Math difficulty

[AmySLP]

Received my daughter's report card with the expected "meeting expectations" in math, but the comment section said she is not confident and exhibits anxiety and worry during math class. Of course I'm upset that we get to a report card to hear this-did the teacher read that my daughter has a hx of a tendency to perfectionism and anxiety as part of her PANDAS. My daughter is telling me she is having problems with timed math facts.

 

What kind of problems do your kids have in math? Is it anxiety based ? My daughter is in second grade.

 

Thanks,

Amy

Edited February 9, 2012 by AmySLP

[PowPow]

My 7th grader has major anxiety in Math. Facts and drills are also a big problem. In fact, her inability to do math without major panic was one of her first PANDAS signs post strep. She is now in CBT for school anxieties. Math is still the #1 problem. We have not even started working on that yet!

[rowingmom]

My DD10's teacher understands her anxiety and problems with concentration, so he gives me the week's worth of math problems and we work through them at home before they are done in class. She is so happy to know what is coming up and how to do it before the rest of the class, a big relief for her.

[JMTho]

info about math and working memory: http://usablealgebra.landmark.edu/instructor-training/working-memory-attention-executive-function/

 

Our son exhibited severe deficits with executive functions in 3rd grade (his big, horrible, no-good, very bad STREP year), especially working memory- in math and also longer writing/research projects. What we saw was extreme frustration and anxiety, (tears, avoidance, (hiding homework worksheets under his bed!!) distractibility, etc.) Homework was a nightmare for several years. We did ask for accommodations, such as allowing him to show understanding of the concepts without pages of extra homework "practice". Some teachers were great; some less understanding. Because he could not focus at home (brother, dogs to play with, etc), one obliging teacher allowed me to meet him at the classroom at the end of the day and we were allowed to stay an extra 15 minutes or so in the quiet classroom to allow him do the necessary homework; was a lifesaver. What had been taking 2 hours of drama and tears at home took 15 minutes at school in the quiet classroom.

 

Happily, once we diagnosed PANDAS and he was properly treated and began to heal, these issues have gone away and he has now skipped 2 grade levels of math- a 7th grader taking 9th grade algebra and LOVES it. So, as the brain inflammation resolved, so did the math/homework nightmares. It's only now that we can look back and recognize how many facets of his/our lives were affected by this illness; it's astonishing and heartbreaking. We feel so sad about those early homework battles; he really couldn't rally his mental troops to do the task at hand, and we were so often impatient and frustrated. We all have a little PANDAS/PANS PTSD.

 

Best of luck,

Julene

[JMTho]

info about math and working memory: http://usablealgebra.landmark.edu/instructor-training/working-memory-attention-executive-function/

 

Our son exhibited severe deficits with executive functions in 3rd grade (his big, horrible, no-good, very bad STREP year), especially working memory- in math and also longer writing/research projects. What we saw was extreme frustration and anxiety, (tears, avoidance, (hiding homework worksheets under his bed!!) distractibility, etc.) Homework was a nightmare for several years. We did ask for accommodations, such as allowing him to show understanding of the concepts without pages of extra homework "practice". Some teachers were great; some less understanding. Because he could not focus at home (brother, dogs to play with, etc), one obliging teacher allowed me to meet him at the classroom at the end of the day and we were allowed to stay an extra 15 minutes or so in the quiet classroom to allow him do the necessary homework; was a lifesaver. What had been taking 2 hours of drama and tears at home took 15 minutes at school in the quiet classroom.

 

Happily, once we diagnosed PANDAS and he was properly treated and began to heal, these issues have gone away and he has now skipped 2 grade levels of math- a 7th grader taking 9th grade algebra and LOVES it. So, as the brain inflammation resolved, so did the math/homework nightmares. It's only now that we can look back and recognize how many facets of his/our lives were affected by this illness; it's astonishing and heartbreaking. We feel so sad about those early homework battles; he really couldn't rally his mental troops to do the task at hand, and we were so often impatient and frustrated. We all have a little PANDAS/PANS PTSD.

 

Best of luck,

Julene

[thenmama]

Hi Amy,

 

I am on the run this am, so am going to cheat in my reply and refer you to a previous discussion thread I'd started about this: link to post

 

Quickly, though, I will say that my dd wouldn't be able to perform well on anything that's facts recall related, and most especially with a timed component-- between the recall issues and the anxiety such quizzes can elicit. Plus there are probably many problems on the page which is overwhelming/has its own set of challenges.

 

I'd see if you can get the teacher to remove the timed quizzing and find alternative ways to address facts. If s/he won't- go for a 504.

 

PM me if you want more info. I'll be back online later today.

 

 

TH

[MomWithOCDSon]

Amy --

 

My DS experienced similar things early in his math. Despite the fact that he tested very highly for mathematical ability and knew the answers for homework and quizzes, the sort of flash-card, instant answer stuff threw him for a loop . . . still sort of does, though there seems to be less and less of that later on in the school cirriculum. I think it started out strictly as a "processing" difference: he couldn't look at an equation on a flash card and instantly blurt out the correct answer, as could some of his classmates. He knew the right answer, and could give it to you, but it took him more than the 5 or 10 seconds it took some of the other kids to get the answer from his brain to his lips.

 

Then he started to feel the pressure . . . from the teacher and from the other kids, and THAT led to anxiety over it. And then it just got harder, and DS started referring to himself as "dumb," though he was far from it. I really resented that part of the cirriculum and this prevailing sense that "fast" was equal to "smart." I get that they want basic math facts . . . like the multiplication tables . . . to become "second nature" to these kids so they indulge in this kind of drilling, but it just doesn't work for every kid.

 

I would work with your DD a little bit at home, reinforcing that some kids learn differently from others, that "fast" isn't equivalent to "smart," that maybe she can't shout out a quick answer as quickly as some of the other kids, but she has the ability to reason through more complex calculations that some of the other kids can't, as well. You can also try talking to the teacher, if she is at all receptive. If she's not, and you don't have one yet, now might be a good time to go for that 504 and take these "timed" assessments out of the equation altogether!