D On Math Test Uggghhhh

Updated on February 19, 2015
J.J. asks from Lancaster, NY
24 answers

I'm incredibly disappointed with my kid's last math exam on which she received 65/100 points (6th grade percents, ratios, beginning algebra) On one hand, she's in the high math group so the work is harder, on the other hand, she doesn't seem terribly motivated to study.

Some background:
-she is working a year ahead of grade level
-she does all the homework, which doesn't count on the grade, but she seems to rush through it
-I helped her study for the test, but she complained about it and thought she already knew everything
-most of her classmates are in the "GT" program, but she was moved to that group because she had taken a supplemental math program and already knew the grade level material
-I would say she is above average intelligence, but certainly not gifted

The biggest issue I have is the amount of complaining she did about studying for the test. I kept giving her practice problems and I knew she was going to have trouble on this test, but I thought she could at least get a B.

So my question is, what would you do about this if anything?

What can I do next?

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E.J.

answers from Macon on

What is her overall grade?

I would base it more on that than one test. Maybe this was a fluke? Maybe she got cocky and needed to be taken down a peg? Or maybe she is in to deep and needs to be taken out of the class? Her overall grade will show more than one test will.

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A.S.

answers from Boca Raton on

I think I would have her placed in the "regular" math class (rather than the advanced).

We homeschool and we don't move on until a concept is mastered. The flip side is that, if my son can demonstrate mastery via testing, we move ahead. We don't believe in busy work for the sake of busy work.

Maybe she doesn't see the benefit of being in the advanced math (?). Perhaps in her mind - work is work and who cares what level it is?

Somehow I'd try to get her to see the benefit of moving ahead (presuming there is one). She may not be motivated by the "prestige" factor alone. I know my sons weren't.

ETA: I highly second TF's tutoring suggestion. My younger son is way beyond me in math, and even when I could teach him he did much better with a tutor.

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M.H.

answers from Dallas on

If it were me, I would start by talking to my daughter. Although you and her teacher will ultimately get the final say, you might want to know how she feels about the test, how she feels about the class, if she wants to stay in a higher level (and put forth more effort) or drop back.

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More Answers

T.N.

answers from Albany on

Okay, I'm gonna let you in on a secret. Ready?

Not everyBODY does everyTHING right every SINGLE time.

Not even you. Not even her.

She is not a Miserable Failure In Every Aspect Of Life Because She Got A D On One Test.

Maybe I didn't read your question carefully enough.

One single test in one single class in one single year of her very long academic career.

If it occurs to you she is in over her head....next year you choose math class accordingly.

:(

12 moms found this helpful

S.L.

answers from New York on

She thought she already knew everything and didn't need to study. She was proved wrong by her grade. The big question is -- Did she learn from this experience? Will she do things better next time. Stay calm, Do nothing, watch what she does before the next test without you getting involved. Maybe she will show some new maturity IF you give back off and give her the chance.

8 moms found this helpful
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D..

answers from Miami on

Your daughter is in 6th grade. She is young. The reason I say this is that a math expert came and talked to our school and discussed brain development for kids. The school my kids went to offered algebra in 8th grade to kids who showed an APTITUDE for it, and in 9th grade for those who didn't. SEVENTH graders were given pre-algebra to introduce them to algebraic concepts.

The school math team had a lot of success with the way they did this. It helped out the kids who weren't ready A LOT.

You need to stop being "disappointed" with your six grader. You need to figure out what her actual development is. If you don't, you will just make her hate math. I know how it feels. I hated math.

Get her a math tutor. Someone who is young and fun (a girl, not a boy) who will be patient and make her feel like math can be enjoyable. Don't expect miracles right now. Until her brain develops more, she will not "get" stuff other than what she just plain memorizes. At some point, if she has some math aptitude, the light bulb will turn on.

6 moms found this helpful

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

what is there to do?
she got a D.
that's her consequence.
khairete
S.

5 moms found this helpful

D.P.

answers from Detroit on

I would say that its just one test. That said, she did not get a D from a 4 problem test, she got it from 100 problem test. That equates to not knowing a significant portion of the material. Maybe this is enough to shake her into putting a lot more effort.

In the whole scheme of things, it is true that mathematics does not apply to real life. It does however, provide skills for problem solving, patience and perseverance. These are skills that can only help in adulthood.

As to what I would do, I would sit your daughter down and ask her what she thought about the test and what she thought happened.

