Comments on: An Overview of Spaceship Math http://www.dadsworksheets.com/2008/09/04/an-overview-of-rocket-math/ Free Math Worksheets, Strategies and Parenting Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:41:47 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Dadhttp://www.dadsworksheets.com/2008/09/04/an-overview-of-rocket-math/comment-page-1/#comment-751 Dad Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:47:41 +0000 http://www.dadsworksheets.com/?p=229#comment-751 Hi Alex -I really only have the perspective of having worked my oldest daughter through the time tests... For us, it was a good way to get the math facts memorized because she responded to the challenge and the competitiveness in the classroom, but I think a key to that was that we focused on a lot (and I mean A LOT) of practice at home to guarantee her success.I remember doing timed multiplication drills when I was in grade school, and I knew first-hand how a lack of progress could turn into a huge mental obstacle. Really my goal for this web site was to make sure that wasn't the case for her. (Bizarre anecdote, we actually drilled to "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd... It was the 70's, but still what where they thinking? I still have some really weird associations with a few facts from the seven times table...)Anyway, another point for the timed drills really came out when we were going through subtraction... My daughter became very adept at using finger manipulation to count her way through subtraction facts... It almost looked like sign language going on while she was taking a test, and I don't think we'd ever have gotten the facts memorized without the pressure of a timed test. I had to crank her through five worksheets in four minute blocks to get past this.So if your kids respond well to competitive pressure to learn, or if your kids can't seem to let go of manipulatives for addition and subtraction, I think the timed tests are a real plus... But they do have a downside and I'm sure the pressure can be a negative if not managed properly. Overall, like any other learning activity, support at home is probably the key driver of success... and it sounds like you're well on the way there! :-)Thanks for visiting the site and posting a comment!Dad Hi Alex -

I really only have the perspective of having worked my oldest daughter through the time tests… For us, it was a good way to get the math facts memorized because she responded to the challenge and the competitiveness in the classroom, but I think a key to that was that we focused on a lot (and I mean A LOT) of practice at home to guarantee her success.

I remember doing timed multiplication drills when I was in grade school, and I knew first-hand how a lack of progress could turn into a huge mental obstacle. Really my goal for this web site was to make sure that wasn’t the case for her. (Bizarre anecdote, we actually drilled to “Another Brick in the Wall” by Pink Floyd… It was the 70’s, but still what where they thinking? I still have some really weird associations with a few facts from the seven times table…)

Anyway, another point for the timed drills really came out when we were going through subtraction… My daughter became very adept at using finger manipulation to count her way through subtraction facts… It almost looked like sign language going on while she was taking a test, and I don’t think we’d ever have gotten the facts memorized without the pressure of a timed test. I had to crank her through five worksheets in four minute blocks to get past this.

So if your kids respond well to competitive pressure to learn, or if your kids can’t seem to let go of manipulatives for addition and subtraction, I think the timed tests are a real plus… But they do have a downside and I’m sure the pressure can be a negative if not managed properly. Overall, like any other learning activity, support at home is probably the key driver of success… and it sounds like you’re well on the way there! :-)

Thanks for visiting the site and posting a comment!

Dad

]]> By: Alexhttp://www.dadsworksheets.com/2008/09/04/an-overview-of-rocket-math/comment-page-1/#comment-750 Alex Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:21:53 +0000 http://www.dadsworksheets.com/?p=229#comment-750 I am so glad I found you. My very bright daughter feels "less than" because of the stress of the Rocket Math at school. She becomes overwhelmed by the busy page and the the time pressure and usually finishes about 50 problems. She is stuck on Addition G in third grade and her teacher says she is "behind" in math despite her earning As on all other assessments and testing in the 90th percentile on our state assessment. I wonder why this so many problems in such a short time is so important? I am a high school math teacher and certainly wish that my students knew their facts so I do see some merit, but I don't think it should be used as an assessment of a students knowledge of math facts. Thoughts? At any rate, thanks for this supportive website. She is excited by the Blast Off record sheet and is anxious to make a poster to track her progress! I hope to help her with her learning style needs which don't seem to be a great fit for this assessment tool to enable her to beat this test! I am so glad I found you. My very bright daughter feels “less than” because of the stress of the Rocket Math at school. She becomes overwhelmed by the busy page and the the time pressure and usually finishes about 50 problems. She is stuck on Addition G in third grade and her teacher says she is “behind” in math despite her earning As on all other assessments and testing in the 90th percentile on our state assessment. I wonder why this so many problems in such a short time is so important? I am a high school math teacher and certainly wish that my students knew their facts so I do see some merit, but I don’t think it should be used as an assessment of a students knowledge of math facts. Thoughts? At any rate, thanks for this supportive website. She is excited by the Blast Off record sheet and is anxious to make a poster to track her progress! I hope to help her with her learning style needs which don’t seem to be a great fit for this assessment tool to enable her to beat this test!

