Sometimes, the kid just isn't up to doing a whole math lesson (or more likely, I'm not up to giving him one, since it's something of a battle).

On those nights, something like these math worksheet generators can come in very handy. There are a lot of these generators around, but this one is very configurable; you can set the number of columns and rows of problems, and the difficulty of the problem, and the numbers of significant digits in the solution, and so forth.

Give the kid a worksheet with a few problems on it, and let him get in a little practice. Resist the urge to give him more than 4 or 5 problems on a sheet; make them easy. The most important thing is to make every learning experience a success -- especially true if this is material he is already supposed to know how to do, and will be doing independently.

We especially found the sheets for fraction and decimal long division useful. That's a skill that just takes a lot of practice.


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Catherine here

I'm so glad Carolyn brought up Homeschoolmath.net. I've been meaning to write a post about them forever.

While you're at their site, take a look at their e-books.

I haven't ordered one of the books, only because I'm swimming in math books already, but they look terrific to me.

I've learned just from perusing them online.

For instance, I was trying to figure out whether, if multiplication is repeated addition, division is repeated subtraction. (Yes, I know. I'm embarrassed.)

Logically, it seemed to me that division had to be repeated subtraction.

But for some reason I couldn't 'see it.' (I don't think I was making the jump from the factor itself, which I was subtracting repeatedly from the dividend, to the number of those factors I could subtract. I can't explain it, but I still have trouble, conceptually, with factors versus number of factors . . . and how that relates to addition & subtraction.)

The little division e-book at Homeschoolmath.net had a crystal clear example & explanation that I have never forgotten.

The books teach the algorithms and explains why they work, with no opposition between those two goals -- and precious little discovery, as far as I can tell. Conceptual understanding is taught through direct instruction, and the text is structured (they say) to encourage children to ask questions.)

I just noticed that you can download the 'Mental Addition and Subtraction' e-book for free to take a look, so I'm going to do that.

Carolyn--sorry to jump into your post! I love this site!



FreeWorksheets

SummerSupplement
SummerSupplementTime
SummerSupplementTimePart2
SummerSupplementTimePart3
SummerSupplementTimePart4 (resources for kids who have fallen behind)
SummerSupplementTimePart5 (resources for preventing summer regression)

SaxonPlacementTestsAndGuides
SingaporeMathPlacementTest

TeachYourChildToTypeThisSummer

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