pre-algebra topics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Illustrative is a free curriculum, so you can look it up yourself online. You can look at everything covered in 8th grade math and you can also have your student do the 8th grade illustrative math course on Khan Academy.

The main algebraic concepts covered in 8th grade that they will need to learn are:

- Linear equations with the variable on both sides (like 1/2x + 5 = 2x - 10)

- Solving systems of equations with graphing and substitution

- The basics of functions

thanks for bearing with all my questions.

I have a smart but unmotivated 6th grader who is very alienated by the computer-first pedagogy. He’s fundamentally got no math issues except that Iready and Zearn are irritating and demotivating formats. I’m pretty sure he could learn those three things now with a human teaching him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you look on the Illustrative website there's an explanation of the condensed version so the content of grades 6-8 is done in two years. Faster pace but also less built-in review.

Can you link? All I see is accelerated 6-7. Is the idea that 7th is prealgebra?

There's not really any specific thing called "Pre-Algebra" in this curriculum. They learn the 6th-8th grade curriculum over two years. You can call the second half or the third third "Pre-Algebra" if you feel like it, I guess.

So if my kid isn’t getting through the 8th grade Illustrative Math in 7th he won’t be ready for algebra in 8th?

Well, I think if your kid's bright enough to take Algebra I in 8th, he'll probably be able to figure it out despite not taking 8th grade math. Whether the school will allow him to take Algebra I is a separate question.

That’s what I’m failing to understand. Doesn’t the content build on itself? It seems like you shouldn’t just be able to skip content because you are “bright”?

It does build on itself, but kids who are bright can usually figure it out as they go along. Or watch some YouTube videos about it, or the teacher or staff can give them a little extra help. It will be fine.

That still literally does not make sense to me.

I really don't know what else to tell you. If they're smart in math, with the teacher's help, they'll catch up as needed. Because that's part of what it means to be smart in math.

Are you asking this because your kid is not being allowed in Algebra? Or because you don't like that the school is putting your kid in Algebra?

I’m asking because I want my kid to be prepared for algebra, and in the absence of actual textbooks, it’s impossible for me to tell how I can make sure that happens. Based on the loosey-goosey approach of letting some kids skip 7th grade math and others skip 8th grade math, I’m coming to believe that maybe nobody is trying in DCPS to systematically prepare kids for algebra. If there isn’t a concrete sequence of knowledge that has to be built to enroll in algebra then it sounds possible that they just put the “smart kids” in algebra and give up on the rest. Would not surprise me!

There's a lot of variety among DCPS schools. At Deal, they test them in 6th and start offering accelerated classes. Nothing is skipped, it's just done in a shorter period of time. Or some of 8th grade math is taught during the Algebra I course. There are lots of ways to do this. But you need to stop thinking of math learning as a rigid linear sequence. It does build on itself, but it's more flexible than you think. It has to be, because kids move here from other states and countries in every grade.

This may have changed in the last couple of years, but when my kid was in 6th at Deal, the school gave iReady at the start of the year and kids who scored high enough completely skipped Math 6 and were put into Math 7. OP, if you can afford it, another option is Mathnasium. No computers - just kids working through math on paper with a math expert for every 4 or so kids to help teach when needed. We went to the one in Cathedral Commons and my kid really enjoyed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Illustrative is a free curriculum, so you can look it up yourself online. You can look at everything covered in 8th grade math and you can also have your student do the 8th grade illustrative math course on Khan Academy.

The main algebraic concepts covered in 8th grade that they will need to learn are:

- Linear equations with the variable on both sides (like 1/2x + 5 = 2x - 10)

- Solving systems of equations with graphing and substitution

- The basics of functions

thanks for bearing with all my questions.

I have a smart but unmotivated 6th grader who is very alienated by the computer-first pedagogy. He’s fundamentally got no math issues except that Iready and Zearn are irritating and demotivating formats. I’m pretty sure he could learn those three things now with a human teaching him.

So buy a $10 prealgebra workbook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Illustrative is a free curriculum, so you can look it up yourself online. You can look at everything covered in 8th grade math and you can also have your student do the 8th grade illustrative math course on Khan Academy.

The main algebraic concepts covered in 8th grade that they will need to learn are:

- Linear equations with the variable on both sides (like 1/2x + 5 = 2x - 10)

- Solving systems of equations with graphing and substitution

- The basics of functions

thanks for bearing with all my questions.

I have a smart but unmotivated 6th grader who is very alienated by the computer-first pedagogy. He’s fundamentally got no math issues except that Iready and Zearn are irritating and demotivating formats. I’m pretty sure he could learn those three things now with a human teaching him.

So buy a $10 prealgebra workbook.

Is it that much to ask that the school provide a sequenced curriculum that parents can support at home with actual materials, that sets out everything that needs to be learned in a year to progress to the next year?

