Child won't/can't do math problems without being coached
We are struggling big time with my eldest. 9, heading into fourth grade this fall. We use Math-U-See, which is a mastery based math curriculum. Grade three has been all about multiplication. (I think if I could start again I would start with singapore, but it seems like it wouldn't work for us now, since she's so far into math-u-see.)
The biggest problem is that she needs to be coached through every. single. problem. The process usually goes like this -
The problem is "28 quarters = _______ dollars."
Her, "I don't know."
Me, "What information do you know?"
Her "There's 28 quarters?"
Me, "Ok, and what do you do with that information?"
Her, "I don't know?"
me, "Well how many quarters in a dollar?"
"Her "4"
Me, "How can you use that information to solve the problem?"
Her, "uhhhh 28 plus 4?"
Her adding and subtracting and mutliplying are fair. If I tell her what to do with the numbers she can do it. But she has trouble figuring out how to use the numbers. Sometimes she tries, but most of the time she just throws out random guesses willy nilly and will not seriously apply herself. We can spend literal hours on one simple multi step word problem.
Anyone else been in a similar situation? What helped? I am struggling with knowing how to help her understand HOW to use the information she knows.
I don't know if it's a comprehension problem, lack of care, lack of logic?
HELP! 🙃