pre-algebra topics?

[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?