Algebra 1 in 5th

[Anonymous]

My son, who is currently in 3rd grade, goes into a 5th grade AAP class for math each day. He is working on 6th grade math in this class. He is on track to take Algebra 1 in 5th grade. I had assumed that he would be going to a middle school for this class. We were just informed that, in all likelihood, he will be taking Algebra 1 as an online course at his elementary school. I am trying to get some information regarding what other children in a similar situation have done before. (I don’t think that taking Algebra this way is the best option for him).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son, who is currently in 3rd grade, goes into a 5th grade AAP class for math each day. He is working on 6th grade math in this class. He is on track to take Algebra 1 in 5th grade. I had assumed that he would be going to a middle school for this class. We were just informed that, in all likelihood, he will be taking Algebra 1 as an online course at his elementary school. I am trying to get some information regarding what other children in a similar situation have done before. (I don’t think that taking Algebra this way is the best option for him).

I would be more concerned about your 3rd grader in middle school vs where he takes Algebra. Folks tend to overlook the complexities with maturity.

[Anonymous]

We didn't push for our 5th grader to be moved up a grade for math because we didn't want him taking Algebra 1 online and that is what our school does. I also don't see the point of advancing him that fast and that is just a year. We send him to RSM for more challenging math and remind him that math at school is good for foundational practice and to make sure he has those basics down cold.

[Anonymous]

OP, get used to the idea of online classes, because you will have years of them. Algebra I in 5th and Geometry in 6th should both be online, because the social issues and logistics of going to the middle school to take them will be too challenging. Then, when your child is in 7th and 8th, it is unlikely that your middle school will offer Algebra II and PreCalc. Once again, the logistics of heading to the high school most likely won't work out, and you'll be online those years as well.

The online classes are fine, and your kid should have no trouble with the material. If you're at all worried and think they need a human touch, sign them up for AoPS classes. They'll learn the material in much more depth, and they'll have an in-person teacher. They'll still have to do the FCPS online class, but it will be trivially easy in comparison.

[Anonymous]

My FCPS kid took Honors Algebra 1 in 5th grade in person. There were no problems socially. It did help that there were kids in the class that were taking it as 6th graders too. But, it’s just one class. They go in, sit down, do their work, and leave. It’s not as dramatic as them skipping two complete grades and all classes are at the middle school. I would push for in person.

[Anonymous]

I encourage you to look ahead at where this path leads and recognize that faster isn't better.

[Anonymous]

I would just sign him up for AOPS, where he will be with other kids like him, and assume he'll get very little out of school math other than review.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I encourage you to look ahead at where this path leads and recognize that faster isn't better.

Looking at the logistics of skipping ahead is always a good idea. I disagree with the implication that OP is rushing things and should slow down. FCPS does not skip kids ahead 2 or 3 years in math unless the kid is an extreme outlier. The kid will not get "stronger foundations" from slowing down. The only thing he could possibly get from slowing down is extreme boredom in math class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I encourage you to look ahead at where this path leads and recognize that faster isn't better.

Looking at the logistics of skipping ahead is always a good idea. I disagree with the implication that OP is rushing things and should slow down. FCPS does not skip kids ahead 2 or 3 years in math unless the kid is an extreme outlier. The kid will not get "stronger foundations" from slowing down. The only thing he could possibly get from slowing down is extreme boredom in math class.

The school wouldn't move him on if he couldn't do the work but that doesn't mean that it is the best for the kid. There are other ways of challenging the child that does not mean that they are taking Algebra in 5th grade. AoPS or RSM offer classes that would provide the challenge that the child needs while giving him the socialization and foundational practice that a 3rd grader needs at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son, who is currently in 3rd grade, goes into a 5th grade AAP class for math each day. He is working on 6th grade math in this class. He is on track to take Algebra 1 in 5th grade. I had assumed that he would be going to a middle school for this class. We were just informed that, in all likelihood, he will be taking Algebra 1 as an online course at his elementary school. I am trying to get some information regarding what other children in a similar situation have done before. (I don’t think that taking Algebra this way is the best option for him).

Where we live, you need to be at one of the rich schools for this to happen. I remember one of my kids was scoring 250+ on their MAP-M at the beginning of 3rd. Kids who score that high at the end of 5th were placed in Algebra in 6th at the affluent schools but our school didn't have any advancement so my kid wasn't able to take algebra until 7th. They had long since mastered the material on their own and the school knew this but it didn't matter.