In our home, we have a daughter who meets the checklist of our gifted program but we always define her as hardworking and try to refrain from calling her smart. This way when she fails she would not feel stupid and says self beating things like, "Maybe I'm not smart enough", or worse. Instead, hopefully, she would realize that when she fails it will be because she did not put out the effort necessary to succeed.

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

Math is also harder to study for IMO. I am an auditory learner. It was terrible for me to study for math. I got through algebra only because a friend's mom tutored me for the exam. I would consider that you are not her best teacher and see if there is a study hall or before/after school study group she could join. Locally we have those opportunities and also a Saturday school for just this kind of thing.

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C.V.

answers from Columbia on

Move her back to the regular program. If she's unwilling to do the work, she's not ready to move ahead.

ETA: My 8th grader brought home some poor math grades recently. I can see by the assignments that it's based on his not understanding a particular concept. The result is that he's out of extracurriculars until the grade is raised, and attends after school tutoring.

And, not to be a nitpicker, but if "most" of her classmates are in the GT program, I would question the legitimacy of the program at all. Most children aren't gifted, no matter how much their parents might wish they were.

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R.A.

answers from Boston on

I'd have her return to the regular group for at least a couple months and see how she performs there.

She is in 6 th grade. Putting pressure on her to perform and be in a higher math class then what she may need isn't going to help her study any better or perform well on tests. It will create anxiety in her.

I hated math in school, and often would not want to tell my mom that I just don't get it. Until my grades indicAted it on my report cards.

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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I would do nothing. She and her teacher are responsible for her math.

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J.B.

answers from Boston on

Back way the heck off - you are far too involved in her academics. Your role is to offer help if needed. If she doesn't feel she need help studying, etc. then that's her choice.

What you can do is reward effort or results with privileges. School is her job. When her job is complete, she has time for extra-curriculars and a social life, which are privileges. When her job is not complete, she has to give up some of those things she likes until her work is done.

You then need to define "work" - for one of my sons, "a done job" consists of all homework completed and for exams, either 80% or better as a grade of visible evidence of studying (e.g. completed study packets, or he asked me to do vocab with him or quiz him, etc.). You'll also then need to define privileges...not getting homework done? Too bad, there goes your phone for a while. Bombed a test for which you didn't study enough? Too bad, guess you'll spend some time this weekend reviewing the material to make sure that you know it and are prepared for what's next.

Set up some qualitative measures (reasonable ones, not "you must get an A on everything") and tell her that those are her requirements. If she meets those requirements, great! Leave her alone. If she is having trouble meeting those requirements, then it's your job to make available any extra help she may need - a study buddy, time after school with the teacher, a tutor, or, if requested, your assistance. But school is HER job and at this age, it doesn't count for anything, so let her miss the bar on her own and let her live with the consequences so that she'll internalize the lesson and manage herself without your intervention. If she chooses to not study and does poorly, then she'll have some loss of privileges (however those are defined) as a consequence.

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J.F.

answers from Las Vegas on

Even if she can *do* the math and has been working ahead of grade-level, she might not be motivated to do what it takes to stay in the accelerated class.

Sounds like grade-level math is fairly easy for her, so she just whizzes through it, but when she's challenged, she's resistant to doing the necessary work. Sometimes, kids who are bright expect everything to come easy to them, and when it doesn't, they give up too easily. Find out if that's what's happening.

Time to have a talk with her about this. Kids do have different levels of motivation at different points in their academic careers. Does she really WANT to be in accelerated math? If so, she must understand and agree that she has to put in more time, more effort, and do more work to stay in the advanced class. She must also understand, if she's used to getting all As in math, that she may well get a "B" in this class, and that it's okay since it's advanced level work.

Ask her if she is willing to commit to that level of work. If this were my child, I would encourage her to do so (provided you believe she really can do this work) because I'd not want her to develop the habit of giving up when things get tough and don't come so easily. Building this kind emotional stamina is an important skill for kids to learn.

On the other hand, if she is not willing to do the work, or if you think that she is being challenged beyond her actual skill level, then those would be good reasons to move her back to grade-level math. If the advanced class IS too much for her at this point, it's better to be realistic about it and have her succeed at grade-level than to barely pass the advanced class.

So, if your daughter really can do this level of work and she wants to remain in the class, she needs to have a clear understanding of why she's in that class, accept all that's involved in accelerated classes, and be willing to commit to that level of work, or if not, move back to her grade-level.

