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Tips for Teaching Math to Your First Grader

Glammie

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I need help. My son is really good at reading. Literally in the first grade reading 100 page chapter books EASILY.

But he struggles with math. And the struggle makes him not like math and not want to try unless I make him.

Now, he is doing fine with the math the teacher assigns but that honestly seems to be super easy, simple math. It’s not challenging enough in my opinion.

What can I do to help him learn math or at least get it more easily? Or am I doing too much? Should I just be happy that he’s doing just fine in school? I really want him to excel academically. I did as a child (and adult) so it’s just kind of mind-boggling.

I could just leave him alone and hope he catches on eventually. I have had to that in the past. Even with reading, he didn’t seem interested initially but then by the first month of kindergarten he grasped it and shot so far ahead with his reading skills. Sometimes I wonder if I’m stressing about things for nothing and should let him develop at his own pace.

But so many black children are behind and I don’t want my son to be one of them. Plus, pre-pandemic once he grasped the concepts he would turn around and help the other black kids in class who were struggling (my son is naturally a kind-hearted, nurturing person).

Any tips would be much appreciated.
 

Lexonfiyah

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I think you should definitely go the extra mile to help him early on. I’ve notified that a lot of us that excel in Reading/English don’t necessarily won’t necessarily do so well in math and visa/versa.

Math games are a good idea. My moms used to give me dry beans and help me count them. Maybe you could buy or make him some flash cards that he keeps with him. When you go out you could make it fun with him and help him to figure out everyday math problems. Maybe try using legos or marbles in math with him.

Edit: Teach him how to do 2nd grade math if the 1st grade math is too easy.
 
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Help him build his computational skills by memorizing math facts. I taught math in high school for years and could never get over how my students could access higher level math concepts but their computational skills were so low.
 

Alchimista

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I think it's a great thing that you are giving him the tools he needs to excel. There is nothing wrong with teaching kids to do better in things that come harder.

Have you tried, changing his mindset about math? If it comes harder for him, he might be primed to dislike it or get discouraged. Maybe you could teach him to love the challenge of solving a problem/issue and see it as something fun, and not a struggle.

Math is also something that is so tied to the real word, find ways to make it less abstract, link applications to the world around him.

There are great videos on Youtube on teaching kids to love math.

If you are a reader, I also suggest the book Mindset by Carole Dweck, great chapter on learning for kids and adults.
 

Edison

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I need help. My son is really good at reading. Literally in the first grade reading 100 page chapter books EASILY.

But he struggles with math. And the struggle makes him not like math and not want to try unless I make him.

Now, he is doing fine with the math the teacher assigns but that honestly seems to be super easy, simple math. It’s not challenging enough in my opinion.

What can I do to help him learn math or at least get it more easily? Or am I doing too much? Should I just be happy that he’s doing just fine in school? I really want him to excel academically. I did as a child (and adult) so it’s just kind of mind-boggling.

I could just leave him alone and hope he catches on eventually. I have had to that in the past. Even with reading, he didn’t seem interested initially but then by the first month of kindergarten he grasped it and shot so far ahead with his reading skills. Sometimes I wonder if I’m stressing about things for nothing and should let him develop at his own pace.

But so many black children are behind and I don’t want my son to be one of them. Plus, pre-pandemic once he grasped the concepts he would turn around and help the other black kids in class who were struggling (my son is naturally a kind-hearted, nurturing person).

Any tips would be much appreciated.

What 1st grade math concept is too difficult for him to understand? Geometry? adding/ subtracting two digit numbers with regrouping? Word problems, etc.
 

Poodle

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Mine are super young, but I second math games and riddles. Manipulatives can be fun too, especially if your child is more of a kinesthetic learner. I’m looking for abacus classes in our area right now because I fully believe in exposing them to all the different ways to learn.

Maybe, once a month y’all can also do scavenger hunts where math is featured heavily in the hints?

And your son may be too smart for this, but I will purposely give the wrong answers to my daughter because she LOVES to “teach” me. She hasn’t caught on to our reverse psychology yet. We only implemented it because she doesn’t like answering questions directly sometimes, but if I say 3+2 = 8, she’ll look at me crazy, take a moment, then say, “No, mamma, 3 + 2 = 5 silly! let me show you!” Then she’ll hold up her fingers to illustrate why it’s 5 and not 8, lol.
 

KieraMonae

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Tutoring, trying to incorporate math into everyday life to make it more fun/appealing, workbooks, math games maybe also asking his teacher for resources related to what he/she is planning curriculum-wise.
 

Renilla

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With mine I did khan academy, some outschool online classes. Also I got BrainQuest books from Costco. I did all this last summer before he started first grade. For my son he hated the workbooks, I only had him two pages or three everyday. Maximum 10 mins. But really like outschool and khan academy.
 

Mirabilia

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Hire a Japanese tutor or a tutor learned in the quadrivium. They will make math come to life like no other without dumbing down the subject.

Also, a good tutor will not only identify the weaknesses your child have but will teach them according to their learning style. Strength in math is a big advantage, so props to you for caring.

Here's to your kid becoming the next great black scholar.
 

Renilla

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Tutoring, trying to incorporate math into everyday life to make it more fun/appealing, workbooks, math games maybe also asking his teacher for resources related to what he/she is planning curriculum-wise.
I agree we try and do “games” at home. My son learned how to count money/coins by doing a grocery game. Also got him his own measuring tape and turned it into a game of measuring different objects (incorporated how to collect data).
 

Glammie

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What 1st grade math concept is too difficult for him to understand? Geometry? adding/ subtracting two digit numbers with regrouping? Word problems, etc.
Girl, anything he doesn’t know is a struggle. Until he knows it. He acts like he’s too good to learn and everything should come easily. And he’s too good to count on his fingers. He acts like he can’t be bothered to use his fingers. So until he memorized the equation, it’s a drag.
 

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