Little sister is failing math class but gets 1st place in math competitions.

[Leros]

My little sister is in the 5th grade. She is very bright and is probably the top kid in her class, which is pretty good considering the private school she goes to.

She has currently started failing math class. She does poorly on the homework and performs subpar on the tests. The weird thing is that she particpates in a regional math competition, which uses material taught in the class, and she gets 1st place or 2nd place every time. Nobody can make any sense of this.

She says that the homework frustrates her and she doesn't get the material, but obviously she does because she does very well at these competitions.

Any idea what is going on here? My parents are thinking about get her a tutor, but is that really necesary?

Justin

 

[I Saw OJ]

The work is probably too easy for her so she gets bored and doesnt perform well. I had the same problems in school, it frustrated my parents to no end.

 

[Gilligansdingy]

Heres a nifty idea... Let you parents raise your sister and stop second guessing them.

 

[theeedude]

Originally posted by: Leros
My little sister is in the 5th grade. She is very bright and is probably the top kid in her class, which is pretty good considering the private school she goes to.

She has currently started failing math class. She does poorly on the homework and performs subpar on the tests. The weird thing is that she particpates in a regional math competition, which uses material taught in the class, and she gets 1st place or 2nd place every time. Nobody can make any sense of this.

She says that the homework frustrates her and she doesn't get the material, but obviously she does because she does very well at these competitions.

Any idea what is going on here? My parents are thinking about get her a tutor, but is that really necesary?

Justin

Probably losing interest/motivation. Maybe it just got too boring for her, she stopped studying, but now she is unprepared, so that frustrates her.
A good tutor can do wonders, and is worth every penny. The hard part is finding a good one.
If you can find a retired math teacher, or maybe a math teacher who recently came here from another country and hasn't got a teaching job here yet, that should be good.

 

[imported_Mike]

Probably just an attention whore.

 

[Eeezee]

Mental problems, seek a psychiatrist

 

[theprodigalrebel]

Maybe she gets a bigger kick out of winning a math competition than a silly class test?
(i.e. regular school-work doesn't motivate/interest her)

Or maybe it's the cash prize at the math competition...after all, even kids need iPods.

 

[Mo0o]

math competitions and math classes are different. the math at some of these math competitions aren't difficult per se but require a certain amount of cleverness to solve. maybe your parents can look into a tutor?

 

[IMaN00BieGF]

She's probably very intelligent, but has a learning disorder and doesn't understand the homework even though she could solve them if she understood it.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: Gilligansdingy
Heres a nifty idea... Let you parents raise your sister and stop second guessing them.

here's another nifty idea, maybe, just maybe, he actually cares about his sister.

 

[dabuddha]

Which competitions is she winning exactly? The stuff you use in math contests aren't necessarily taught in classes per se

 

[Schadenfroh]

I know how she feels, when I was in elementary school they had me in remedial because my grades sucked and the teachers thought I was an idiot, until I owned everyone in my grade on the standardized tests that we started taking.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Mike
Probably just an attention whore.

Yah, she's using the "failing at math" move to get more attention from your parents.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Gilligansdingy
Heres a nifty idea... Let you parents raise your sister and stop second guessing them.

Another moronic sheep who thinks authority knows best, and thus should never be questioned. :roll:
Please, educate yourself, so you don't make yourself look foolish

 

[tfinch2]

If she was really the top of her class, she wouldn't be failing math.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Mike
Probably just an attention whore.

Ban.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: Leros
My little sister is in the 5th grade. She is very bright and is probably the top kid in her class, which is pretty good considering the private school she goes to.

She has currently started failing math class. She does poorly on the homework and performs subpar on the tests. The weird thing is that she particpates in a regional math competition, which uses material taught in the class, and she gets 1st place or 2nd place every time. Nobody can make any sense of this.

She says that the homework frustrates her and she doesn't get the material, but obviously she does because she does very well at these competitions.

Any idea what is going on here? My parents are thinking about get her a tutor, but is that really necesary?

Justin

As many summed up in this thread, she's most likely just bored.
You should get her parents this book

 

[ranmaniac]

She could very well be gifted in math, and merely bored with the material she is currently getting in the 5th grade. I'm sure there are some tests that would determine that, and her peformance at the competitions should give notice to her counselor that she is capable.

