Does -3 x -2 = -5 ?

[moomoo]

I think it's because if he doesn't understand, and you have to ask however much you want you won't be able to help him understand why it is the answer it is

He should ask his teacher, and you should also ask at parents evening if there is anything you can do to help

no one thinks you're being stupid, but its important he knows why, not just that he can get you to answer it if he can't get it the first time, otherwise there is no impetus for him to ever learn his maths if what he's learning is he doesn't need to listen cos mum sorts it for him

Oh I quite agree! Which is why we were sort of trying to work out the answers and then checking them on here.

He said he's not allowed a number line as it's supposed to be mental maths.

And if you met his maths teacher you would understand why he doesn't want to ask her! She is very scary!

 

[felixthecat]

Quite agree.........the tears i've had to cope with coz of the fear of not doing homework......

Tell me about it.....

Only from my daughter tho - my son was so *ahem* laid back about homework it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest.

 

[equationgirl]

I had fab maths teachers, which is probably why I like it, I can just do it, can't explain why.

My english teachers were shit - if I'd had a teacher like spangles I'd have been much better at it.

 

[Thora]

But his teacher is not there on sunday evenings and his homework has to be in Monday?

Well, if you leave homework til Sunday night...

 

[moomoo]

But his teacher is not there on sunday evenings and his homework has to be in Monday? Maybe he understands the general principle but not the specific example? I woalways helped my kids if necessary (and if I could), but it often involved just checking it after it had been done.

However, they knew better than to ask me for help if it was maths

They never used to bother asking me either.

 

[equationgirl]

my dad has one too which is where I think I get it from tbh

nowt to be about

Well, lets be honest, it's not cool

I is teh geek.

 

[moomoo]

Well, if you leave homework til Sunday night...

Weekends are for fun in our house!

 

[aqua]

Oh I quite agree! Which is why we were sort of trying to work out the answers and then checking them on here.

He said he's not allowed a number line as it's supposed to be mental maths.

And if you met his maths teacher you would understand why he doesn't want to ask her! She is very scary!

then use it at home, and after a while he'll be able to see it in his head and won't need the physical thing

when I was little and had trouble with subtraction my dad said, to test you had it right, add the 2 bits together ie x - y = z check it by adding z + y together and you should get x

my teacher went fucking apeshit about it - why? it works, it gave me confidence and it taught me my basic algebra

 

[spanglechick]

I had fab maths teachers, which is probably why I like it, I can just do it, can't explain why.

My english teachers were shit - if I'd had a teacher like spangles I'd have been much better at it.

thanks, wench. (ps, when are you coming down for PRoD?)

 

[moomoo]

Well, lets be honest, it's not cool

I is teh geek.

I think it is very cool!

 

[aqua]

why my teachers didn't see I have difficulty reading I'll never know, everything was perfect except those things that relied on written text (words not numbers)

if someone had I reckon I would actually have got to like english lit

*is annoyed*

 

[aqua]

Well, lets be honest, it's not cool

I is teh geek.

*whispers* I like stats

 

[equationgirl]

Oh I quite agree! Which is why we were sort of trying to work out the answers and then checking them on here.

He said he's not allowed a number line as it's supposed to be mental maths.

And if you met his maths teacher you would understand why he doesn't want to ask her! She is very scary!

Try and get him to practice visualising the number line in his head to start with, so he gets the hang of positive numbers running one way, and negative numbers running the other.

The other thing that might help would be getting him to practice stuff at home, testing him on his times tables, that sort of thing to start with. It should help him gain confidence with doing stuff in his head.

 

[felixthecat]

They never used to bother asking me either.

My kids primary school did evening classes for parents in primary maths cos none of us had a clue - so different from how I was taught.

And so much more complicated I reckon.

 

[WouldBe]

Well, if you leave homework til Sunday night...

The teachers won't be 'there' any night.

 

[equationgirl]

thanks, wench. (ps, when are you coming down for PRoD?)

I'll be there for October PRoD.

 

[felixthecat]

*whispers* I like stats

You, my love, for all your gin drinking and cake eating, are NOT normal!

 

[equationgirl]

I think it is very cool!

Aw, thank you

 

[aqua]

You, my love, for all your gin drinking and cake eating, are NOT normal!

I know, I'm sorry

 

[equationgirl]

*whispers* I like stats

So does mrs q, you're not alone

 

[Firky]

He should be a chimney sweep

 

[aqua]

oh dear good god

in my defense my first degree is psychology, so I learnt it then

 

[Thora]

The teachers won't be 'there' any night.

But they're there at school, during the day. If the homework was set Friday to be in Monday then fair enough if you get the answers on the internet. Or I'd complain to the teacher.

 

[aqua]

have you seen how much homework is set these days?

 

[geminisnake]

And then have to go and collect him from the detention he would be given if it wasn't done.

You might want to check that moomoo. Certainly up here a teacher can't give detention for no homework. Homework is NOT obligatory I discovered when biy was in High School, but they keep it quiet.

 

[Thora]

have you seen how much homework is set these days?

Why, is it so much you don't have time to speak to the teacher anymore?

 

[felixthecat]

have you seen how much homework is set these days?

Scary, partic when they get to GCSE stage. The shift from exams to 'coursework' has meant stacks of the stuff.

 

[spanglechick]

You might want to check that moomoo. Certainly up here a teacher can't give detention for no homework. Homework is NOT obligatory I discovered when biy was in High School, but they keep it quiet.

if that's a legal thing, it's certainly different in england.

in fact, at my last school h/w was the only thing we did set detentions for.

 

[felixthecat]

if that's a legal thing, it's certainly different in england.

in fact, at my last school h/w was the only thing we did set detentions for.

yep - and then you do the homework in detention.

I think my son did that on practically a weekly basis for one subject or the other.

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

You might want to check that moomoo. Certainly up here a teacher can't give detention for no homework. Homework is NOT obligatory I discovered when biy was in High School, but they keep it quiet.

My kids old school used to give children detention if they hadnt done it, also if they hadnt completed work set.
Its a major part of the reason they were withdrawn, they were punnishing my 8 year old on a regular basis and wouldnt accept his problems had anything to do with him not finishing They used to keep them in lunchtime so parents couldnt actively stop them.