Mt. Pleasant Classical Academy

My goal was to somehow, someway turn this kid’s attitude around.  But how?  Let’s get one thing straight right-away, I LOVE math.  I would enjoy doing nothing but math all day long.  For years I had claimed that I could teach anyone math, and to enjoy math.  

But not this DS.  He despised math.  Hated math. He had completed Singapore 6B, his IOWA math scores confirmed what I knew, he knew math.   Just he hated math.

I knew something else about this DS. He was slow to grasp a math concept.  Slow to retain the concept and often I felt like we were taking 1 step forward and 2 steps backward.  Yes, I wrote that correctly, 1 step forward and 2 backwards.  Rarely did we take 3 steps forward without taking 2-8/9 steps backward. 

So we completed 6B at the end of 6th grade and I debated about starting into NEM (New Elementary Math by Singapore Math).  We started into Key to Algebra and soon DS had completed the first 3 books.  When he took their assessment test he floundered and claimed he didn’t know how to do any of the problems or he did them incorrectly. 

I paused and grabbed Dolciani’s Pre-Algebra book off my shelf.  One thing I do not lack is a wide assortment of math texts.  After looking through this text I thought it would be just the thing for my DS to move into.  The material covered was similar to what DS had just worked through and perhaps seeing the material presented in a new way by a different mathematician might just do the trick for DS.

We plowed through the text, TWICE.  Yes, the first time through DS did the work but retained very little, so we did it again.  Even problems this time.  I don’t sweat not having the answers since math is my first love. 

DS finished Dolciani’s Pre-Algebra book and I wondered what to do next.  And then it hit me—DS needed to feel successful with math.  Why didn’t I think of that before?   Enough of me pushing him and pushing him maybe if I just let DS do another easy Algebra book before moving him into NEM he might feel success.  It was worth a try. Forget the schedule of wanting him to get through NEM as a 7th grader.  It was more important for DS to change his attitude toward math IMO.

I turned to Jacobs Algebra and we began.  It wasn’t long before I heard—

‘Mom, this is so easy do I have to do another set?  I know how to do these?’

and today, the most beautiful words that came out of the blue:

“I cannot believe I’m saying this but I’m actually starting to enjoy math. Cannot believe I just said that.”

YES!!!!  (and now I can claim again that I can teach anyone to love math.  No, it’s more important to me that my DS enjoy and love math.)