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NLD and math

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

PASSWORD>aa4um5Lp2CxdUA friend is trying to figure out how to help her daughter with math. She is 10yo. and is basically stuck at a first grade math level. The testing has shown that she has many of the characteristics of NLD, but not enough for a specific diagnosis. She is very strong verbally, but does not have good visual and spatial skills.They began homeschooling this year, and the little girl apparently really wants to improve in math, so she keeps trying, but without much success. The mother has been advised that she may just need to learn compensation skills because she may never progress in math, but it seems a shame to throw in the towel when she really wants to learn it.Any suggestions? I mentioned Touch Math and Teaching Addition Facts the Fun Way were programs that generally got good reviews from people who had used them. Anybody have any experience using these with NLD kids, or have other suggestions for her?Thanks,Jean

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 03/14/2001 - 5:00 AM

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A general suggestion: This takes some courage, but in my tutoring, nine times out of ten it’s the right thing to do. Back up to the beginning. Stop trying to push the kid from Grade 1 to Grade 2. Stop rushing her and stressing her. Go back to before she started to have trouble and work from where she is comfortable. A child who is stuck on Grade 1 math (adding and subtracting up to 9 + 9 and 18 - 9, counting to 100) probably got lost right at the beginning of Grade 1 or in kindergarten — probably is very unsure of counting and doesn’t really have a secure feeling of what a number is; probably is quite confused about what addition and subtraction mean and what is the difference between them. Drill in addition facts is just adding a huge layer of stress to an already difficult situation. And to count over 9, you need the base-10 system, and I will almost guarantee that this is where she is completely flummoxed and therefore afraid. Get some good beginner books — I had some success at one point with a series of workbooks form a Christian publisher, Alpha-Omega. And get an abacus with ten rows of ten beads to work on counting and base 10 in a concrete way. Then just tell the girl that you’re going to try a new system, starting right from the beginning so she will get it right this time. And take the time to work through every step concretely, with real objects. Yes, you spend a little time now. It’s time invested in the future; which is better, passing Grade 1 in two years, or failing Grade 2 three times? No guarantees, but most students catch up surprisingly quickly once they have some control over their learning.I’ll be happy to share specific ideas and materials; just email me.: A friend is trying to figure out how to help her daughter with math.
: She is 10yo. and is basically stuck at a first grade math level.
: The testing has shown that she has many of the characteristics of
: NLD, but not enough for a specific diagnosis. She is very strong
: verbally, but does not have good visual and spatial skills.: They began homeschooling this year, and the little girl apparently
: really wants to improve in math, so she keeps trying, but without
: much success. The mother has been advised that she may just need
: to learn compensation skills because she may never progress in
: math, but it seems a shame to throw in the towel when she really
: wants to learn it.: Any suggestions? I mentioned Touch Math and Teaching Addition Facts
: the Fun Way were programs that generally got good reviews from
: people who had used them. Anybody have any experience using these
: with NLD kids, or have other suggestions for her?: Thanks,: Jean

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 03/14/2001 - 5:00 AM

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PASSWORD>aa4um5Lp2CxdUThanks for your suggestions- the abacus is a great idea, and she probably should work with counting objects even before she starts work with addition. I had thought that she should go back to basic addition using manipulatives (I make my kids show me every problem they work using cubes about a zillion times, but they have a very solid foundation in math)I know you are looking for Ladybird books- have you checked ebay? There are a bunch of them for sale, but since I’m not familiar with that series I don’t know if they are the ones your looking for. Anyway, new things always pop up there, so it might be a good place for you to find them.Jean

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 03/14/2001 - 5:00 AM

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Haven’t tried ebay yet — thanks very much for the tip.I have tried some other online resources — Bibliofind, ABEbooks, Amazon, Amazon zshops, and Amazon auctions. I’m actually starting to get a fair collection in order; unfortunately the shipping costs are killing me; $2.92 for the book and $8.00 for the shipping. And some of them only ship UPS. Ouch. The budget is hitting bottom until I get some paying students to use the program with.In case anyone out there knows the Ladybird series, I’m looking for my basic basic intro reading program (and older basic basic math too):Ladybird Key Words 1a to 6a Ladybird Key Words 1b to 6b Ladybird Workbooks 1 to 6 Sunstart readers 1 to 6 Sunstart workbooks A, B, and C Ladybird Sounds and Pictures 1 through 6Ladybird Addition Made Easy (ONLY the Made Easy series) same Subtraction, Multiplication, Division Made EasyI’m also looking for some Canadian reading and math series, Copp-Clark Reading Development from 1950’s, Holt-Rinehart-Winston from 1980’s, Nelson reading from 1980’s,and Ginn “Arithmetic We Need” from 1960’s.Anyone who knows any good sources for used textbooks, I would be most happy to hear from you (although budget overextended for a while): Thanks for your suggestions- the abacus is a great idea, and she
: probably should work with counting objects even before she starts
: work with addition. I had thought that she should go back to basic
: addition using manipulatives (I make my kids show me every problem
: they work using cubes about a zillion times, but they have a very
: solid foundation in math): I know you are looking for Ladybird books- have you checked ebay?
: There are a bunch of them for sale, but since I’m not familiar
: with that series I don’t know if they are the ones your looking
: for. Anyway, new things always pop up there, so it might be a good
: place for you to find them.: Jean

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