Today I worked with an elementary age child who struggled with tears part of the time. This child is trying and he is going to fail anyway. He just cannot keep up. He wants so much to learn and pass.
He is behind most of the other students in his class in his times tables. Therefore he does not understand much of his math lessons that the other students are doing. The work he has to do for schoolwork is the same as the other students. He is not ready for the work as his foundation is weak.
He is so overloaded with trying to understand what the teacher has taught him that he was too tired to understand a different way to learn the material. That is the way the teacher said to do the work. Something must be wrong with him if he cannot understand the work the way she taught the material.
He has a good and caring teacher so something must be wrong with him. He has caring parents and grandparents. He also struggles with reading.
My heart hurts as I write this. It hurts me to see someone hurt when they are trying as hard as this student and his family are trying. Can I help? One of the things this child needs is time and he does not have the time. The state tests are coming and if he fails the tests he will fail. If he is passed will he just struggle next year also.
We worked on the balance boards and on some basic skills. The child was so concerned about his homework that we stopped and worked on it. He does not understand math families. I think he understood his reading and gave his family member who came with him some ideas on how to help him with math at home also.
I will share a plan to help him with my next post. I have to work on a plan first.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Balance board learning, and trimonials
The student I last posted about on March 10 came and asked for more help in math. I am excited she asked before her grade fell. She is having trouble with trinomials and binomials. When we were working on the balance boards, she was struggling with her balance so she will come for a few times for help with the math but also to work on the balance boards. The balance boards are much of the foundation of my tutoring because if a child has to work to balance their body, it takes away from the energy they have to learn.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Spelling
Most if not all grammar books and spelling books teach spelling by putting in questions asking which spelling is correct. This is not helpful for a child learning to spell or having difficulty with spelling. When teaching a struggling speller, these questions should be done together before the lesson is given to the student. This will help prevent more spelling confusion for a struggling learner.
Monday, March 24, 2014
My first fraction tools for beginning fractions
Often parents do not realize they are welcome in stores they think are for teachers only. Some of these in Tulsa are Mardel's, The Apple Tree Inc at 7204 E 41st St, The Learning Shop at 116 S Yale Ave. and others. A used educational bookstore is BiblioMania at 21 and 129th.
The first fraction tiles or tools I use are about 10 dollars new and they are called fraction circles. They have a set with one whole circle, two halves, three thirds, 4 fourths, 5 fifths and 6 sixths. I have several sets as I often need several to illustrate a mixed fraction number. They can be plastic or foam. I let young students play with them.
Usually parents will tell their children not to play with them. I want them to play with them because they learn while playing. I let preschoolers play with them because then they will like fractional parts.
Let them see which ones can divide evenly and which one do not divide evenly. They can also see which pieces are bigger than the other pieces. I am constantly reminding them that it takes all the 5th pieces to make a whole. All the 4th pieces to make a whole and so on.
When students are familiar with the pieces it is easier to add and subtract fractions. It is also easier to understand how to add 1/4 to 1/2 and on and on.
I will describe the next fraction tool tomorrow.
The first fraction tiles or tools I use are about 10 dollars new and they are called fraction circles. They have a set with one whole circle, two halves, three thirds, 4 fourths, 5 fifths and 6 sixths. I have several sets as I often need several to illustrate a mixed fraction number. They can be plastic or foam. I let young students play with them.
Usually parents will tell their children not to play with them. I want them to play with them because they learn while playing. I let preschoolers play with them because then they will like fractional parts.
Let them see which ones can divide evenly and which one do not divide evenly. They can also see which pieces are bigger than the other pieces. I am constantly reminding them that it takes all the 5th pieces to make a whole. All the 4th pieces to make a whole and so on.
When students are familiar with the pieces it is easier to add and subtract fractions. It is also easier to understand how to add 1/4 to 1/2 and on and on.
I will describe the next fraction tool tomorrow.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Why Are Fractions so Hard?
Why are fractions so hard? Why are fractions so scary? Why are fractions so difficult? The following is my opinion and I am sure there are other components for some people.
