Algebra 1 in 5th grade

[Anonymous]

His Kindergarten teacher recognized his abilities by the third week of school. At this point, the AART started working with him twice a week. She decided by the end of the year that he would need to move up into a higher level math class. In the fall of 1st grade, the county had him tested to make sure that the move was the correct one. He has been on that track ever since. And to answer a previous posters question, no, he exhibits no signs of being on the spectrum. He just has a profound gift in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. He was tested by the county at the beginning of 1st. That year he was in a 3rd grade AAP math class. During Kindergarten, he was pulled out twice a week and the AART was using material 3 and 4 years ahead.

How did he place into 3rd grade AAP math as a first grader?

He likely has Autism.

Actually, PP, you likely have autism based on your extreme fixations and inability to understand social cues. Maybe seek help rather than diagnosing kids over the internet based on very little info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Next year I will have an eighth-grader taking Alg I H… I would be concerned socially about a 5th grader in a class with her and her friends. Maybe some can handle it, and maybe some schools have enough younger kids to make a separate section.

It has never been a problem for my kid. The older kids don't pick on the ones who are much younger. They just ignore them.

Also, OP could have her child take the FCPS online honors algebra class.

I think the issue is the things the older kids are talking about

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is on a similar track. The downside is that there will be no math for him to take after sophomore year (at his school, he can possibly take it at a college). If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't bother - he likes math, and his grades are good, but it wasn't worth the logistical challenges (weird lunch period, shortened lunch etc).

Not app but we have this issue. I’d wait at least till 6th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Next year I will have an eighth-grader taking Alg I H… I would be concerned socially about a 5th grader in a class with her and her friends. Maybe some can handle it, and maybe some schools have enough younger kids to make a separate section.

It has never been a problem for my kid. The older kids don't pick on the ones who are much younger. They just ignore them.

Also, OP could have her child take the FCPS online honors algebra class.

I think the issue is the things the older kids are talking about

Not the AAP kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:His Kindergarten teacher recognized his abilities by the third week of school. At this point, the AART started working with him twice a week. She decided by the end of the year that he would need to move up into a higher level math class. In the fall of 1st grade, the county had him tested to make sure that the move was the correct one. He has been on that track ever since. And to answer a previous posters question, no, he exhibits no signs of being on the spectrum. He just has a profound gift in math.

Can he pass this? https://data.artofproblemsolving.com//products/diagnostics/prealgebra-posttest.pdf

If not, you should get him the AoPS prealgebra book. If he can, you should get him the intro to algebra book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Next year I will have an eighth-grader taking Alg I H… I would be concerned socially about a 5th grader in a class with her and her friends. Maybe some can handle it, and maybe some schools have enough younger kids to make a separate section.

It has never been a problem for my kid. The older kids don't pick on the ones who are much younger. They just ignore them.

Also, OP could have her child take the FCPS online honors algebra class.

I think the issue is the things the older kids are talking about

Not the AAP kids.

Oh lord! My DD is an AAP middle schooler. She and her classmates are indistinguishable from non-AAP kids behaviorally, in terms of how they talk, what they talk about, what music they listen to, etc. Most of it would be grossly inappropriate for a 5th grader.

OP, no one will pick on your little one. They will in fact be protective/admiring and probably call him Young Sheldon. However, he will be exposed to typical middle school language and behavior, which IMO he’s too young for. A friend’s child who took Algebra I in 6th did fine in the class work, but struggled with other kids’ behavior and teachers’ classroom management style. Which is apparently not much different if you do the coursework online (her second child who took the same route took online classes to avoid this and can into the same issues).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Next year I will have an eighth-grader taking Alg I H… I would be concerned socially about a 5th grader in a class with her and her friends. Maybe some can handle it, and maybe some schools have enough younger kids to make a separate section.

It has never been a problem for my kid. The older kids don't pick on the ones who are much younger. They just ignore them.

Also, OP could have her child take the FCPS online honors algebra class.

I think the issue is the things the older kids are talking about

Not the AAP kids.

Oh lord! My DD is an AAP middle schooler. She and her classmates are indistinguishable from non-AAP kids behaviorally, in terms of how they talk, what they talk about, what music they listen to, etc. Most of it would be grossly inappropriate for a 5th grader.

OP, no one will pick on your little one. They will in fact be protective/admiring and probably call him Young Sheldon. However, he will be exposed to typical middle school language and behavior, which IMO he’s too young for. A friend’s child who took Algebra I in 6th did fine in the class work, but struggled with other kids’ behavior and teachers’ classroom management style. Which is apparently not much different if you do the coursework online (her second child who took the same route took online classes to avoid this and can into the same issues).

PP here with a kid who also was bumped up several years in math and thought being among the older kids would be fine. My kid was not bothered by any inappropriate conversations among the older kids. There's probably some combination of the kids censoring themselves around a much younger kid, and my kid having older siblings and already being exposed to all of the 'older kid' stuff.

I think the online FCPS Honors Algebra class is the best option for OP's kid, both for social and logistical reasons. Any kid who is this far ahead in math will have no trouble at all with handling an online math class.

[Anonymous]

My son took Algebra in 4th, online version at the local community college, and kept taking online classes at this institution up to calculus this coming fall.

Content wise, there are many places where one could take online classes, like some previous posters mentioned AOPS, RSM, and many others. Community college might work if he needs some kind of credit, but in our district it is recommended that the student take the AP version of the class even if they took it at the community college, which in our experience were lighter in content and easy on grading.

