How did you decide if your child should take Algebra in 7th grade?

[Anonymous]

I have been thinking about this a lot. I almost hope he does not high pass the SOL. He did very well on the iowa (97). He is AAP at a level IV school and I feel there is a lot more to learn and review before algebra. They missed a bunch of days due to snow and then rushed through the final part of the curriculum for a mid May SOL.
My son as organization problems and hates to show his work. BUT, will he be any different in 8th grade? And math is probably his favorite subject, because he does well in it.

[Anonymous]

Mother of a very bright kids w/ organizationaL issues. We had huge problems with the MS adjustment for this reason. Think about it-- it's not one class, It's seven, with different homework, teachers who stem' prompting them to turn in assignments, instruments to & from everyday, PE uniforms home & back each week. And not turning in homework docks the grade. We ended up with an ADHD diagnosis, a 504 and low dose meds & things evened out-- after a miserable first semester with nightly meltdowns and me feeling like I was nagging constantly. Don't underestimate the never level of organization that MS requires!

[Anonymous]

Does he need to be in a math class beyond Calc BC while still in high school? Not unless you think he's bound for MIT

[Anonymous]

You want Calc to be fresh in their minds as they go off to college - not some class they struggled through in 10th or 11th grade. Calc will be the essential to most BS degrees.

[Anonymous]

I'm a high school math teacher, and I wish they would let the kids have the extra year of fundamentals before starting Algebra. I see so many bright kids in advanced/honors classes who were rushed through the basics just so they could do Algebra in 7th grade. They would have been better served with a stronger foundation, imo.

[Anonymous]

I fretted over this decision quite a bit. My DS was in LLIV, and did not love math, though he always got 4's. When he scored a 99%ile on the Iowa, and got a 600 on his SOL, I felt I might shortchange him if he did not take it. I really expect him to do some sort of engineering, he has that type of mind and the interest to go with it. Anyway, even with ADHD and a 504, he has done great in Algebra I. He actually started loving math this year. Did we have an adjustment period with regard to organization? Absolutely, but he realized quickly that if he did not keep up with his math homework, he would be spending a lot of weekend time doing it. Now, he did only score a 498 on his algebra SOL. This was his lowest SOL grade ever, but his math teacher assured him that his performance (straight A's) in class has proven to her that he is ready for Geometry next year in 8th. The thing is, you know your child best, and every child is diffferent.

[Anonymous]

when do we know the 7th grade math sol scores?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:when do we know the 7th grade math sol scores?

Our school said they would give us all scores during the last week of school.