One Week in and Our Son Is Bombing Algebra

Switch him to a different math class that is more comfortably challenging for him. If he's lost in the first week, I highly doubt he is in the appropriate class. He probably hasn't learned the foundations for this class yet.

I'm confused. A week in and he's bombing already? How many tests have they had in one week of school? Even high school typically takes a few days to get in to a routine. And a test in the first week would be more of a "what do you know" exam so the teacher knows where everyone is.

Math needs to be conquered as you go. How has he passed each year if he can't get the concept? Has he been tested for any issues?

Math isn't always easy. It comes easy to me because it's what I do - I'm a financial manager and have multiple degrees in math as well. BUT - I cannot help my kids as easily as my husband. Last night I walked in the house to my husband and 9 year old doing math games through TenMarks on the computer. It takes repetition to understand the concepts. He needs to do it every day, even if he hates it.

As a math teacher, I feel compelled to ask ...

Has he been doing his homework every night? If he has not, that's where you really have to begin. He needs to do every homework problem, every night.

If he has been dong the homework, is he getting the right answers? Does he understand how he got the answer? And if not, does he then ask his tutor or teacher to explain it?

I've found math to work best when it's done in small steps. But you have to keep up everyday. If you don't understand the material from Monday, chances are Tuesday isn't going to make sense. Generally speaking, you have to make sure you are ok with Monday's topic before you go to class on Tuesday.

I'm really confused by your title. How can he be "bombing" after just one week? What topics have they covered? What are you basing this on? Daily homework? Your son saying, "I don't get it?" I've taught 3 classes (3 days of class for each of the courses I'm teaching) and I have trouble understanding how anyone could be "bombing." That's not to say that every one of my students thinks my class is a breeze. It's just that we take it one day at a time, one topic at a time and each day builds a little on the previous day. I'm not making fun of you at all! I just wish I understood a little bit better how you perceive the situation.

To say he's bombing after a week is a wee bit dramatic, M.. He's not grasping it because being in high school is pretty overwhelming all around so at a week in he's overwhelmed with EVERYTHING.

When my learning disabled child didn't understand a concept we back tracked to show the parts that went into it. If they don't understand then reteaching the same thing isn't going to make it click. You have to change things up to show just one part of it, then another, and then how it all gets put together to make it work.

I wish they had Khan Academy back when my kids were young because its a great resource. M., to be blunt you have to stop over reacting to every single thing and step back to look at the big picture. Your son isn't going to succeed or fail life in a week. We all want the very best for our kids. We want them not to struggle and it tugs at our mama hearts when things aren't working out. The best thing you can do right now is to sit down with your hubby and son and set a long term game plan on where you want him to be and how he's going to get there. Not saying your plan will be perfect but it'll give you something to track instead of being in a panic over every single thing. YOU WILL DRIVE YOURSELF NUTS IF YOU KEEP THIS UP!

My daughter is a Jr and gave up one of her electives to have a class they call "strategies". It's basically a class where the teacher helps the kids stay organized with their work and also helps them with unfinished classwork, homework and/or projects they need extra time on. This is the 3rd year she's had it and has not had to bring homework home at all (which is good because I couldn't help her with math anyway lol).

My son is in 8th grade and has always struggled with math. He also has only one elective and his other is "math lab". They basically go back over what was taught in class that day and help the kids that take longer to understand. It's a bit harder because it's basically 2 math classes, but he needs the extra help and again, I'm not able to help him at home.

Also since it takes the kids longer to complete the work, they do every other problem so they can still get the practice but not the volume. This has helped them as well.

Maybe talk to his teacher and see what he/she suggests? You son is not the only kid in school to struggle with math. Good luck.

Um, it's been one week, are you kidding me?
If he feels he needs help, he should meet with his teacher.
You can't "bomb" a class in one week :-(

Could he take a pre algebra class this year and move into algebra next year?

I don't remeber what math class my daughter had her freshman year but I do remember she had 11th and 12th graders in her class.

If he is really trying, it almost seems cruel that he would struggle this much the first week of school.

You keep posting on this subject. Why doesn't he go after school to his teacher's extra help sessions? Or meet during study hall or whenever he and the teacher have free time? I wouldn't do another program. The teacher and the schools special ed coordinator - since your son has learning disabilities - should work together. And stop using terms like "bombing" and "completely lost" - it's been a week! How do you know he's "bombing"? Did the teacher send home a failure notice? Did you get a call that he's a failure? Is he having a tough week and perhaps he needs to learn to advocate for himself now that he's in high school? Haven't we already begged you to do these things?

Please try to control your own anxiety which is probably, I'm sorry to say, contributing to his stress. It's a week. JUST A WEEK. Work the system, Mom - use the teachers and staff right there!