I guess so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Illustrative is a free curriculum, so you can look it up yourself online. You can look at everything covered in 8th grade math and you can also have your student do the 8th grade illustrative math course on Khan Academy.

The main algebraic concepts covered in 8th grade that they will need to learn are:

- Linear equations with the variable on both sides (like 1/2x + 5 = 2x - 10)

- Solving systems of equations with graphing and substitution

- The basics of functions

thanks for bearing with all my questions.

I have a smart but unmotivated 6th grader who is very alienated by the computer-first pedagogy. He’s fundamentally got no math issues except that Iready and Zearn are irritating and demotivating formats. I’m pretty sure he could learn those three things now with a human teaching him.

So buy a $10 prealgebra workbook.

Is it that much to ask that the school provide a sequenced curriculum that parents can support at home with actual materials, that sets out everything that needs to be learned in a year to progress to the next year?

I guess so.

My friend, you do have a sequenced curriculum. It's called Illustrative Mathematics. You can view it here: https://illustrativemathematics.org/math-curriculum/6-8-math/ Here is a detailed course guide to 8th grade math: https://curriculum.illustrativemathematics.org/MS/teachers/3/narrative.html If you ask the school for at-home materials I'm sure they'll be happy to point you to some.

If you don't want your child to skip 8th grade math, discuss that with the school. If you have some sort of problem with spiraling, that's on you. Most people are fine with it, and it doesn't mean the curriculum isn't "sequenced". It's sequenced in a manner that involves some review, and that is a good thing because most kids benefit from a refresher or a more detailed look at something.

You are overestimating the extent to which math needs to be learned in a linear sequence. There isn't a single correct order of doing things. As a PP said, it's more like a group of concepts that need to be mastered but not necessarily one before another. More likely they all need to be learned concurrently at a gradually escalating level of complexity and inter-relation.

It seems like the real problem is you're unhappy with what you see as your son's lack of motivation and lack of cooperation with computer learning. Maybe you need to look into the reasons for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Illustrative is a free curriculum, so you can look it up yourself online. You can look at everything covered in 8th grade math and you can also have your student do the 8th grade illustrative math course on Khan Academy.

The main algebraic concepts covered in 8th grade that they will need to learn are:

- Linear equations with the variable on both sides (like 1/2x + 5 = 2x - 10)

- Solving systems of equations with graphing and substitution

- The basics of functions

thanks for bearing with all my questions.

I have a smart but unmotivated 6th grader who is very alienated by the computer-first pedagogy. He’s fundamentally got no math issues except that Iready and Zearn are irritating and demotivating formats. I’m pretty sure he could learn those three things now with a human teaching him.

So buy a $10 prealgebra workbook.

Is it that much to ask that the school provide a sequenced curriculum that parents can support at home with actual materials, that sets out everything that needs to be learned in a year to progress to the next year?

I guess so.

My friend, you do have a sequenced curriculum. It's called Illustrative Mathematics. You can view it here: https://illustrativemathematics.org/math-curriculum/6-8-math/ Here is a detailed course guide to 8th grade math: https://curriculum.illustrativemathematics.org/MS/teachers/3/narrative.html If you ask the school for at-home materials I'm sure they'll be happy to point you to some.

If you don't want your child to skip 8th grade math, discuss that with the school. If you have some sort of problem with spiraling, that's on you. Most people are fine with it, and it doesn't mean the curriculum isn't "sequenced". It's sequenced in a manner that involves some review, and that is a good thing because most kids benefit from a refresher or a more detailed look at something.

You are overestimating the extent to which math needs to be learned in a linear sequence. There isn't a single correct order of doing things. As a PP said, it's more like a group of concepts that need to be mastered but not necessarily one before another. More likely they all need to be learned concurrently at a gradually escalating level of complexity and inter-relation.

It seems like the real problem is you're unhappy with what you see as your son's lack of motivation and lack of cooperation with computer learning. Maybe you need to look into the reasons for that.

No, this mushy concept of “spiraling” and the ambiguity of what kids need to master before algebra is a big problem - and it’s especially a problem for kids with learning challenges like mine. It’s not in fact true that Illustrative Math 6-8 represents everything kids need to learn before pre-algebra because some kids skip 7th grade math and many more skip 8th grade math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Illustrative is a free curriculum, so you can look it up yourself online. You can look at everything covered in 8th grade math and you can also have your student do the 8th grade illustrative math course on Khan Academy.

The main algebraic concepts covered in 8th grade that they will need to learn are:

- Linear equations with the variable on both sides (like 1/2x + 5 = 2x - 10)

- Solving systems of equations with graphing and substitution

- The basics of functions

thanks for bearing with all my questions.