We spend a lot of time teaching a child to count and count in the 1, 2, 3, 4, type order.
Often we do this without even realizing we are teaching. We teach which number is bigger. We say things like, "You are big enough or smart enough to know 6 is bigger than 5."
Since we know 8 is larger than 7 it would appear that 1/8 should be larger than 1/7. When fractions are taught using fraction pieces and the student realizes fractions are pieces instead of wholes, fractions can become their friend.
Next fractions have many different rules.
1. When adding or subtracting fractions the bottom, (denominator) number stays the same. Then you teach addition and subtracting fractions with different denominators. At this point there is often confusion.
2. However when you multiply fractions the top number is multiplied by the top number and the bottom number is also multiplied by the other bottom number.
3. To divide a fraction is easy as pie, just flip one over and multiply.
Fractions are one of my favorite things to tutor. Fractions are very important in our lives.
In the next few posts, I will share what I use to teach fractions. My husband calls them frictions because some people think they cause so much friction in their lives.
We spend a lot of time teaching a child to count and count in the 1, 2, 3, 4, type order.
Often we do this without even realizing we are teaching. We teach which number is bigger. We say things like, "You are big enough or smart enough to know 6 is bigger than 5."
Since we know 8 is larger than 7 it would appear that 1/8 should be larger than 1/7. When fractions are taught using fraction pieces and the student realizes fractions are pieces instead of wholes, fractions can become their friend.
Next fractions have many different rules.
1. When adding or subtracting fractions the bottom, (denominator) number stays the same. Then you teach addition and subtracting fractions with different denominators. At this point there is often confusion.
2. However when you multiply fractions the top number is multiplied by the top number and the bottom number is also multiplied by the other bottom number.
3. To divide a fraction is easy as pie, just flip one over and multiply.
Fractions are one of my favorite things to tutor. Fractions are very important in our lives.
In the next few posts, I will share what I use to teach fractions. My husband calls them frictions because some people think they cause so much friction in their lives.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Saxon Grammar book and Common Core Standards
Saxon Grammar books have a lot of information to teach. My grandson seems to learn well using the book. A friend asked me if I realized that the book did not meet common core standards. I did not realize this but since this child struggles with school, likes the book, and is learning from it; I will continue using it.
I would like to teach him the lesson, do the practice with him and let him do the 30 problems in the lesson by himself. This week, I was reminded that this child does not learn this way. He may answer the problems or skip them and finish the lesson but he does not retain what he needs to learn.
Therefore, I will circle the problems, he can learn by writing the answer and we will do the others orally. I need to make some concentration cards with the vocabulary words and wish I could buy them instead.
This is not about how I want to teach but it is how he learns.
I would like to teach him the lesson, do the practice with him and let him do the 30 problems in the lesson by himself. This week, I was reminded that this child does not learn this way. He may answer the problems or skip them and finish the lesson but he does not retain what he needs to learn.
Therefore, I will circle the problems, he can learn by writing the answer and we will do the others orally. I need to make some concentration cards with the vocabulary words and wish I could buy them instead.
This is not about how I want to teach but it is how he learns.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Head Full of Numbers
Another game I found at the Just Between Friends Sale is Head Full of Numbers. It is made by Learning Resources.
I do not like this game but I will play it and complain often to my grandson. I will tell him I do not like it. It is too hard. I have to think too much to play it. Another complaint is that he always wins. He really does win.
This game has a plastic head to use to roll 6 dice. I think the head is ugly. Each player writes down the 6 numbers on the dice and makes math problems from the 6 numbers.The one with the most math problems wins.
This will help with the basic math problems many students need to practice.
I will gladly use any game that will help my students learn. It is fun to have a game I can complain about that they can win.
I do not like this game but I will play it and complain often to my grandson. I will tell him I do not like it. It is too hard. I have to think too much to play it. Another complaint is that he always wins. He really does win.
This game has a plastic head to use to roll 6 dice. I think the head is ugly. Each player writes down the 6 numbers on the dice and makes math problems from the 6 numbers.The one with the most math problems wins.
