Category Archive for 'Parent Tips'

Does math practice make a difference?

Monday, March 11th, 2024

There is some talk lately about if homework really helps students. For math, the answer is clearly yes.

To figure this out, one year I looked at the number of minutes of math practice my fourth grade students were completing at Khan Academy, a math practice website. I compared that to a student’s math level. Here are some facts to consider, using data from one fourth grade marking period:

  • The average number of minutes the class worked for the entire marking period was 800 minutes. The lowest value was 400 minutes, and the highest was 1750 minutes. So the hardest workers were working 400% more than the lax workers.
  • The top 25% of the class was working an average of 1300 minutes with an average math level of 5.1.
  • The bottom 25% of the class was working an average of 471 minutes with an average math level of 3.5.
  • The middle 50% of the class was right where you would expect them to be, in the middle of minutes worked and math level.

Here’s the data in a table, sorted by the number of minutes worked:

By Minutes WorkedAverageMinutes
Bottom 25%3.5471
Middle 50%4.4700
Top 25%5.11314
Class Average4.3796

It’s clear from above that the students that are spending the most time working are improving their math levels. The students practicing the least are below grade level.

Here’s the table sorted by math level:

By Math LevelAverageMinutes
Bottom 25%3.0543
Middle 50%4.5811
Top 25%5.51021
Class Average4.3796

What this table clearly shows is that the students that need the most practice, the lowest level math students, were working the least in the class. However, the average minutes in this table are higher for the bottom and middle percentiles than in the table that was sorted by minutes worked. That shows that some of the lower level students were spending more time trying to improve their math levels. Over time, that practice will pay off.

Two takeaways:

  1. Practice time makes a difference. While not a guarantee, the more time your student spends practicing math (or reading or any other subject) the better their level will be. This is why a daily homework time is essential.
  2. Grades will follow minutes. If your student has a lower math level than you would like, nothing is likely to change until you find ways for them to practice more at home. It would be great if your student would take initiative and practice on their own. But if they are struggling, it is likely that they are not practicing. You’ll need to step in and help them organize your time if you want to see a change. Over time, more practice will make a difference.

Originally posted 2017-12-04 15:41:19. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Ask what’s missing

Monday, March 4th, 2024

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Originally posted 2015-12-19 07:13:07. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Praise Junkies?

Monday, February 26th, 2024

How much praise I offer, and for what, is a subject that I have to deal with a lot in class. Below is a quiz from Love and Logic to shed some light on the issue of praise in your home.

Take the following quiz to see whether you are creating responsibly independent kids…or praiseaholics:

  1. When my kids succeed on a task, I recognize their effort and their good feelings…rather than telling them how happy it makes me.
  2. I demonstrate that I love them, even when I don’t necessarily love their behavior.
  3. I allow my kids to see me resisting peer pressure…rather than always trying to project a perfect image.
  4. I provide praise rarely…and only when they have done something truly praiseworthy.
  5. My kids often overhear me talking about how I make my decisions based on my own beliefs…rather than seeing me make decisions based on what “everybody else is doing.”
  6. I allow my kids to make affordable mistakes and learn from them…rather than constantly telling them what to do.

The more “yes” answers you gave, the more likely your kids will learn to resist peer pressure and lead lives where their happiness is based on doing the right thing rather than trying to please everyone.

Here’s the rest of the article.

Originally posted 2014-03-13 16:34:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Integrity 

Monday, February 19th, 2024

Originally posted 2016-11-19 07:10:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Fail better

Monday, February 12th, 2024

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“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

– Samuel Beckett, writer

Originally posted 2015-03-21 08:47:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter