Question: My first-grader is having a difficult time handling math sentences even though she has drill sheets to practice basic addition every night. I'm afraid that if she doesn't get it soon, her road ahead in math is going to be very rocky. -- A Math Problem
Answer: It is early still to give up on your daughter getting math. What she needs is a lot of practice with real objects until she learns what addition does. For example, to illustrate the math sentence 3 + 2 = 5, show her three coins and ask her to put down two more. The next step is for her to count the coins to get the answer. Then she should write what she has done as the math sentence 3 + 2 = 5.
Once your child understands what addition does, she is ready to move on to using addition flash cards. If she can't solve a problem in three seconds, she should lay out the problem using coins or markers, or even count it out on her fingers or use a number line. Eventually, with sufficient practice, she will learn the basic addition facts.