@ 5 year old 5 days
I started giving Ryan simple math additions sums a few months back. We initially started off with Kumon books which I bought from the bookstores. These books are expensive investments (S$10.90 each). Being kiasu, I bought a whole lot of them, not mainly on addition, but on other activities workbook such as tracing, substraction, ABC, etc… When Daddy goes for his business trips, he will get more. Recently he bought back two big books of Brain Quest workbooks. Still sitting elephant on the shelf.
Ryan gets bored easily. He’s inpatient and easily lose focus. He said the sums on Kumon books are too easy (straight line single digit addition), so I decided to start him on double digit addition based on sums (pretty easy I would say) for him to work on.
Here are some of his works… (Can’t helped but to frown each time I look at those bad handwriting, careless mistakes… ). I am definitely not destined to be a teacher.
On good days.. the handwriting is readable
So far he’s able to do 3-4 digit double line additions, simple straight single 1-2 digit double line substraction, division 2, identifying even numbers….
On bad days when he decides to get most them REPEATEDLY wrong… Arrghhhh
Anyway.. I brought him to a Enopi Centre near my place. Sat him down and the principal made him do some test. Her comments were… Ryan’s good both basic and critical math. However, he’s a little impatient such as these answers which were written without much thoughts (Ms Tee pointed to some of the dots in square box). He’s at Level 3 but we’ll start with some revision on Level 2 before moving him to Level 3.
Well, well, I have decided to put Ryan at the centre, twice a week, 45 minutes each. It is not so much on improving his math, rather I’m hoping the consistent and focussed 45 minutes will train him to be a more discipline student.
So now the hurdle is to get him to attend class. Before we visited the centre I had pre empted him that her friends are attending Math class…..
Here’s my conversation with Ryan.
Mommy: Do you know GH, C, B are all attending Math class?
Ryan: Mmm.. yes. GH and C goes Enopi, B goes Bmax
Mommy: So do you want to go?
Ryan: Yes Yes
Mommy: I think you can’t
Ryan: Why mommy? I want to go!!! (This son of mine has a problem with taking No for an answer)
Mommy: You have to be good in Math then only they will allow you to attend their class
Ryan: But I am good
Mommy: You have to prove to the teacher. Later, I’m bringing you for a test at the centre. You have to get focused and do well. Is that okay?
Ryan: Okay…
After the test, on our way home
Mommy: So how was the test?
Ryan: It was okay
Mommy: What do you mean?
Ryan: I don’t know…
Mommy: Fine! Everything you don’t know.
Ryan: No Mommy.. No… Teacher said I’m good.
Mommy: OK! (kept silent after that)
Ryan: So mommy, can I go or notttttttt??? Please….
Mommy: Were you good at the test or not?
Ryan: I don’t know..
Mommy: OK.. Teacher said you CAN go .. but you will be evaluated. So you must be good in the class all the time to be able to continue going. You get what I mean?
Ryan: Yes, mommy. I’ll be good.
After awhile of silent (after being in deep thoughts for awhile)
Ryan: Is G, C and B going to the same class or not????
Mommy: No you can’t. They are more advanced.
Ryan is a boy who can only strive when there’s peer pressure. It works well on him. He likes to tell us he wants to be succeesful, he wants to drive a Jeep (yes.. he likes Jeep because it can go off road), bla bla bla… So when he slack on something, we’ll use his friend to motivate him. Most of the time it works.
So we’ll see how he progress in Enopi class after he starts his first lesson next week….