[Anonymous]

OP here. We are actually not at one of the County’s “rich” schools. While the school is not a title one school either, it seems more average in terms of the socioeconomic level of the families. My son’s need for something much more was recognized by his kindergarten teacher in the second week of school.

[Anonymous]

OP, I teach high school math. I would caution you to think twice, and then twice more, about pushing this far ahead.

A student who takes algebra 1 in 7th grade will run out of math at my FCPS school. They will have to take senior year classes at NVCC, online, or skip math entirely. Fine for a year, maybe even a good college prep lesson for an 18 year old.

A kid who takes algebra 1 in 5th grade will run out after freshman year. (6th grade: Geo, 7th grade: Alg 2, 8th gr: precalc/level 1 IB, 9th grade Calc/level 2 IB) Then what? A sophomore doesn't have a drivers license to get to Nova for classes. If your kid goes to TJ they'll have a few more options, but that's an "if". I guess if they are at an IB school they could try going to an AP school to take AP calc, or from an AP school going to an IB campus for that crossover, but it's not straight forward.

I'd try to hold off on algebra until 6th, because then your student will at least have a (small) cohort of kids in the county doing what yours does.

FWIW, I do have a 7th grader in my honors algebra 2 class. He's having a hard time. He flew through algebra 1 and geometry according to prior teachers, but his brain just doesn't seem developed enough to pick up the algebra 2 concepts that quickly (he's 12!) He has a B, but he's working really hard to get that B. Maybe your child is different, my sample size is n = 1 (in 15 years I've never had another 12 year old in algebra 2), but it feels like a big time race to nowhere in most cases.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this, it must be super stressful to try to balance what your kid can handle within the confines of a school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A student who takes algebra 1 in 7th grade will run out of math at my FCPS school. They will have to take senior year classes at NVCC, online, or skip math entirely.

Sorry, I lied, they could take a "gap year" of AP stats somewhere in the calculus track to not run out of math. That buys one more year for the 7th grade algebra student. Most of those kids want to keep going forward though, not side step.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I teach high school math. I would caution you to think twice, and then twice more, about pushing this far ahead.

A student who takes algebra 1 in 7th grade will run out of math at my FCPS school. They will have to take senior year classes at NVCC, online, or skip math entirely. Fine for a year, maybe even a good college prep lesson for an 18 year old.

A kid who takes algebra 1 in 5th grade will run out after freshman year. (6th grade: Geo, 7th grade: Alg 2, 8th gr: precalc/level 1 IB, 9th grade Calc/level 2 IB) Then what? A sophomore doesn't have a drivers license to get to Nova for classes. If your kid goes to TJ they'll have a few more options, but that's an "if". I guess if they are at an IB school they could try going to an AP school to take AP calc, or from an AP school going to an IB campus for that crossover, but it's not straight forward.

I'd try to hold off on algebra until 6th, because then your student will at least have a (small) cohort of kids in the county doing what yours does.

FWIW, I do have a 7th grader in my honors algebra 2 class. He's having a hard time. He flew through algebra 1 and geometry according to prior teachers, but his brain just doesn't seem developed enough to pick up the algebra 2 concepts that quickly (he's 12!) He has a B, but he's working really hard to get that B. Maybe your child is different, my sample size is n = 1 (in 15 years I've never had another 12 year old in algebra 2), but it feels like a big time race to nowhere in most cases.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this, it must be super stressful to try to balance what your kid can handle within the confines of a school system.

+1 there’s no advantage at the college level with racing through either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A student who takes algebra 1 in 7th grade will run out of math at my FCPS school. They will have to take senior year classes at NVCC, online, or skip math entirely.

Sorry, I lied, they could take a "gap year" of AP stats somewhere in the calculus track to not run out of math. That buys one more year for the 7th grade algebra student. Most of those kids want to keep going forward though, not side step.

I agree that you need to figure out the path. To get an advanced diploma, kids need 4 years of math IN HIGH SCHOOL, not just 4 years of high school math (please someone correct me if I am mistaken about that). If that is the case, you need to figure out what math classes will be available in high school for your student.