Need help from BTDT parents.

[Mom31]

My second grader ds is gifted. As time goes on it becomes apparent he is even more gifted than we suspected. XH and I are both smart but ds blows us away. They are testing him now at school just quizzing him to see what he can do.

HE said they tested him on math. Subtraction, division and multiplication. I said how did you do? He said they said he did good. I had NO idea he could divide or multiply.

Neither of us have taught him this at all.... as I would have no clue how to teach it... ( math is a struggle for me)

HOW in the world does a 8 year old just KNOW how to multiply and divide? It excited me with just extra help what he could achieve.

I guess I am just looking for references I can read, books, websites etc to welcome me to the gifted world. I don't want to shortchange my son since I am not at his level.... I feel like I need to catch up to him!

Thanks for reading.

[serenbat]

I had NO idea he could divide or multiply.

Neither of us have taught him this at all.... as I would have no clue how to teach it... 

it's the same as having a two year old that is reading!

start by reading thought this section & welcome!

[whatsnextmom]

I suspect he's been exposed to more multiplication and division than you'd imagine and gifted kids can be good at growing those little nuggets of exposure on their own. In our district, the concept of multiplication is introduced in 1st grade and kids who are 8 beginning of the school year are placed in 3rd grade where multiplication/division math facts are the focus (unless they were delayed entry into kindergarten.) I bet your DS got a lesson on skip counting or the first grade teacher made a comment about how if you add three 2's together, you get six. Gifted kids can take little bits of info like that and run. I say this as a way to reassure you that he's always going to continue to grow whether you feel capable of teaching him or not.

Here is a great website for all things gifted. Certainly a good place to start with your exploration.

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/

[KCMichigan]

Originally Posted by whatsnextmom 

I suspect he's been exposed to more multiplication and division than you'd imagine and gifted kids can be good at growing those little nuggets of exposure on their own.

I bet your DS got a lesson on skip counting or the first grade teacher made a comment about how if you add three 2's together, you get six. Gifted kids can take little bits of info like that and run. I say this as a way to reassure you that he's always going to continue to grow whether you feel capable of teaching him or not.

Here is a great website for all things gifted. Certainly a good place to start with your exploration.

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/

Ditto all the above.

My 5 yr old DDs know that 3 sets of 3 is 9 just from baking with me and setting up cookies on a sheet. They know that 12  can be divided into 4 equal parts of 3 each. Why? From sharing things at dinner or sorting small trinkets.Both of them have taken this idea and applied it to other things fairly quickly.

Then they ran with it....usually they phrase  I have two sets of 4...how many do I have? To each other, but it is multiplication! 

Could they answer 4x4=? Probably not. But with just minor explanation, they could since the concept is there.

Having a background in assessment. Often math assessment (like KeyMath) does pictorial for pre-algebraic skills or early multiplication/division with visuals (say there is a pic of 6 cookies and the question is 'you have 3 friends. The cookies get shared equally, how many does each person get?). Then moves on to a 7x9= x sort of thing.

That said : Most 8 yr olds here are in 3rd grade.Basic principles of all math concepts are introduced in 2nd grade. 3rd grade it is mastery level for multiplication/division facts. So your son would be way ahead for 2nd grade( more than one grade level ahead) and moderately ahead for 3rd (end of year mastery skill)

Does he have the multiply/divide book? Hersheys makes a fun one about a chocolate bar. Also there is a series called 'Sir Cumference and the Math mysteries" that is geared toward 6-9 yr olds that maybe he has read and taken off with the idea or maybe he would like to read them to expand his knowledge.

I agree: Hoagies and the Davison sites are great resources.

Also look at the school curriculum. Some programs (and teachers) allow for more expansion on knowledge and/or taking a skill and running with it vs the traditional skill & drill .

 I would see if your school has a Chess team or music program. Many people that are mathmatically minded do well with music and/or logical problem solving activities like chess. Our school starts Chess team in grade 1 for after school.

[moominmamma]

Originally Posted by Emilie2 

HOW in the world does a 8 year old just KNOW how to multiply and divide?

My ds learned at age 3 years 3 months by building a pyramidal tower of cube-shaped blocks. He built 3x3 blocks, and then 2x2 on top, and then 1 on top. He decided to make his tower bigger, so he grabbed more blocks ... rows of 4 this time, and put 16 together on the bottom, then the previous pyramid on top. As he went along he counted the blocks on each layer. He announced to me that "sixteen, nine, four and one are all square numbers!" Flabbergasted I asked him how he knew. "Well, one block is square," he said, picking up the block on top. "And two two's makes four," he explained, removing the two pairs of two blocks from the next row. "And here I have three threes," he pointed at the three rows of three and counted them to nine. ...

Math is everywhere. My other kids all learned mutliplication and division similarly early and similarly "magically," though in ds's case I got a precious window into his moment of discovery because he happened to announce it out loud.

Get used to it: you'll likely be blown away more and more by the discoveries he makes, the skills he absorbs with no apparent effort and the connections he makes. It is very exciting for a parent to watch.

Miranda

[Rlin]

DS (3y) learned dividing by playing in the sandbox. He made a sand cake, cut it in two and told me he had two halves. Then he divided the halves and asked me what half halves are called and said 4 half halves is one whole cake.
 

Originally Posted by moominmamma 

My ds learned at age 3 years 3 months by building a pyramidal tower of cube-shaped blocks. He built 3x3 blocks, and then 2x2 on top, and then 1 on top. He decided to make his tower bigger, so he grabbed more blocks ... rows of 4 this time, and put 16 together on the bottom, then the previous pyramid on top. As he went along he counted the blocks on each layer. He announced to me that "sixteen, nine, four and one are all square numbers!" Flabbergasted I asked him how he knew. "Well, one block is square," he said, picking up the block on top. "And two two's makes four," he explained, removing the two pairs of two blocks from the next row. "And here I have three threes," he pointed at the three rows of three and counted them to nine. ...

Math is everywhere. My other kids all learned mutliplication and division similarly early and similarly "magically," though in ds's case I got a precious window into his moment of discovery because he happened to announce it out loud.

Get used to it: you'll likely be blown away more and more by the discoveries he makes, the skills he absorbs with no apparent effort and the connections he makes. It is very exciting for a parent to watch.

Miranda