When I first start homeschool MS, he was 10 years old back than. He was OK and haven't actually got trouble when he was in school. He was a famous kids especially when it's come to art. He been called an artist, so do my other kids. I been told by his teacher, that he is a bit behind and slow in his reading. I do notice that but didn't take much notice or further action. I thought as he is a boy. Although I did had some tiny worried about it back than as when he was a baby, he got a prolong jaundice and really quiet at the time. During his toddler years, he struggle to talk a proper conversation until he about 3 years old. This build an anger in him. Unlike PS who start talking properly as adult at the age of 1. I know that prolong jaundice can cause some damage in brain. But, hub think I was too over reacted. MS was sort of slow kids , if I am to compare with PS. Who is always active and cleaver. May be if I am to compare with her, being a girl and a first child.
Of course each kids is different. Therefore I just think that he will get his own way one day, one time. After I start homeschool, many thing had come up from him. I found out that he don't really like school as he always struggle to catch up with others. He is a bit slow in doing things. it is his way of doing things, and I do think it did had some little effect from the jaundice and being a number two in the family. Many things contributed into that which I cannot see just yet at the time. Subhana Allah.
When I am to compare with what I learn in my primary school with what they learn here, of course it was so much different in term of workload and level. Back there in Malaysia, the curriculum especially in Maths is so much higher than UK. Of course it's not good in some point if it's in all other subject as well. But, I do think that good in Maths is actually help our brain to work better, concentrate better and help how we look at things and solve problem in our day to day life. Maths for me, help our brain to work at it's best.
At the time, I was frustrated. I don't know where to start. I don't know how am I going to do this. When I see the curriculum he need and should work on for Maths, he seems so much behind. How on eart am I going to rectify it?
One thing I see with Maths is if we cannot master basic, than all other topic such as times, problem solving, fraction and many others will be a problem. Big problem. Therefore to master the basic of Maths which is Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division is very important. Very very important indeed. Therefore I chuck out all the curriculum for Maths and level he should be doing and get him to master his Maths. I start with Addition and Subtraction. It might seems baby work at the time for ten years old boy, but he need to do plenty of exercise to master it in his brain. To train his brain. Than after a while, I moved him to Multiplication and Subtraction. We are on this basic Maths for one year. Yes, one whole year.
I had to ignore any other sub topic. He don't even be able to tell time properly at the time. He not been able to recognise the type of measurement. But, who care...at least for me. It has been up and down the lane. I make him do lots of Maths worksheet every day for hours and hours. Until he felt sick and I felt sick looking at them. I feel sorry for him, but I determine to put my feet firm on the ground. I believe, one day he will realise and look back he will thank me for been horrible to him.
As for lack in basic Maths and her sister is too good in it, he has a very low in self confidence. As we used Maths in our everyday life. He had to take long time to figure out small easy calculation of money and etc. He felt low and he think he just not as clever as others. It's just the way he is.
After a long battle and he started to master his Multiplication than come division, he start to gain confident. He find it getting easier and easier every time. I remember he playing Maths games. He hated it so much when I ask him to go on it. He always lost in short time. After so much training and exercise, one day when I get him to go on it, he win easily and pheww...his confident go over the roof, Subhana Allah....
At the time, I look into his eyes and said to him, look....after a long hard work and patient, there always a reward. What I want to teach him as well is that, nobody in these world is fool. Allah had give everybody the same brain. Only some people had to work hard and some don't have to. Plus, after hard work and patient, there always be a reward. Always.....From there on, everything change. I mean, everything. Once his confident had boost, he realise that in nothing come easy, but if he work on it, nothing hard. Everybody can achieve thing, if we want. If there is a will, there will always be a will. For me, it's very important for every kids to have this confident to pursue in their adult life. Live is not easy at some extent. We all had up and down. But, didn't mean we are a loser. There always a way to do things..Insya Allah..