Have an honest talk outside of homework time to find out what's really going on with her. You don't want to discuss this when she's frustrated with the work or you're upset with her.

Best to you and your daughter

J. F.

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O.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

Nothing.
She will see the consequences of not studying.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

If she's working a year ahead of grad level I'd consider dropping her back to grade level.
This isn't a matter of her not being able to do the work - she doesn't WANT to do the work - she hasn't got the maturity to do the studying she needs to do.
Maybe she's getting more busy socially, or distracted by other things but her heart is not into getting as good a grade as she could get in this class.
Another year of maturity might make a difference.
If not, you're going to have to figure out what will motivate her so she WANTS to do well with her school work.

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A.R.

answers from Dallas on

In our house grades are tied to privileges - if you want to play sports your grades must be above a b average, same for sleepovers with friends and other privileges. It's worked to be a pretty good motivator. It's flexible, so if we see a trend we can tighten up by throwing more privileges under the grade 'umbrella', or if we know they're trying but still struggling we can be more lenient. If that one D dropped my child's average then they would be out of sports till the average moved above a B. If not, then they would have to follow new study rules until they could show me they were capable of studying on there own (i.e. I tell them what/how to study the material, they don't get to choose - must type spelling words in sentences/make flash cards/etc instead of just read them aloud - that kind of thing).

ETA - I disagree you need to back off universally. My kids started a new school this year, much more rigorous. What I learned was the didn't know HOW to study. I helped them, a lot, the first 3 months. Now that they know how to study I've backed off, however if I see them slacking I may step back in.

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D.B.

answers from Boston on

I agree with Elena. She needs to advocate for herself and speak to the teacher directly. She should go for extra help (free, after school - she can ask the teacher which days the teacher is there). She can have a talk with the guidance counselor about her lack of motivation and whether she is properly placed in a class.

I think you have to look at this as ONE TEST. A test is a measure of what a student knows - if everyone does poorly, the teacher needs to look at the test. If the student does poorly, the student needs to assess what she did wrong. But I don't believe in taking one test as anything other than an indicator that a student didn't understand the material. It's not the end of the world, and people can't go so stressed out about grades that kids feel they can't change and do better.

A parent's job is NOT to be studying with the child, giving her problems to do, etc. If you thought she would get a B, then you may be like many other parents - not as clear on the teacher's expectations or the math concepts involved. So don't be her tutor, and don't be her motivator. And don't put the pressure on her to get As and Bs all the time - sometimes a kid is going to blow the test, that's all. If she just got over-confident because she took a supplemental course and thought she knew it all, then she knows she was wrong in her self-assessment. Put it back on her and, if you insist on anything, it should be that she meet with the teacher and then report back to you that it has been done.

Figure out what bothers you so much about this grade - if it's that she was cocky and had attitude, then the grade has humbled her. If it was all the complaining she did, then you know that you need to walk away from that and not listen to it. If she has a complaint, she can talk to the teacher. This is part of being a middle schooler and then a high schooler - the parents stop doing it all and having all the conferences, and the kids start to take on more responsibility.

I'm not saying it's good to have a kid who is lazy and not trying, but sometimes kids complain because they are really afraid that they can't manage the material, so they take the attitude that it's all "stupid" and "not worth my time." She has one job, which is to do her work and to have as much fun as possible doing it. If she makes herself miserable, that's on her. If she's overwhelmed, then you can guide her into working with the staff to find a way out of it. Maybe she needs a tutor, but maybe she just needs some one-on-one time with the teacher who watches her do a few problems and identifies where your child is blocked or making an error.

If it were me, I would give my daughter a week to speak to the teacher and set up an appointment for extra help. After that, I would consider taking away a privilege only for not contacting the teacher - I would not make a big thing out of the grade itself. And I'd maybe (maybe) email the teacher saying I have instructed my kid to contact you, and please let me know if there's anything you need me to do on this end.

If the bad grades become a long-term thing (like the next 2 tests), then I might sit down with teacher and/or guidance counselor to find out why my kid is so lost. Kids need to learn that things aren't always easy the first time out, and they have to work at it.

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L.A.

answers from Austin on

How does she feel about this grade?

Math takes an understanding of each step. You miss a concept you can not move on.

Gifted classes do not mean the students are gifted, it is the technique of the teaching that is different. It depends on the students speaking up and showing they understand and the teacher being able to move at an accelerated teaching and to speak to explain and being able to show different directions to reach a goal.