Tell him to show every step of a problem. Tell him to first focus on doing each step, understanding why he's doing each step as he's doing it. Then after he is done with the problem, look at it as a WHOLE. Tell him to talk it through out loud. Then tell him to teach it to YOU.

He should have representive examples of problems of each thing he learns. His "go-to" notebook to study before each test. It sounds like a lot of work, but it will make his brain figure it out. I did this with both algebra and chemistry when I was in my 30's. I was never good at math in high school. Then when I took them again in my 30's, I was better prepared with "the process" in teaching myself how to learn.

I'm telling you, this will help. I hope you can get him to do it.

Was algebra the only option? Most schools offer easier versions for kids with learning issues.

Still in the end if this is the easiest version of algebra he can take I don't see going to a different school as a solution. Math is pretty standard issue. No variation, ya know? Unless you are planning on going the special school route, sure they have non math math but in the end your son will be very limited as to what he can do after high school.

You haven't said if you have addressed this with anyone at school yet, so if I'm making assumptions, I am sorry. I can only go by what is here and what I remember from answering your question last week.

Following up from your previous question and my response at that time--- Have you talked with his counselors and teachers about this?? What do they say?? What is the plan to help your son succeed, or if proficiency in algebra is not attainable at this time, place him in a more appropriate class? Do THEY believe he is actually "bombing," or do they think with some extra help---in addition to the tutoring he's doing now, or maybe a different tutor or different style of tutoring---that he could eventually become proficient in algebra this year?

Perhaps he is not ready for algebra and needs pre-algebra or some other foundational math first and then work up to algebra?

It seems like you are spinning your wheels and going nowhere with this when the only people who know the whole picture and who are in a position to help are your son's advocates at school---his teacher and counselor. The best thing you can do is get together with them and see how far away he is from the goals on his plan and determine whether he can realistically reach those goals with all available accommodations.

Can you ask the teacher if the quiz resembles the homework? My dd has been getting A's in Math for the last year (pre-Algebra and Algebra), but the year prior she struggled because the teacher would twist the problems around on the test in a way that was not practiced in the homework. This was enough to throw my dd off and she'd miss questions that she actually knew if they were stated in a different way (or the unknown was a different part of the equation.) There seemed to be a lot of "gotcha" questions. I'm not saying the teacher shouldn't give them different kinds of questions, but everything that is on a test should be part of the homework.
Also, you might see if there is a different teacher that teaches the same class. I find that sometimes a different style can make all the difference. What does your son say about the teacher and their style?

Are the assignments (where he received grades of B to A plus) things he worked on with his tutor at home? And then the quizzes, were him by himself in class?

If that's the situation, then I would be concerned about two things: (1) maybe his tutor is "guiding him through" the assignments (I'm not suggesting that the tutor is giving him answers, but maybe "helping too much")...otherwise, I cannot imagine how there could be such a difference in grades. (2) maybe the testing conditions (for his quizzes) need to be changed...something you could discuss with the LD director?

it sounds as if he's not ready for algebra. can he take (or re-take) a pre-algebra course and move onto algebra next year?
i wish schools would be a little more flexible on the timelines. some kids don't make the transition from straight maths to algebra well.
it's great that you've got a tutor for him. but i hope the intense focus on a disliked subject doesn't backfire. my kid kicked like a mule doing algebra in homeschool. but i was able to shrug and let it slide until HE decided he didn't want to be ignorant on the subject. the best thing i did (apart from finding a good curriculum that worked for him) was recruit a couple of friends to work the course with him. they'd get together 2 or 3 times per week and while he never fell in love with it, he did grasp the rudimentals. (he now has a degree in science.)
maybe see if the tutor could work with one other kid as well? shared misery and all. :)
ETA just read your SWH more carefully. i think you're overdoing it. 2 hours of homework per night, with that daily heavy focus on algebra, is a seriously heavy load. i'd insist on getting him in a less demanding class and let him go back over the basics for another year. you're risking backlash, big time.
khairete
S.

Try KahnAcademy. It's online, and it's free. Just about any subject you want.

I suggest that the intensity with which you approach this is at least a part of the reason he's having difficulty. Starting high school, just in it's self very stressful. Then you add a tutor to his already 90 minute homework. When does he get a chance to unwind and just be a kid? It's highly likely that he has difficulty focusing.

Your son has a learning disability? That means he has a learning disability teacher assigned to him. I urge you to talk with that person and seriously consider what they say. I have 3 grandchildren, ranging in age from 5 to 16. Not once have they had a tutor outside of school. Schools have given them extra help. The older ones are passing. Parents and school staff are aware they have difficulties. What is most important is they are accepted at whatever level they are functioning by school aND parents. If they had pressure like you're putting on your son, they would be unable to focus on actually learning.