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
The work is probably too easy for her so she gets bored and doesnt perform well. I had the same problems in school, it frustrated my parents to no end.

I concur with this opinion.

When math is too easy for you... homework often feels just like busy work...
then you often miss some trivial detail that would have helped on the tests.


This is especially true of assignments more than 10-15 problems... assigning 40 problems in 1 night just seems excessive.

 

[Cattlegod]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
math competitions and math classes are different. the math at some of these math competitions aren't difficult per se but require a certain amount of cleverness to solve. maybe your parents can look into a tutor?

I like this answer the best.

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: sao123

Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
The work is probably too easy for her so she gets bored and doesnt perform well. I had the same problems in school, it frustrated my parents to no end.

I concur with this opinion.

When math is too easy for you... homework often feels just like busy work...
then you often miss some trivial detail that would have helped on the tests.


This is especially true of assignments more than 10-15 problems... assigning 40 problems in 1 night just seems excessive.

Aw, another emo kid whining about how much work he has to do. Cry me a river.. boring? Why don't you learn to stop being lazy and just do the work like every other normal good kid.
:roll:

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: sao123

Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
The work is probably too easy for her so she gets bored and doesnt perform well. I had the same problems in school, it frustrated my parents to no end.

I concur with this opinion.

When math is too easy for you... homework often feels just like busy work...
then you often miss some trivial detail that would have helped on the tests.


This is especially true of assignments more than 10-15 problems... assigning 40 problems in 1 night just seems excessive.

Aw, another emo kid whining about how much work he has to do. Cry me a river.. boring? Why don't you learn to stop being lazy and just do the work like every other normal good kid.
:roll:

Lol... Right after you realize that im the teacher and not the student.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Is she doing this out of spite for some other issue in life maybe?

Have you actually sat down with her to do the homework? Maybe it's just a lack of confidence?

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: sao123

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: sao123

Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
The work is probably too easy for her so she gets bored and doesnt perform well. I had the same problems in school, it frustrated my parents to no end.

I concur with this opinion.

When math is too easy for you... homework often feels just like busy work...
then you often miss some trivial detail that would have helped on the tests.


This is especially true of assignments more than 10-15 problems... assigning 40 problems in 1 night just seems excessive.

Aw, another emo kid whining about how much work he has to do. Cry me a river.. boring? Why don't you learn to stop being lazy and just do the work like every other normal good kid.
:roll:

Lol... Right after you realize that im the teacher and not the student.

You missed the point of my post.
It was sarcasm to mock the general attitude of a vast majority of parents that has a very rigid, and very poorly thought out view on what they think is best for their kid.
It's actually a loophole if you consider that schools has the same set of ideals as the parents - very little encouragement for critical thinking, but instead encourages for you to just follow the norm and do the work. Students go through that process, and it becomes a set of their ideals... except for a small minority, more intelligent than the average sheep, would be able to see how backwards that way of thinking is. But for the most part, the average person is pretty dumb, and will accept that. They will grow up to become parents, and will end up forcing their own kids through the same set of ideals. The gifted and intelligent children will then get beaten down, and forced through the same conformist institutions, and the average sheep prevails.
The world is a one big sick joke.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: Leros
My little sister is in the 5th grade. She is very bright and is probably the top kid in her class, which is pretty good considering the private school she goes to.

She has currently started failing math class. She does poorly on the homework and performs subpar on the tests. The weird thing is that she particpates in a regional math competition, which uses material taught in the class, and she gets 1st place or 2nd place every time. Nobody can make any sense of this.

She says that the homework frustrates her and she doesn't get the material, but obviously she does because she does very well at these competitions.

Any idea what is going on here? My parents are thinking about get her a tutor, but is that really necesary?

Justin

The work is too easy and she gets bored. It happened to me very early as well. You need to get your parents to put her in some accelerated program or have her skip a grade in Middle School.

If your parents don't do this, she will start to get extremely lazy and learn to do everything half-assed. Seriously, she needs to feel challenged. She also needs to fail on her own after being challenged. It will be the only thing that may wake her up.