Now, after four years from we first start our battle on Maths..after all the tears, shout and scream...( yes, I scream and shout...he just cannot get it like his mind is somewhere on the air!), he is not just boost his confident but also it change him. His concentration had gone from 0 to 9 out of 10. Therefore in our daily life now, things are easy and better with him. Well, not just better, but excellent..he is I could say, someone who had come a long way, but had made a big achievement and grow up very maturely indeed. Alhamdulillah again.
He is now working towards finishing the whole GCSE curriculum towards grade A-C. Insya Allah he is looking to finish it by end of this month with Conquer Maths. If he was in school, he still got year 10 and 11. Which is in some way, he will be two year in advance in Maths.
On that note, after he master with Multiplication and Division with printed worksheet from lots of website , I just mix and match, I get him on Mindsprinting for sometimes. Again he was on the same topic for sometimes before moved to different topic such as fraction, factors and etc. In between I get him to do his Maths workbook as well, from variety of publisher. Than I been introduce with Conquer Maths by dear homeschool friend. I out him on Conquer Maths which start the curriculum level from year 5. In between when it come to a new topic, Conquer maths actually didn't give much and deeper exercise. Like I said, it is important for Maths to do lots of exercise. I will usually stop him in the middle of Conquer maths and get him on workbook and worksheet for the topic. Such as Fraction, Factors, Decimal. There are workbook that concentrate on each topic individually for the whole workbook. Which mean plenty of exercise on the same topic. Which I love it very much. MS find it help a lots as well as after plenty of exercise, he will understadn better. Than we back on Conquer Maths and will stop in between the middle.
Now, Alhamdulillah as he seems getting on well on Algebra and equation from Conquer Maths, workbook and some worksheet, he start our new term with Conquer Maths for Year 9. He had just finish that. He wasn't actually happy to stay on it and said that he's not master some part of it and he want some workbook and revision on it. But, I told him that I want him to finish the whole of Conquer Maths Curriculum, than we can just get on focusing on individual sub topic and revision. Plenty of revision one after another. Plus it can be less teaching for him on that and he can just get on with plenty of revision , therefore we can start concentrate on other subject.
This is what he had done since we start our new term after Eid, Alhamdulillah:
- Ratio- using scale
- Rates- simplifying, problems 1, problems 2,
- Number application - Simple interest, discount, profit & lost , commission,
- Algebra 1- identifying number pattern, the nth term of a sequence, the gradient, equation of,
- Algebra 2- Grouping symbols IV, generalise arithmetic, factorisation by a common factor
- Equations- equation with bracket III, Equation involving fraction I, Equation involving substitution, Inequation, Solving problem using Equations
- Measurement & circle- The parts of circle, circumference, area of circle, volume of cylinder
- Geometry- Angel sum of polygon, Mixed example of angles, test for congruent triangles, regular polygons
- Pythagoras Theorem- Finding TH, Finding TH, Finding a shorter side
- Statistic- Finding the median from a table
- Representing Data- Travel Graph, Pie Graph
- Algebra- The midpoint
- Statistic- Stem and leaf plots I, scatter graphs and correlation
- Probability- Experiment of Probability, Making a list,
He got another three weeks to go to finish everything. Than I will go through one by one sub topic for Key stage four together with plenty of revision for GCSE Maths higher paper, Insya Allah. I had plenty of revision workbook for him from Key stage 3 revision test, key stage 4 and GCSE. I did talk to him about taking GCSE exam for Maths next summer, but we not certain anything yet at the moment. I would love him to. He seems OK with it. The only thing is he said he need lots of revision to master him with it. I am very very happy. Which is now I am concentrating with his English. Looks like we are moving somewhere also in his English although others might see it as little achievement or nothing. Not just that, I am trying to create this exciting things about writing, which ended up not just MS, but S and AS also ask to do writing! AS asking me last night at around 8pm! And yes, I start work with him at 8pm and he come out with quiet an xcellent story which shock to us! That will be in another post! Insya Allah..
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