NLD Math and the "middle school world"

a parents perspective on things that "work"

Subject: Re: Understanding Math..

Yes, it would seem that about half of NLD kids have difficulties understanding math. The other half are strong in this area---even gifted!

My almost 14 year old is failing Algebra because...poor teaching, worse preparation by the schools, and difficulties in writing down all of the steps.

However, through the years this is what has worked for us...

  1. Good teachers. Not everyone can teach all kids. We have been lucky to have some, not all teachers, with a flexible approach. This helped my son in elementary school.

    We used music rhymes (a rock program) to teach basic math facts but....the calculator was introduced early. I was sure my son would never learn these facts, but low and behold he does know them now.
  2. Math tutors. We have had terrific ones and real bummers. In elementary school, we used a tutor for about 6 months and my son kept up at a lower level. This year the school decided to advance him to grade level, a big mistake. We have gone through 3. I'm happy with the last one and slowly she is teaching my son the background he needs for taking Algebra in 9th grade.
  3. Complete explanations. The schools provide short cuts in teaching math which are not logical in all cases. My NLD kid needs to know "why" in order to organize this thoughts. His current tutor is re-teaching math showing all steps and introducing all appropriate vocab and not the eduspeak which is popular in the affluent county in which I live.
  4. Making demands. I am seen as the witching parent (you can change that to a "b" word) by the middle school because despite an IEP the school does not want to give my kid the services he needs. Lots of excuses, minimal results. So I am calling, or e-mailing, the school daily to make sure he gets what he needs. And so I try to give my young teen lots of support, love, and the bit of independence that he needs. Making them aware of their learning style helps themto self-advocate and, ultimately, this is what they need to be independent.

JoAnn A.