Your daughter is also a young teen. Lots going on in her mind at all times. I recall being very distracted in middle school. My friends were way more important than my grades. Those were not by best years in school. Math was my worst subject and I found it tedious and really hard to understand. The verbage was confusing. I now wish I had been taken back to basics to build up those skills and then make sure I understood the termenology.
I was able to hobble along, but I was just happy to get close to a passing grade. I was never going to do well in upper level math. I had other talents though.

You need to speak your daughters language. I shut down when people get frustrated with me. I need to feel free to say "I still do not understand." And people repeating the directions the same way over and over does not help me. Sometimes I need a person that understands how MY mind works. Not based on the way others learn.

I guess what I am saying is your daughter needs to be reassured, you know that she is frustrated, that it is ok not to understand, but that she is in charge of her education and if she does not understand, she needs to speak up, over and over until she does.

Go back to basics with her about her attitude. Complaint is not acceptable. Being frustrated, confused, still not understanding are words that give a true description of what she is experiencing.

Taking a 5 minute break, is ok.. This does not include watching tv, going to her cell phone.. But getting a glass of water, standing and stretching is fine. Then looking up solutions to solving the problem is an option. Going step by step, to see where the hiccup is, is also helpful. She can speak out loud each step so that she can see the steps she is doing and can see where it is she gets confused or stuck.

You may not be her best tutor. It may be that she needs someone not emotionally involved in her success. A tutor.. Maybe a high school student could help. Ask her teacher for some suggestions.

Hang in there mom. I know this is frustrating. Keep in mind, your daughter is struggling. She is used to being able to grasp a concept and move on. She could begin to shut down if this turns into a battle rather than a way for her to learn how to explain , that she does not understand certain concepts and how to ask for the type of help she needs. Tell her that there are many things that you do not understand, but then also tell her the steps you use to get through solving these situations.

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T.F.

answers from Dallas on

Maybe she is just not ready for the GT program she is in.

Around here there are not a lot of GT students in each grade level. I would have some concern about the overall program being qualified as GT if most of her classmates and majority of students are in GT.

There is a difference between Regulars, Honors, AP, GT and IB. The group with the most students around here is Honors and when it comes to high school many of the Honors students also go to AP courses to earn college credit.

If I were you I would find out exactly what type of program she is in. If you choose not to pull her back (and even if you do), I would suggest some private tutoring. A child dies not have to be failing to benefit from a private tutor.

Our daughter was Honors and AP and she took private tutoring through middle school. We spent a lot of money but it was well worth it because she learned different strategies on approaching a subject, how to study and how to test. She graduated high school with honors and is in her 2nd year of college with a 4.0. We both credit a lot of that to her tutor.

Good luck

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E.B.

answers from Austin on

I would encourage her to speak with her teacher and guidance counselor. I'd encourage her to advocate for herself, with you along as support, if needed.

I think this would be a different response if she were working at grade level, with her peers. When you bring in other factors, such as working a year ahead, being moved to a GT math group even though that is not her usual school level, and the lack of independent studying, then this might indicate that a more appropriate math placement is in order.

A gifted math program usually involves more than mastering the material. The speed at which the class moves along, the way that students are often expected to study independently, the extra projects - it all can make a class more demanding.

But at this age it should not be you - it should be her who speaks up and says that perhaps a different math class would be better. Help her find the words, and help her make the appointment, and then let her discuss the issues with the appropriate people.

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S.H.

answers from Dallas on

Maybe too much pressure on her. Ask her if she wants to be in that class or take a step back.

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Nothing. As long as she doesn't need you to find a tutor for her, then it's her grade and honestly it's not that big of a deal, especially in 6th grade. The honest, bare bones truth is that you can't force her to study. Yes, you can make her sit in a chair; you can make her open her book; you can make her put her head in a position to read the book, but you CAN'T make her mind work or her eyes read. Those are things only SHE can control so really mom, you have no control here.

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

My 6th grader is having a tougher year than all his other grades. Things used to come very easy to him but this year he has to work harder, study harder, jump out of his comfort zone and speak to the teachers when necessary and they have more homework and a different teacher to navigate for each subject. Cut her some slack for this one test.

He learned a new word from me recently- micromanage. I told him I don't want to do this for him, but will guide him when needed. Your advanced 6th grader should have been able to study on her own or should not be in that class. There is nothing wrong with quizzing her on vocab, etc. but to make up problems for her???

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