The Friday before last week, in the Friday folder that had the awesome report card, Bayleigh brought home a Math test that she earned a 50%--U on. You know what that means...this 9 weeks begins with a 50% grade. I was NOT happy to say the least. I didn't yell at her or get mad, but I did let her know that it is unacceptable and that it is NOT OK to bring home grades like that.
So, then this past week--STRUGGLES! She simply did not understand the subject of One and Ten Spots. I ended up on Thursday working with her from the time she got home from school until 9:30 with the exception of 2.5 hrs that we took her to gymnastics. I also placed a call to her teacher before she left the school because I had no clue how to teach her. I didn't know what to say or how to explain it at all. My vocabulary was clearly not what the teacher was using. Bayleigh was frustrated with me and I was beyond frustrated with her as well. Luckily, her teacher was VERY understanding and even finished my sentence when I said, Mrs. Linder, this math homework...she said it's hard! Yeah! She helped me explain it and gave me some tips to remind Bayleigh of and even pointed out to me where she was struggling--which was a great start for me because I had no idea what she was doing. Ends up...the topic is Ones and Tens spots and Bayleigh was wanted to add ones and/or tens to both spots when it just needed to be in just one or the other depending on the question. I could tell from her paper in the Friday folder the following day that she did much better, but knowing Bayleigh--I could tell she still just didn't get it. It wasn't "clicking for her". UGH!
So, this weekend we did math. And, it's MLK Day so there was no school today and we hit it again today. While talking to one of my BFF's, I told her of our issue and she pointed me to this site she found on pinterest.com. Click HERE to go to the exact blog page if you want to. Score! FINALLY! A hands on tool that actually helped! THANK YOU FRIEND!!! <3!
I have to tell you--watching Bayleigh learn tonight has brought on a wave of emotion that I am kind of surprised by. I am seriously overwhelmed with pride! With Bayleigh, it's always just seemed as if she just wakes up and KNOWS things. She is the type that catches on very quickly and just "gets" it. You know what I mean? I am sure that this just fueled her own frustrations when she wasn't getting the ones and tens spot lessons.
Now on to the trick...the tool...
It calls for styrofoam cups, but I only had solo cups, so I put a piece of tissue paper in the bottom of one to keep them from collapsing into the other.
What you do is...
1. On two, (3 if you do the hundred's spot too), cups--along the top rim where you drink write the numbers 0-9.
2. Place the cups into each other with the open end or the part with the numbers facing your left hand when looking at them.
3. The cup on the outside--the numbers on the right are the One's spot.
4. The cup on the inside--the numbers on the left are the Ten's spot.
5. Twist the cups to create a two digit number. Example 71.
6. Ask the question What's One More Than 71? At this time, the child will know that he or she must turn the ones cup up one number to equal 72.
7. Have the child reset the cups to 71. Then ask, What's One Less than 71? At this time, the child will know that he or she must turn the ones cup down one number to equal 72.
8. Have the child reset the cups to 71. Then ask, What's Ten More than 71? At this time, the child will know that he or she must turn the Tens cup up one number to equal 81.
9. Have the child reset the cups to 71. Then ask, What's Ten Less than 71? At this time, the child will know that he or she must turn the Tens cup down one number to equal 61.
**On a side note, if you click the link above to go to the ladies blog where I found the tutorial...she used the styrofoam cups that have the rims that prevent the cups from collapsing into each other AND she used different color pens for the Ones, Tens, and Hundreds spots. Great idea!
Here shows what the outside of the tens cup looks like too. The 0's are hidden on the inside of the ones cup when you line the numbers up as you can see in the previous picture.
This tool worked great for Bayleigh and I was even able to ask her several numbers in a row and she gave the correct answers without the cups! SHE OVERCAME HER STRUGGLES! I watched her learn and be so proud of herself right in front of my eyes...it didn't happen over night while she was sleeping! Heeeheeeheee!
I am SO incredibly thankful to the author of that blog for showing us mommies the tools that worked for her. I hope that should another mommy somewhere, someday need these tools she too will stumble across my blog and find herself completely proud of watching her child learn as well. (This goes for daddies too of course)! Next week's lesson is similar except they are using a Hundred's chart to get the answers...Wish us luck!
*Double Click To Read The Fine Print*
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