]]> By: Randi Saulterhttp://www.dadsworksheets.com/2008/09/04/an-overview-of-rocket-math/comment-page-1/#comment-739 Randi Saulter Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:06:42 +0000 http://www.dadsworksheets.com/?p=229#comment-739 Thank you to all who have been writing. I am the co-author of Rocket Math with Don Crawford. I am getting increasingly concerned that teachers are misusing or misunderstanding the use of the Rocket Math curriculum. Don and I train teachers all over the country and we are very careful to discuss how to teach parents to practice with their children so as not to induce stress. We have many ideas for this. I do not wish to take away from Dad's website as he has been most gracious in his support of our curriculum, but would love to have parents visit our site so that we can assist in students' stress and parents' discomfort around Rocket Math. Thank you to all who have been writing. I am the co-author of Rocket Math with Don Crawford. I am getting increasingly concerned that teachers are misusing or misunderstanding the use of the Rocket Math curriculum. Don and I train teachers all over the country and we are very careful to discuss how to teach parents to practice with their children so as not to induce stress. We have many ideas for this. I do not wish to take away from Dad’s website as he has been most gracious in his support of our curriculum, but would love to have parents visit our site so that we can assist in students’ stress and parents’ discomfort around Rocket Math.

]]> By: Capricehttp://www.dadsworksheets.com/2008/09/04/an-overview-of-rocket-math/comment-page-1/#comment-729 Caprice Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:49:57 +0000 http://www.dadsworksheets.com/?p=229#comment-729 Dear Dad, Thank you so much for this website. My second-grade daughter is also stressing over the rocket math. As I am typing this, she is crying because of worrying about the level she is on. She is a perfectionist, and has never done well in timed tests, from kindergarten on. I haven't seen any supplemental materials from her teacher that I could help her practice, so I am very grateful to have this resource to help her practice at home. I, too, appreciate your response to Dr. Crawford. In this world of posts and blogs and email, many people lack the netiquette skills of a thoughtful person...thank you for your well thought out and gracious reply. Dear Dad,
Thank you so much for this website. My second-grade daughter is also stressing over the rocket math. As I am typing this, she is crying because of worrying about the level she is on. She is a perfectionist, and has never done well in timed tests, from kindergarten on. I haven’t seen any supplemental materials from her teacher that I could help her practice, so I am very grateful to have this resource to help her practice at home. I, too, appreciate your response to Dr. Crawford. In this world of posts and blogs and email, many people lack the netiquette skills of a thoughtful person…thank you for your well thought out and gracious reply.

]]> By: kthttp://www.dadsworksheets.com/2008/09/04/an-overview-of-rocket-math/comment-page-1/#comment-719 kt Sat, 17 Oct 2009 06:09:44 +0000 http://www.dadsworksheets.com/?p=229#comment-719 Brilliant - both Dr. Crawford and Dad. My 3rd grader did this last year and we were thrilled that we finally had an effective tool to memorize math facts (previously was the dot adding, which we are still hoping will go away, bad habit). The entire strategy when explained and understood is so simple and elegant - internal competition when they don't even realize what they are accomplishing. But teachers being over worked were frustratingly slow sending home the sheets for us to copy for practice, creating boredom instead of regular repetition and advancement. Now the 2nd grade is using it, and we were running into the same problem - passed level D but not getting E to start on for weeks. This is a great resource for parents to make learning foundational math facts fun and easy. Dad's website only adds to the value for schools. Parents cannot buy this but want to support the techique and this gives us an easy way to do that. Thanks to you both, math is fun again! Brilliant – both Dr. Crawford and Dad. My 3rd grader did this last year and we were thrilled that we finally had an effective tool to memorize math facts (previously was the dot adding, which we are still hoping will go away, bad habit). The entire strategy when explained and understood is so simple and elegant – internal competition when they don’t even realize what they are accomplishing. But teachers being over worked were frustratingly slow sending home the sheets for us to copy for practice, creating boredom instead of regular repetition and advancement. Now the 2nd grade is using it, and we were running into the same problem – passed level D but not getting E to start on for weeks. This is a great resource for parents to make learning foundational math facts fun and easy. Dad’s website only adds to the value for schools. Parents cannot buy this but want to support the techique and this gives us an easy way to do that. Thanks to you both, math is fun again!

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