Starting AAP Level IV in 4th grade, math prep?

[Anonymous]

My DC is starting at the Level IV Center this fall as a 4th grader. DC was receiving Level III services at the base school this year, and got some extra enrichment in math, but I understand we will need to cover most of 4th grade math this summer because the 4th graders at the Center will be working on 5th grade math. Does anyone have experience with that transition and advice on what I can do to prepare DC? Are there good workbooks to use? I have also considered hiring a teacher as a tutor.

[Anonymous]

My child came in as a fourth grader, and it was just fine.

There were a few holes here and there that needed to be filled in, but the teachers addressed them as they occured.

I would not stress too much about getting through a years worth of math this summer.

It is far more important that your child starts the year eager and excited to learn.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

If you need to hire a teacher as tutor, then your child does not need level 4 services.

[Anonymous]

The child was in a class that didn't go over 4th grade math. The child may still be bright, but if they haven't been taught something, they won't necessarily know it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: The child was in a class that didn't go over 4th grade math. The child may still be bright, but if they haven't been taught something, they won't necessarily know it.

If child is bright and needs AAP then child should catch on with no need of a tutor.

[Anonymous]

agree with PP that your child should be just fine. I had same worry when we moved here and my 4th grade son started AAP in 5th. The teacher said not to worry because these kids tend to pick things up quickly. she was right.

[Anonymous]

OP, get on amazon.com and buy a fourth grade math workbook. Have DC do it over the summer. Your DC will be fine. I just know that I wouldn't want my DC to have a gap of a whole year of math, even if he does really well in the fifth grade math. The workbook will familiarize him/her with the material the other kids in his/her new class will have already covered.

[Anonymous]

Both my DCs needed more time with the math basics (the rote memorization parts) and entered the accelerated math at 5th grade and did just fine without the need of a tutor. One was ready for Algebra Honrs in 7th and one in 8th (he is my late bloomer and young for his grade). Both are doing great in MS and HS.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the advice. Sounds like we'll be ok without the tutor. I'm a little taken off guard by the snarky comments. This particular DC has anxiety and while DC's math aptitude test scores were good enough to qualify for AAP, math is not DC's favorite or best subject.

[Anonymous]

DC'll be fine - I'm in the same boat - my DC is starting at a center in 4th grade - if DCs math aptitude test score was high, (my DCs was too) I can't believe they won't be able to do the work and if they're a little behind, they should hopefully catch up really quickly.

[Anonymous]

My DC started AAP in 4th grade and is not a good math student. There was some struggling at the beginning of the year, but DC caught on quickly.

However, we should have spent some time getting DC to memorize the multiplication table as that would have made it easier for DC.

[Anonymous]

No experience with your situation, but have a DC going into 3rd grade AAP with probably higher-than-average math. In the orientation, I asked specific question about the math curriculum. The teacher said they do differentiate in the center.
For 3rd graders, they will have access to 3rd/4th/5th grade math. The expectation is majority 3rd grader AAP will start with normal 3rd grade math, then quickly move on to 4th grade. For the ones that need extra time, they will stay on 3rd grade math longer. For the few need extra challenges, they will even start teaching 5th grade math in 3rd grade AAP.
I would imaging the same apply to 4th grade AAP. The majority will taking 5th grade math, while some stay on 4th grade if needed.
One way to find out is to contact the center 4th grade teacher.

[Anonymous]

OP, you could look into Mathnasium -- I know of locations in Vienna (Maple Ave.) and McLean. They will test your child to see where your child now stands and then work over the summer with your child to build skills. We sent our daughter there the summer before she started AAP in third grade and it really helped her feel confident when she began AAP. She has gone each summer since, just to keep up her math skills. (She does not go during the school year, though some kids do that too.) Mathnasium does not send home any worksheets or homework -- all the work is done there and you largely get to set a schedule that is convenient for you -- for iinstance your child might go two or three times a week, for an hour a time, or maybe 90 minutes -- depends on your schedule, and if you need to pick up a bit later one day, it's fine if your kid is there a little longer etc. If you need to go on a different day one week because something came up, that's fine too. Pretty relaxed schedules but good instruction, for my kid at least. I really recommend it.

The point is not to give your kid a full year of math education in one summer but to ensure skills stay sharp and that maybe he also works ahead a bit. And yes...ensure that those multiplication tables are strong before school starts, whether you use Mathnasium or not.

[Anonymous]

There are plenty of math apps for the iPad and iPhone that are helpful - that would seem more fun to me that workbooks or a tutor. I would find a couple apps that do double digit addition/subtraction and single digit multiplication and get really comfortable with those and then move on when those are mastered. There will be 2+digit mult and division in 4th, as well as work on fractions, probability etc. There will likely always be kids ahead and behind in math, but I'm sure a little bit of practice over the summer will help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No experience with your situation, but have a DC going into 3rd grade AAP with probably higher-than-average math. In the orientation, I asked specific question about the math curriculum. The teacher said they do differentiate in the center.
For 3rd graders, they will have access to 3rd/4th/5th grade math. The expectation is majority 3rd grader AAP will start with normal 3rd grade math, then quickly move on to 4th grade. For the ones that need extra time, they will stay on 3rd grade math longer. For the few need extra challenges, they will even start teaching 5th grade math in 3rd grade AAP.
I would imaging the same apply to 4th grade AAP. The majority will taking 5th grade math, while some stay on 4th grade if needed.
One way to find out is to contact the center 4th grade teacher.

And here's how much what math group they are in 3rd grade will matter --- not at all. Please just let your kids have a summer. Mathnasium, Kumon, Aloha Math are not necessary for AAP kids. These grade school years are supposed to be the ones when there is no pressure, which trust me, will come soon enough. When my son transferred to a center in 5th, I think we got him a workbook. He never looked at it and was captain of his Math Counts team the next year. I have no idea what math groups he was ever in, although I remember him telling me he wasn't good at math in 1st grade because all the other kids (in China) had tutors and already knew how to multiply and divide. So what? He survived and got a great deal of satisfaction from doing it on his own --something very few kids seem to be allowed to do nowadays.