I suggest it's very important that you back off and let your son be a kid, with the ups and downs all kids experience. Instead of focusing so much on academics, focus more on giving him confidence by saying and acting in a way that tells him you have confidence in his ability to learn. Obviously all this time, energy and money on tutoring is not helping him. He had a tutor everyday all summer. It didn't help him to understand. Try letting go of your need to having control over his academic life. Trust that school personnel are trained and will do a good job in ushering him through school.

It's not possible to bomb a class in the first week of school!!!! Education involves learning over time. So he "failed" a couple of quizzes? All that means is that he possibly didn't understand the material OR that he hasn't adjusted to this new school, new teacher. When we're anxious we are often unable to focus on what is in front of us. Test/quiz failure is often caused by anxiety over the test/quizz.

Quizzes are a way for teachers to know where to focus more work. They are a tool for learning and NOT an indication that he's failing. Quizzes are just one tool in teaching and learning.

I suggest that you spend the money you're now paying a tutor and use it for counseling to learn how you can relax. Sounds like you're super anxious and expect your son to be some sort of super student. Academics is just one part of growing into a responsible adult. I suggest that when your son is able to relax with friends, be a part of after school activities, he'll learn more easily and be a success in academics over time. Most of us don't grasp a subject in one week.

When you hire a tutor and want to do more, you are telling him he's a failure and can't do it on his own. When a tutor is the answer for every perceived difficulty, he learns to depend on the tutor and is less likely to understand that his learning is his responsibility. He loses the ability to consider ways he influences his learning.

He needs acceptance as who he is now; to know that he can do this without spending hours after school focused on getting the answers just right. Please give him space to be who he is. Allow him success on his own with the help available to him at school.

Your son is in high school. He should be allowed to have some control over who he is, what success means to him, where he wants to spend time. Sounds like you have every minute of his day planned for him. How will he learn personal responsibilty, how to make decisions that help him reach his goals?

I urge you to talk with the special ed teacher that helps him manage classes and his school counselor to learn what the school can provide for back up to your son's school success. Then, try their suggestions. Instead of telling them what you are going to do, listen to them. They 've helped hundreds of kids through high school. They have training and experience far and above any knowledge you could have. Please trust your son and school resources.

And, get help for yourself, to lower your anxiety level. Your anxiety increases his anxiety. Anxiety interferes with one's ability to feel confident and happy.

It sounds like you're doing the right things, as far as getting a tutor, and the fact that his teacher is aware of how he's doing.

I think the best thing you can do right now is to trust the tutor.

I'm assuming this tutor understands algebra, and understands how to teach, and understands learning disabilities, and isn't just someone who happens to be comfortable with math. If not, make sure your son has the right kind of tutor, because just being good at something doesn't mean you can teach it to someone else. I had to get my daughter a math tutor and I hired a math teacher who tutored for extra money. She really knew how to teach, and how to be effective.

Trust the teacher.

Trust your son.

It's been one week, and yes, he may not have found his footing, but that doesn't equal "completely lost" and "bombing". It means, not grasping the subject matter yet. Encourage your son, don't even look at his grades yet, make sure you aren't stressing in front of him.

Try a online school like Khan Academy I use it all the time and it has videos and has it warm ups will let him know were to start and it will let you track his progress and on some of the programs he can even ask questions and some of it is fun and its 100 % free and there is another site that I use called Xtramath.org you as a parent have to sign your child up a he do all types of math and it tells how your doing and it tells you when to stop if you want to check to see how he is doing you go to your part and has a calendar marks the days that he did work on it uses different colors for how good he did and this site is also 100% free.

I have a diagnosed learning disability in math and that made things so much easier for me. They have to give me untimed tests, I can have open book if I need to, and so much more. They literally can't flunk me. It would be like flunking a kids with a developmental disability that is mainstreamed. They just can't do it because I have a diagnosis.

I never had anything higher than basic math. Ever. So when I went to college as a non-traditional student I had no basis for college algebra. I flunked beginning algebra at both OU and OSU. 4 times. So I got a undergrad counselor to set up testing for me. The doc I saw was very sweet and did a great job.

I got so many concessions to help me pass. I made a B in beginning algebra but never got to take intermediate, I wasn't able to finish my higher education. But if I went back to college today I'd have that diagnosis and be able to have all the help I need.

My point is that if he truly has a glitch when it comes to math he can get accommodations and you won't have to pay for any of it. The public school system should take care of that. He will qualify for an IEP or perhaps a 504 plan. They won't flunk him because that will show that he wasn't provided the support that the law says he is eligible for.