Wierdness in dd's doing math

[BunnySlippers]

I brought this up in my other post, someone suggested I bring it up in a new thread to get some views and opinions...

A brief intro: dd is 6, 2 days ago showed some major intrest in worksheets. So I printed off a ton adn she and I have been happily going over them. Dd literally eating up all this new material. Yesterday I decided to add a subtraction sheet to the others and see if she could handle it..

this is just the copy and paste from other thread.
'I added some subtraction sheets to her 'workload' Im not sure what is going on there..but
1> she is writing all the answers backwards..Is that because this is a new skill?
All numbers for addition are still the right way.

2> she is awesome with numbers, but for example.. say the question is 9-5, she will read it out load as "nine subtract four is..", if the question is 5-1 she will read it as "Five subtract four is.." she is substituting the answer for the second number.
so she is getting the answer(and quickly)..but not reading the problem right.. and then sometimes if its a big one and she wants to use the abacus to double check, she will subtract the answer from the origional number..lol.
Is this also because it is a new skill? Is it a sign of dyslexia?
Do I just need to stop worrying? Point out she has the right answer already.


Today most of her numbers are the right way around, and she is using her fingers.

[stormborn]

<NAK a craaaabby wiggleworm>

That sounds very sharp! My 7 yo did some similar things and with her I just explained that the math probs are basically sentences and can only be 'rearranged' in certain ways. Then wrote her some that could be manipulated so she could do it 'MY WAY!".

[Marsupialmom]

2. I would tell her to slow down....I have explained to one of my children that her brain is a race car and it runs faster than her mouth (mommy's car). When she doesn't put the brakes on her mommy's car gets lost because it just can't keep up. Your dd is reading and computing faster than the mouth can work.

As for her numbers make sure she knows how to form the correctly.

I would also introduce a number line. When you add you go oneway when you subtract you go another way and why ORDER is important. If you start at 9 go backwards 4 spaces is different than going back five. Or if you start at 4 and go back 9. Yes you can introduce negative numbers.

[moominmamma]

Oh, she's brilliant. She's showing you that she understands something that many kids get through their entire primary careers without grasping -- that...

9-5=4
9-4=5
4+5=9 and
5+4=9

are all just different ways of looking at the same "number bond." In other words, they express that 4 and 5 are two different "parts" that go together to make up the "whole" 9.

She's got that "number sense" thing happening and it's fantastic. The process of representing it symbolically is much easier to teach than the number sense itself. In other words, she understands the math. She might need a little coaching to figure out how it's written symbolically. The whole idea that a "math question" is an balance around the equals sign and a mystery number on one side or the other that we have to try to figure out, and that each symbol has meaning which can be translated into words.

4 + __= 9 is "four plus 'what' is the same as nine?"
9 - 4 = __ is "the difference between nine and four is 'what'?"

She may not be ready to translate her brilliant mathematical knowledge into symbols, but if she's totally psyched by worksheets, I'm guessing she is ready. If so you might just giver her some practice and "reading questions" aloud ... without working the answer. In other words, getting slick at reading out

92 - 38 = ___

as "the difference between ninety-two and thirty-eight is what?" but not worrying about computing the answer. Or fun ones like

(Melissa) - (her mom) = ____

"The difference between Melissa and her mom is what?" (Her mom is bigger and doesn't like to play with Webkinz.)

(a mitten) + (a mitten) = ____

"A mitten and a mitten makes what?" (A pair of mittens, of course.)

Just some thoughts on helping her along if you think it would be helpful. I wouldn't worry about it at all, though.

Negative numbers, by all means, if she's interested. Practice counting backwards and forwards through zero. Play guessing games like "I'm thinking of a number that's one bigger than negative three." Get a Celsius thermometer and track winter weather. My 5yo has been really handy with negative numbers for a year now. Ever since she asked what grade she would be in if she were in school and one of her siblings told her "Grade Negative One." That sparked a huge interest.

Miranda

[Marsupialmom]

If you don't want her to use her fingers give her minipulatives.

But most people once they have grasp concepts the move past fingers.

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by moominmamma

She's got that "number sense" thing happening and it's fantastic.

That was my feeling. She knows the math but seems to perhaps have some misunderstanding about the way the questions themselves are being phrased. That part can be easily figured out with a little time. - Lillian

[BunnySlippers]

Originally Posted by Marsupialmom

If you don't want her to use her fingers give her minipulatives.

But most people once they have grasp concepts the move past fingers.

I think you missed the point of the thread The finger thing was just comment on the day after, I don't care what she she does, so long as I am doing the right thing for her


Anyway, an update..I think she has got it now.
She has slowed down reading the question as was suggested. So she reads the entire question before writing/saying her answer. Her answers are also written facing the right way today