This will help with the basic math problems many students need to practice.
I will gladly use any game that will help my students learn. It is fun to have a game I can complain about that they can win.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Common Core Standards
What is Common Core and why should I care? The standards can be read at www.corestandards.org.
Who would want to be handicapped by not being able to read or read effectively? Who wants to be cheated out of their own money because they cannot count it? The obvious answer is No One!
The problem is not with the standards but with the idea that all people can and should learn at the same rate and in the same way. Another problem is the idea that the government can and should control this.
I have one friend who teaches and tells me not to worry as the teaching methods are much the same as the ones I use successfully in tutoring. Another friend, who also teaches, is disgusted because the rules make it harder for her to teach successfully. A third friend who teaches Special Needs is having wonderful success with this. A fourth friend is ready to quit teaching because of the school politics caused by this kind of government confusion. All of these are good, successful teachers. Their students learn and score above average on the achievement tests.
Learning standards are good. We do not need to stifle students and teachers by saying they are wrong if they do not learn or teach the same way.
The best way I can explain some of the problems of using common core is like having one student in your class on crutches and requiring all the students to use crutches because one student needs crutches. Then when the student is well and no longer needs the crutches, the students are all still required to use crutches until graduation. This is because the people in authority who are making the rules cannot understand the crutches are no longer needed by the one student.
Just as we do not all wear the same size shoe, we do not all learn the same. I see this in my tutoring. The biggest problem I see in my tutoring is that when a student is successful they can fly on their own and I have to find another student.
Who would want to be handicapped by not being able to read or read effectively? Who wants to be cheated out of their own money because they cannot count it? The obvious answer is No One!
The problem is not with the standards but with the idea that all people can and should learn at the same rate and in the same way. Another problem is the idea that the government can and should control this.
I have one friend who teaches and tells me not to worry as the teaching methods are much the same as the ones I use successfully in tutoring. Another friend, who also teaches, is disgusted because the rules make it harder for her to teach successfully. A third friend who teaches Special Needs is having wonderful success with this. A fourth friend is ready to quit teaching because of the school politics caused by this kind of government confusion. All of these are good, successful teachers. Their students learn and score above average on the achievement tests.
Learning standards are good. We do not need to stifle students and teachers by saying they are wrong if they do not learn or teach the same way.
The best way I can explain some of the problems of using common core is like having one student in your class on crutches and requiring all the students to use crutches because one student needs crutches. Then when the student is well and no longer needs the crutches, the students are all still required to use crutches until graduation. This is because the people in authority who are making the rules cannot understand the crutches are no longer needed by the one student.
Just as we do not all wear the same size shoe, we do not all learn the same. I see this in my tutoring. The biggest problem I see in my tutoring is that when a student is successful they can fly on their own and I have to find another student.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Fraction Dominoes
I gave my grandson a fraction test and was pleased with how well he did. The test showed me that he needed help with converting fractions from 1/2 to 4/8 type problems. I went to the Just Between Friends Sale and found a game called Fraction Dominoes by Creative Teaching Associates copyrighted 2003.
The game is wonderful. It is made out of heavy pieces of paper like the memory cards sold by Milton. One end has a fraction number like 1/6 and the other end has a graphic display with red and black patterns. The red is the numerator and the black is the denominator. There are two 6 sided disks that are placed in the middle to begin the play. One of the disks is easier than the other one and uses less dominoes also.
To start the play we draw 6 dominoes each and place them face up so we can help each other. As we learn to play we do not share what dominoes we get. This is a wonderful game that I can use with other students.
The game is wonderful. It is made out of heavy pieces of paper like the memory cards sold by Milton. One end has a fraction number like 1/6 and the other end has a graphic display with red and black patterns. The red is the numerator and the black is the denominator. There are two 6 sided disks that are placed in the middle to begin the play. One of the disks is easier than the other one and uses less dominoes also.
