it was above her age group, it is something which I will be using for when she is older though.

A lot of online e-learning stuff is not great at the moment and it is mostly american companies selling it, multimedia in this sense is only just taking off and e-learning as we know it online is mostly not very good to put it mildly. I'd not waste my time searching to much for an online solution as a result. Offline CD options are a better option at the mo, start with checking out some reviews of the reccommendations that I mentioned above to see for yourself. Good luck.

Weidii

Hi,

This isn't the advice you're looking for, but hear me out. If this maths problem persists for your granddaughter, don't be afraid to go and get her tested for a learning difficulty. I had alot of trouble with maths all through my life which I can now attribute to dyscalculia, or "maths dyslexia" as it is sometimes referred to.

Now I'm not at all the sort of person who wants to attribute every intillectual downfall to a learning difficulty, or to use it as an excuse, but if you catch dyscalculia early on she'll have better help with her maths throughout her school life. (not many people know about dyscalculia, but it is an official recognised LD)

I'll just point you towards http://www.dyscalculiaforum.com
They are a goldmine of information and have some excellent advice on tackling mathematics.

lisaree

kids in schools use http://www.rainforestmaths.com/. A problem with maths cds online maths etc is that they are 'abstract' and some children need to see and use concrete materials to make sense of anything.maybe buy a bag of marbles, cubes (ones that can be pushed together) etc. to help with problems, dont know what they are doing at that level, maybe weight (weighing scales), capacity (different containers and liquids) cant think of anything else.

snellers

Hi there, my neice had problems with her maths and started Kumon lessons. (she started Kumon at the age of about 8 but I believe can be sooner) You may want to investigate further what it is on the internet but basically it is a form of learning (from the Japanese) that is speed learning and repeat teaching for maths. Whilst my neice will never be the very best at maths she has a real firm grounding on all the basics now and they are helping her get through school brilliantly (she is now 14).

Kumon comprised of a weekly meet after school for a lesson along with a weeks worth of homework sheets (that the parent corrects). The child times the start of homework and indicates time finished. All these figures are plotted and the childs progress is monitored and adjusted as necessary. The homework wasn;t invasive and was not a lot however it was essential to complete daily (to help form the patterns of learning). Many people enroled their children on these courses even if they had no problems with maths as they were so good.

if any classes are available near you I would thoroughly recommend further investigation!!