5 Months with Cameron

TALKERS DON'T MEAN THINKERS:

I'm trying to raise a thinker.
Apparently, when he sees word problems ALL thinking capabilities go OUT THE DOOR.

I find myself talking VERY LOUDLY....

Maria has 3 pictures on every page of her picture album.
IF. SHE. TAKES. THREE. PAGES. TO. SCHOOL. HOW. MANY. PICTURES. DOES. SHE. TAKE?

I drew the pages, I used crayons on the table to touch, I reminded him we're using simple multiplication...


NOTHING.

SCARY WORDS:

Cam has decided he doesn't want to read words. Like word problems, or books, or anything. Ugh.

He can read, but he thinks he's "not a good reader," which is code for: it looks too hard. Or: this might take too long.

This is very frustrating for me as a teacher because there is NOTHING wrong with his reading! He needs to WANT to read. He wants me to do the back of all his math sheets with the EASY PEASY math problems. Seriously....THEY. ARE. NOT. HARD.

He won't think for himself. UGH.


**My dilemma today...how long can I stand for him to sit working on problem number 3?



WORD PROBLEMS:

I've diagnosed one of Cameron's problems with WORD PROBLEMS. He's too literal.

Cammie is making bead necklaces. She needs 4 red beads, 3 yellow beads, and 6 blue beads for every necklace. If she is making 5 necklaces, how many blue beads does she need?

Cameron: Why is she making necklaces? Who are they for?
What's her pattern going to be with those?
Is she selling them?
Does she have to buy the beads?
...
...


NO! IT'S NOT REAL!! I DON'T KNOW CAMMIE. YOU DON'T KNOW CAMMIE. SOMEONE WROTE THIS PROBLEM SO YOU'D BE A THINKER!! UGH!!