To start the play we draw 6 dominoes each and place them face up so we can help each other. As we learn to play we do not share what dominoes we get. This is a wonderful game that I can use with other students.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Fractions again
I homeschool a grandson who struggles in school. Yesterday, he appeared to be goofing off. He truly does goof off much of the time. This developed in formal school when he fell behind because of diagnosed dyslexia. This has gotten better as we are working with Dyslexia Education Association of R's (DEAR) to overcome the Dyslexia. Now we are working on regaining his love of learning.
I had presented the fractions and thought he understood what I taught. He was playing with the fraction manipulative. I encourage this. What I did not realize; was that he did not know how to use them. Today we switched to using money as manipulative. He understands the fraction concept of converting fractions to the same denominator in order to add them. Tomorrow we will work on this again as by tomorrow he may not remember them. This may take us a week or two or six. Tomorrow we will use the money and the fraction manipulative to see if he can transfer money to other manipulative.
Yesterday, I grew impatient because I missed that he did not understand what I had taught. Just because I taught it did not mean he learned or understood it.
I had presented the fractions and thought he understood what I taught. He was playing with the fraction manipulative. I encourage this. What I did not realize; was that he did not know how to use them. Today we switched to using money as manipulative. He understands the fraction concept of converting fractions to the same denominator in order to add them. Tomorrow we will work on this again as by tomorrow he may not remember them. This may take us a week or two or six. Tomorrow we will use the money and the fraction manipulative to see if he can transfer money to other manipulative.
Yesterday, I grew impatient because I missed that he did not understand what I had taught. Just because I taught it did not mean he learned or understood it.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Ideas I use to help people learn
My goal with this blog is to share learning ideas that others may use that I use or see others use that work for us and hopefully will work for you. Each day I hope to share a game or idea that I have found to be useful.
Above and Beyond Learning Center
My friend, Carol, brought me an article from the Charlotte Observer. It was about the Above and Beyond Learning Center.
I am sharing this article with everyone I can. Too many students need the kind of help Carmen Blackmon is giving the students where her children go to school. I passed this out to other Friends of the Library groups at the Cotta training. I do not have the strength to do what Ms. Blackmon has done but someone else does and eventually they will see her idea and be able to help others. I also volunteered to talk at their groups to share how I tutor.
I am sharing this article with everyone I can. Too many students need the kind of help Carmen Blackmon is giving the students where her children go to school. I passed this out to other Friends of the Library groups at the Cotta training. I do not have the strength to do what Ms. Blackmon has done but someone else does and eventually they will see her idea and be able to help others. I also volunteered to talk at their groups to share how I tutor.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
When is 79 a good grade?
When I was telling the student is the previous post that 79 was not a good grade, my son smiled and said when he was in college he thought 79 was a great grade because it was possible he could pull it up to a B.
He is an individual with dyslexia and he works hard to get his grades so yes 79 is a good grade for him.
He is an individual with dyslexia and he works hard to get his grades so yes 79 is a good grade for him.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Tutoring is more than doing your homework.
Ted and I recently worked with a former student. When she was in third grade she needed help with reading. She and I worked together and her reading came up. She now makes A's and B's and does well in school. She has a strong family support system. I was at her aunt's house and happened to ask about her grades. She was struggling in Math. We set up a tutoring session and Ted and I worked for two and a half hours with her. This is too long but she was close to having an F. We took breaks on the balance boards when she became tired. When she took the test she made an A on it. One happy student and tutor.
I encouraged her to share the information with her friends at school. I also told her she needed to come back as there was something she still needed to work on but I was not sure what it was. She agreed to come the next week.
The next week she called and said she did not need to come as she understood the week's lesson and did not have any homework. I was tired and she was tired so I agreed to have her come the next week. The next week she again did not have homework and did not come. I talked to her Dad and explained she needed to come and let me check her fractions. I thought she had a problem with fractions but had not had time to find out the last time she came. She agreed to come.
The day she was supposed to come she called and asked if she needed to come as she did not have any homework. I insisted she come. I think she thought she was going to have to work for another two and a half hours. She was pleased her grade was a 79. I told her that 79 was not a good grade for her. She said it was a lot better than a 62. I agreed it was that I was proud of her for bringing up her grade, but 79 was still not a good grade for her.
