Political Crossfire Forums

Superfly · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 5241 Location: Tornado Alley

I went to a Parent/Teacher meeting tonight, and spoke with my 9 year old's teacher.

She told me that she was a little concerned about something going on with my daughter, and she didn't know what the problem was.

My daughter is excellent at math. When she does a timed math test, usually of 100 addition and subtraction problems, she finishes first (or near first) and always scores in the high 90s. When she has to do the bigger problems, though, she has a problem. For instance, if she has to do a problem like:

425
-279

She can borrow from the 2 to make the 5 a 15, and she can borrow from the 4 to make the 2 a 12, thus making the 4 a 3. OK, she does all that, and subtracts those all correctly. However, when she gets to the easy stuff, like subtracting that last number, the "3 - 2", she gets the answer wrong.

Something similar is happening in her spelling. She is excellent in spelling, usually making 100s, 105s, 110s in her spelling tests. However, when she is writing a letter, her spelling is atrocious.

Has anyone ever heard of this? It's like she is getting the answers correct in the way that she needs to, but in practical use, she doesn't do well.

The teacher was perplexed, as am I.

TheGirlNextDoor · Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 22608

Have you ever had her tested for dyslexia?

Superfly · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 5241 Location: Tornado Alley

Damn. No, haven't. Actually hadn't thought of that.

TheGirlNextDoor · Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 22608

You might check into Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. Not saying that she may be dyslexic (or a variant of) but maybe it's something to investigate? Also, some of these things aren't easily definable... but again, it's a place to start. Hope you can figure out what's going on with her so you can help her. :flwr: Hang in there, mom.

The Newb · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 2668

TheGirlNextDoor wrote: Have you ever had her tested for dyslexia?

my guess, you should test for this and others as stated above, just to be sure, add as well, on a longer prob maybe she doesnt focus enough would be a mild case but still possible

emerald · Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Posts: 8048 Location: uk

it could be that she just needs more practical practice using numbers and using words. maybe you can offer her more guided help at home, writing letters to gran, or a neighbour or even santa, or you could make up your own story together, collect the words she knows onto one page so she has them with her and then make up a story and try to use the words along the way, perhaps even introducing some new ones in too.

ofcourse you should check all other avenues by looking into dyslexia and so forth, but the problem could be even simpler than that. but i think if the teacher had suspected dyslexia she would have told you, but you should bring it up, so they can arrange tests to be carried out.

Superfly · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 5241 Location: Tornado Alley

Thanks, everyone.

I just don't understand - between Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and now 3rd grade, I would have thought a teacher would have caught it if it were dyslexia.

The Newb · Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 2668

Superfly wrote: Thanks, everyone.

I just don't understand - between Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and now 3rd grade, I would have thought a teacher would have caught it if it were dyslexia.

yes but i think it could not be too serious of a case

thundertaker · Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 8:55 am Post subject:

Superfly wrote: Thanks, everyone.

I just don't understand - between Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and now 3rd grade, I would have thought a teacher would have caught it if it were dyslexia.

Don't be so sure of that. I wasn't diagnosed with dyspraxia until I was 14 (10 years ago). The teachers didn't have a clue what was wrong with me. They just assumed I was being a t**t with them.......

Lumina · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 18283

TheGirlNextDoor wrote: You might check into Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. Not saying that she may be dyslexic (or a variant of) but maybe it's something to investigate? Also, some of these things aren't easily definable... but again, it's a place to start. Hope you can figure out what's going on with her so you can help her. :flwr: Hang in there, mom.

I was going to suggest dysgraphia too. But I'd also like to say that when I was a kid, one part of my brain was over-developed while the math part was, well, retarded. And what my parents never understood was why I could do the tricky stuff but would screw up the easy stuff.

I think one reason for my stupid mistakes was just getting-in-a-hurry carelessness. Just FYI, when adults write, say, a letter, the majority of their errors will be in the last paragraph. Subconsciously, I think we just want to hurry up and be done.

Another reason is that the math-skills part of my brain was VERY slow to mature. Couldn't make change until I was in my 20's. Had to have a tutor for every math class in high school and college, but suddenly when I was an adult, those concepts--how to make change, how to add a 15% tip--made sense. My brain finally got the picture. At 9 there could be any number of reasons or a few working together.

Hang in there, mom! :flwr:

agentkgb · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 2241 Location: US

Weird, especially the spelling thing. Maybe her teacher this year is the first to do letters and stuff and her past teachers focused a lot on tests, so practical use is something new. I really have no idea what I'm talking about though. I'm not a teacher or a parent, just a though I felt like posting.