I have a smart but unmotivated 6th grader who is very alienated by the computer-first pedagogy. He’s fundamentally got no math issues except that Iready and Zearn are irritating and demotivating formats. I’m pretty sure he could learn those three things now with a human teaching him.

So buy a $10 prealgebra workbook.

Is it that much to ask that the school provide a sequenced curriculum that parents can support at home with actual materials, that sets out everything that needs to be learned in a year to progress to the next year?

I guess so.

My friend, you do have a sequenced curriculum. It's called Illustrative Mathematics. You can view it here: https://illustrativemathematics.org/math-curriculum/6-8-math/ Here is a detailed course guide to 8th grade math: https://curriculum.illustrativemathematics.org/MS/teachers/3/narrative.html If you ask the school for at-home materials I'm sure they'll be happy to point you to some.

If you don't want your child to skip 8th grade math, discuss that with the school. If you have some sort of problem with spiraling, that's on you. Most people are fine with it, and it doesn't mean the curriculum isn't "sequenced". It's sequenced in a manner that involves some review, and that is a good thing because most kids benefit from a refresher or a more detailed look at something.

You are overestimating the extent to which math needs to be learned in a linear sequence. There isn't a single correct order of doing things. As a PP said, it's more like a group of concepts that need to be mastered but not necessarily one before another. More likely they all need to be learned concurrently at a gradually escalating level of complexity and inter-relation.

It seems like the real problem is you're unhappy with what you see as your son's lack of motivation and lack of cooperation with computer learning. Maybe you need to look into the reasons for that.

No, this mushy concept of “spiraling” and the ambiguity of what kids need to master before algebra is a big problem - and it’s especially a problem for kids with learning challenges like mine. It’s not in fact true that Illustrative Math 6-8 represents everything kids need to learn before pre-algebra because some kids skip 7th grade math and many more skip 8th grade math.

Oh FFS I don't know why I'm even bothering. The spiraling is not mushy. You can see it all laid out in the curriculum materials. They review things as specified on the curriculum website. That's what spiraling is. And it is not ambiguous what they need to master for Algebra I. The content of the Math 6-8 curriculum is what they need to master. The accellerated version contains less review. Simple as that.

Now, some kids are allowed into Algebra without completing 8th grade math because that's the best thing for them in the long run. It's fine. They'll catch up and the teachers can help them. It's no big deal if they're missing a few things. Happens all the time.

I think you're really upset about your son and frustrated because you're not sure how to help him. Are you afraid he won't be allowed into Algebra I?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Illustrative is a free curriculum, so you can look it up yourself online. You can look at everything covered in 8th grade math and you can also have your student do the 8th grade illustrative math course on Khan Academy.

The main algebraic concepts covered in 8th grade that they will need to learn are:

- Linear equations with the variable on both sides (like 1/2x + 5 = 2x - 10)

- Solving systems of equations with graphing and substitution

- The basics of functions

thanks for bearing with all my questions.

I have a smart but unmotivated 6th grader who is very alienated by the computer-first pedagogy. He’s fundamentally got no math issues except that Iready and Zearn are irritating and demotivating formats. I’m pretty sure he could learn those three things now with a human teaching him.

So buy a $10 prealgebra workbook.

Is it that much to ask that the school provide a sequenced curriculum that parents can support at home with actual materials, that sets out everything that needs to be learned in a year to progress to the next year?

I guess so.

My friend, you do have a sequenced curriculum. It's called Illustrative Mathematics. You can view it here: https://illustrativemathematics.org/math-curriculum/6-8-math/ Here is a detailed course guide to 8th grade math: https://curriculum.illustrativemathematics.org/MS/teachers/3/narrative.html If you ask the school for at-home materials I'm sure they'll be happy to point you to some.

If you don't want your child to skip 8th grade math, discuss that with the school. If you have some sort of problem with spiraling, that's on you. Most people are fine with it, and it doesn't mean the curriculum isn't "sequenced". It's sequenced in a manner that involves some review, and that is a good thing because most kids benefit from a refresher or a more detailed look at something.

You are overestimating the extent to which math needs to be learned in a linear sequence. There isn't a single correct order of doing things. As a PP said, it's more like a group of concepts that need to be mastered but not necessarily one before another. More likely they all need to be learned concurrently at a gradually escalating level of complexity and inter-relation.

It seems like the real problem is you're unhappy with what you see as your son's lack of motivation and lack of cooperation with computer learning. Maybe you need to look into the reasons for that.

No, this mushy concept of “spiraling” and the ambiguity of what kids need to master before algebra is a big problem - and it’s especially a problem for kids with learning challenges like mine. It’s not in fact true that Illustrative Math 6-8 represents everything kids need to learn before pre-algebra because some kids skip 7th grade math and many more skip 8th grade math.