As I started checking her fraction knowledge, she understood most of the fractions. I was pleased with her knowledge. When we started the multiply and divide parts, we found the problem. She was only multiplying the top numbers of the fractions and also did not know how to divide.
She told me she thought she was just making a mistake when she missed these kinds of problems on the test. There were usually only 2 or 3 of them on the test and her grade was still acceptable to her when she missed them. Once she understood multiplying and dividing, we were finished with tutoring. Tutoring only took 45 minutes this time. Her happy smile lit up the room that we were finished.
A few days later, when I saw her, she was jumping up and down with excitement. Her grade is now a B She is no longer grounded and has her cell phone back. One reason tutoring this child is so important to me is because she loves to share what she knows with others. She will help the others in her class who are struggling. She is a natural teacher regardless of if she decides to go into the teaching field as an adult or not.
I encouraged her to share the information with her friends at school. I also told her she needed to come back as there was something she still needed to work on but I was not sure what it was. She agreed to come the next week.
The next week she called and said she did not need to come as she understood the week's lesson and did not have any homework. I was tired and she was tired so I agreed to have her come the next week. The next week she again did not have homework and did not come. I talked to her Dad and explained she needed to come and let me check her fractions. I thought she had a problem with fractions but had not had time to find out the last time she came. She agreed to come.
The day she was supposed to come she called and asked if she needed to come as she did not have any homework. I insisted she come. I think she thought she was going to have to work for another two and a half hours. She was pleased her grade was a 79. I told her that 79 was not a good grade for her. She said it was a lot better than a 62. I agreed it was that I was proud of her for bringing up her grade, but 79 was still not a good grade for her.
As I started checking her fraction knowledge, she understood most of the fractions. I was pleased with her knowledge. When we started the multiply and divide parts, we found the problem. She was only multiplying the top numbers of the fractions and also did not know how to divide.
She told me she thought she was just making a mistake when she missed these kinds of problems on the test. There were usually only 2 or 3 of them on the test and her grade was still acceptable to her when she missed them. Once she understood multiplying and dividing, we were finished with tutoring. Tutoring only took 45 minutes this time. Her happy smile lit up the room that we were finished.
A few days later, when I saw her, she was jumping up and down with excitement. Her grade is now a B She is no longer grounded and has her cell phone back. One reason tutoring this child is so important to me is because she loves to share what she knows with others. She will help the others in her class who are struggling. She is a natural teacher regardless of if she decides to go into the teaching field as an adult or not.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Please stop touching things and leave that alone
I was reminded again today that I am human. I am teaching a child who is a kinesthetic learner. He needs to move to learn. He even needs to talk to learn. My friend, Jackie L. has a daughter who learns like this. Her daughter one time told her I just want to learn like my sister and then go play. Jackie wisely told her daughter that the sister thought this daughter played all the time instead of learning because this daughter needed to move and act things out to learn. Her daughter replied, "I still would like to just go play."
Why or When did you start tutoring?
This is a question I was asked by my computer teacher at Northwest Technology Center. It made me stop.
I do not think anyone has ever asked that I noticed. Jennifer asked in such a way that it made me think.
Tutoring makes me come alive. Tutoring makes the learner come alive. Learners that have felt they cannot learn something and find they can; change the world for a better place. I can change one little corner of my world by helping someone learn fractions. I enjoy reading so much, I want everyone to enjoy reading.
I love sharing things and I love to learn new things. This is some of the why I tutor.
I do not think anyone has ever asked that I noticed. Jennifer asked in such a way that it made me think.
Tutoring makes me come alive. Tutoring makes the learner come alive. Learners that have felt they cannot learn something and find they can; change the world for a better place. I can change one little corner of my world by helping someone learn fractions. I enjoy reading so much, I want everyone to enjoy reading.
I love sharing things and I love to learn new things. This is some of the why I tutor.
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