Really Don't Know What Is He Doing... HaHa

Date:  Jan 18, 2014

Once a while, it is fun to watch what Jay Jay is doing.

He is doing his CMA homework.  Let’s check out how he come up with answers.

CMA has both Mental Arithmetics and Abacus Arithmetics. 

Seems like very easy questions.

I watched from behind how he does the abacus calculations.  

And I am totally lost.  Wahahahahahaha

But to him, he seems to know how to visualise (-8 = -10 + 2) or (-7 = -10 +3 = -10 + 5 - 2)

I was completely lost there.  But I am glad that Jay Jay knew the basic concepts.

I did not get the chance to learn Abacus when I was young.  But I do see quite impressive improvement from Jay benefited from this class.  Although it is not MOE syllabus, but it helps Jay Jay to learn that there are many ways of dong computations.  

And only last week that I learned that parents (we) need to help mark their homework as teacher will not mark it for us.  So, that is why I need to take a look at what he is doing so that I can mark his work at the same time.  For 1 whole year, I thought that Jay Jay did the homework and the teacher will correct it when he go to the class.  But I was wrong unfortunately.  Wahahahaha

But it is fun!

Abacus

Date:  Dec 4, 2013

In School, they will teach our kids to do addition and subtraction from RIGHT to LEFT.  So, they will have to learn how to do the math operations from RIGHT to LEFT.  The correct way.

I aslo sent Jay to CMA so that he can learn how to use Abacus as well as doing mental calculations in his head.  For Abacus, one will need to compute calculations from LEFT to RIGHT.

So, in order to combine and blend this skill into his day to day life properly, I let him do some Math assessment book without the Abacus.  And then, made him correct his own work by checking the answer using the Abacus.

He likes it.  As he gets to use the red pen to mark his own homework.  When there is something that is wrong?  Then, he gets to see why he got it wrong and try to get the answers correct.

Racing with Time

Date:  April 27, 2013

That is Jay Jay's favourite iPod.  This time, it is used as a TIMER.  He use the time to keep track of his speed of solving math questions for the CMA.

Two weeks ago, Jay Jay was very proud when his form teacher says he is No. 1 doing the homework at Learnlogy.Com.  The teacher make a big deal of it, and praise the students who did the online home work fast.  You know Jay Jay never got No. 1 yet.  So, this probably is the first time he is No. 1 in doing anything.  So, he feels proud of it.

Unfortunately he feels too proud and become obsess with it.  Last week, he is No. 3.  The reason is, his school bus is late, and he can never beat his classmates who's mommy fetch them back early.  So, he can cry if he cannot access the learnlogy.com fast, or cannot reach home fast, etc.  So, I wrote an email to the form teacher to feedback about the inappropriate of contest based on unfair starting conditions.  Not every students can make it back home fast.  So, the contest become meaningless.  I also have spent lots of time to educate my son regarding this.

So, today, he has to take the CMA grading mock up test.  Every exercise has to be completed within 3 minutes.  So, this is his first taste of a real "Test" or "Exam"… and a real test on racing with time.  So, with the help of iPod Timer, he clock his timing when doing these exercises.

He is no stranger to the word "grading".  As his Taekwondo has grading test.

So, he felt proud of finishing this particular one within 51 seconds which is far lesser than the 3 minutes needed.

And he knows now what is the big deal about racing with time.  He also truly understand the "unfair" conditions for the little contest his form teacher making so big deal off.  

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/5a5N7hTTxAo

During student days, kids will need to learn and understand what is meant by "Test", "Exam" and "Grading".  And racing with time is a very good example to teach the kids regarding this.  Also, do fast does not mean that he can do correctly.  So, the concept of "do fast" and "do correctly" must come together.

I am glad my son now understand this.  Bravo Jay!