Oh FFS I don't know why I'm even bothering. The spiraling is not mushy. You can see it all laid out in the curriculum materials. They review things as specified on the curriculum website. That's what spiraling is. And it is not ambiguous what they need to master for Algebra I. The content of the Math 6-8 curriculum is what they need to master. The accellerated version contains less review. Simple as that.

Now, some kids are allowed into Algebra without completing 8th grade math because that's the best thing for them in the long run. It's fine. They'll catch up and the teachers can help them. It's no big deal if they're missing a few things. Happens all the time.

I think you're really upset about your son and frustrated because you're not sure how to help him. Are you afraid he won't be allowed into Algebra I?

of course I’m upset about my son - that’s the entire point. the failure to articulate a curriculum and standards makes it extremely hard to help him.

and your explanation still makes zero sense. math 8 has a lot of content about geometry and data. how does this relate to preparing for algebra? I don’t think it’s that the kids who skip math 8 will be “caught up” when they are in algebra. I think the sequencing is deliberately ambiguous so they can effectively track kids and keep them in slower, lower demand classes; not because they have actually thought out what kids need to learn prior to algebra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Illustrative is a free curriculum, so you can look it up yourself online. You can look at everything covered in 8th grade math and you can also have your student do the 8th grade illustrative math course on Khan Academy.

The main algebraic concepts covered in 8th grade that they will need to learn are:

- Linear equations with the variable on both sides (like 1/2x + 5 = 2x - 10)

- Solving systems of equations with graphing and substitution

- The basics of functions

thanks for bearing with all my questions.

I have a smart but unmotivated 6th grader who is very alienated by the computer-first pedagogy. He’s fundamentally got no math issues except that Iready and Zearn are irritating and demotivating formats. I’m pretty sure he could learn those three things now with a human teaching him.

So buy a $10 prealgebra workbook.

Is it that much to ask that the school provide a sequenced curriculum that parents can support at home with actual materials, that sets out everything that needs to be learned in a year to progress to the next year?

I guess so.

My friend, you do have a sequenced curriculum. It's called Illustrative Mathematics. You can view it here: https://illustrativemathematics.org/math-curriculum/6-8-math/ Here is a detailed course guide to 8th grade math: https://curriculum.illustrativemathematics.org/MS/teachers/3/narrative.html If you ask the school for at-home materials I'm sure they'll be happy to point you to some.

If you don't want your child to skip 8th grade math, discuss that with the school. If you have some sort of problem with spiraling, that's on you. Most people are fine with it, and it doesn't mean the curriculum isn't "sequenced". It's sequenced in a manner that involves some review, and that is a good thing because most kids benefit from a refresher or a more detailed look at something.

You are overestimating the extent to which math needs to be learned in a linear sequence. There isn't a single correct order of doing things. As a PP said, it's more like a group of concepts that need to be mastered but not necessarily one before another. More likely they all need to be learned concurrently at a gradually escalating level of complexity and inter-relation.

It seems like the real problem is you're unhappy with what you see as your son's lack of motivation and lack of cooperation with computer learning. Maybe you need to look into the reasons for that.

No, this mushy concept of “spiraling” and the ambiguity of what kids need to master before algebra is a big problem - and it’s especially a problem for kids with learning challenges like mine. It’s not in fact true that Illustrative Math 6-8 represents everything kids need to learn before pre-algebra because some kids skip 7th grade math and many more skip 8th grade math.

Oh FFS I don't know why I'm even bothering. The spiraling is not mushy. You can see it all laid out in the curriculum materials. They review things as specified on the curriculum website. That's what spiraling is. And it is not ambiguous what they need to master for Algebra I. The content of the Math 6-8 curriculum is what they need to master. The accellerated version contains less review. Simple as that.

Now, some kids are allowed into Algebra without completing 8th grade math because that's the best thing for them in the long run. It's fine. They'll catch up and the teachers can help them. It's no big deal if they're missing a few things. Happens all the time.

I think you're really upset about your son and frustrated because you're not sure how to help him. Are you afraid he won't be allowed into Algebra I?

of course I’m upset about my son - that’s the entire point. the failure to articulate a curriculum and standards makes it extremely hard to help him.

and your explanation still makes zero sense. math 8 has a lot of content about geometry and data. how does this relate to preparing for algebra? I don’t think it’s that the kids who skip math 8 will be “caught up” when they are in algebra. I think the sequencing is deliberately ambiguous so they can effectively track kids and keep them in slower, lower demand classes; not because they have actually thought out what kids need to learn prior to algebra.

I suppose not literally everything in Math 8 is preparation for Algebra I, sure. Whatever. If you're concerned he'll miss something, why not ask the teacher for the materials and go over it with him yourself?