1st grade my oh my

My oh my teaching 1st graders how to count backwards is harder than you think.Your kids may know how to count to 100 but count backwards five numbers from numbers given.Some the kids will be there for 10 minutes trying to find the answer for that one question.I was sitting in my friends class yesterday helping her grade papers while she was teaching it my oh my.They had a hundred chart up on the smart board.She would tell them to go touch what ever number and to count back 5 numbers.Some did it without a problem and some jumped like 2 rows forward.Then when its time for me to work we have 3 1st graders in our program.So homework time there math has to deal with counting forward and backwards.It takes them forever to do it and these 3 struggle so bad.There attention is like 5 minutes if that.Then the way I have to sit them around the table so they are not copying each other answers.It is very hard to keep them focused on homework.They are boys so of course they want to go play. There parents want there homework done with us.Parents teachers need your help as well to work with them.They can only do so much in the time frame of a busy go day.You can tell the kids that get help from home and the ones that don't.Then when it comes to reading they are still learning it just frustrating at times.When they know it and just say random things.I have my work cut out for me this year with the 3 1st graders in the program. Then 4 Kindergarten learning everything.But I will make the best of it and help them out the best I can.I have few tricks up the sleeve to help them.