Taking accelerated classes at the middle school didn’t work for us. At some point the school determined he should be in 6 grade math, but it was too easy for him, next year he was placed in 8th grade math (not honors) but they started with a review of decimal arithmetic that was pointless for him, and had weird scheduling of missing 15 mind of his previous class, arriving late at the next one etc. in the end the math teacher recommended he takes the online classes.

It’s really important to make sure he understands the content in depth, whatever he does at school, I’d recommend he supplements with other programs like AOPS etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Next year I will have an eighth-grader taking Alg I H… I would be concerned socially about a 5th grader in a class with her and her friends. Maybe some can handle it, and maybe some schools have enough younger kids to make a separate section.

It has never been a problem for my kid. The older kids don't pick on the ones who are much younger. They just ignore them.

Also, OP could have her child take the FCPS online honors algebra class.

I think the issue is the things the older kids are talking about

Not the AAP kids.

Oh lord! My DD is an AAP middle schooler. She and her classmates are indistinguishable from non-AAP kids behaviorally, in terms of how they talk, what they talk about, what music they listen to, etc. Most of it would be grossly inappropriate for a 5th grader.

OP, no one will pick on your little one. They will in fact be protective/admiring and probably call him Young Sheldon. However, he will be exposed to typical middle school language and behavior, which IMO he’s too young for. A friend’s child who took Algebra I in 6th did fine in the class work, but struggled with other kids’ behavior and teachers’ classroom management style. Which is apparently not much different if you do the coursework online (her second child who took the same route took online classes to avoid this and can into the same issues).

Can you give an example of things 8th graders talk about or music they listen that would be grossly inappropriate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son took Algebra in 4th, online version at the local community college, and kept taking online classes at this institution up to calculus this coming fall.

Content wise, there are many places where one could take online classes, like some previous posters mentioned AOPS, RSM, and many others. Community college might work if he needs some kind of credit, but in our district it is recommended that the student take the AP version of the class even if they took it at the community college, which in our experience were lighter in content and easy on grading.

Taking accelerated classes at the middle school didn’t work for us. At some point the school determined he should be in 6 grade math, but it was too easy for him, next year he was placed in 8th grade math (not honors) but they started with a review of decimal arithmetic that was pointless for him, and had weird scheduling of missing 15 mind of his previous class, arriving late at the next one etc. in the end the math teacher recommended he takes the online classes.

It’s really important to make sure he understands the content in depth, whatever he does at school, I’d recommend he supplements with other programs like AOPS etc.

FCPS is very rigid with credit for outside courses. OP's kid might be able to take a community college class, but they will not be allowed to use AOPS or RSM for FCPS credit, even if the AOPS and RSM courses are much more rigorous.

If the MS and ES are close together and line up so that OP's kid could take Algebra I Honors first period, and then walk to the ES right after, then taking the class in person might work. Otherwise, the schedules will not line up, and OP's kid really should look into the FCPS virtual Algebra I honors class. The class is mostly asynchronous, so the kid can do the lessons and homework when the other kids in his grade are taking their math class. It is by far the simplest option from a logistics standpoint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son took Algebra in 4th, online version at the local community college, and kept taking online classes at this institution up to calculus this coming fall.

Content wise, there are many places where one could take online classes, like some previous posters mentioned AOPS, RSM, and many others. Community college might work if he needs some kind of credit, but in our district it is recommended that the student take the AP version of the class even if they took it at the community college, which in our experience were lighter in content and easy on grading.

Taking accelerated classes at the middle school didn’t work for us. At some point the school determined he should be in 6 grade math, but it was too easy for him, next year he was placed in 8th grade math (not honors) but they started with a review of decimal arithmetic that was pointless for him, and had weird scheduling of missing 15 mind of his previous class, arriving late at the next one etc. in the end the math teacher recommended he takes the online classes.

It’s really important to make sure he understands the content in depth, whatever he does at school, I’d recommend he supplements with other programs like AOPS etc.

FCPS is very rigid with credit for outside courses. OP's kid might be able to take a community college class, but they will not be allowed to use AOPS or RSM for FCPS credit, even if the AOPS and RSM courses are much more rigorous.

If the MS and ES are close together and line up so that OP's kid could take Algebra I Honors first period, and then walk to the ES right after, then taking the class in person might work. Otherwise, the schedules will not line up, and OP's kid really should look into the FCPS virtual Algebra I honors class. The class is mostly asynchronous, so the kid can do the lessons and homework when the other kids in his grade are taking their math class. It is by far the simplest option from a logistics standpoint.

You’d have to balance schedule, credit and rigor to find something that works best, otherwise I agree that something online that’s recognized by the district would be best, just to get the administrative bs out of the way. You won’t find rigor even in the honors classes, but that’s what AOPS is for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. He was tested by the county at the beginning of 1st. That year he was in a 3rd grade AAP math class. During Kindergarten, he was pulled out twice a week and the AART was using material 3 and 4 years ahead.

How did he place into 3rd grade AAP math as a first grader?

He likely has Autism.

Actually, PP, you likely have autism based on your extreme fixations and inability to understand social cues. Maybe seek help rather than diagnosing kids over the internet based on very little info.

#selfawarewolf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Next year I will have an eighth-grader taking Alg I H… I would be concerned socially about a 5th grader in a class with her and her friends. Maybe some can handle it, and maybe some schools have enough younger kids to make a separate section.

It has never been a problem for my kid. The older kids don't pick on the ones who are much younger. They just ignore them.

Also, OP could have her child take the FCPS online honors algebra class.

I think the issue is the things the older kids are talking about

Not the AAP kids.

Oh lord! My DD is an AAP middle schooler. She and her classmates are indistinguishable from non-AAP kids behaviorally, in terms of how they talk, what they talk about, what music they listen to, etc. Most of it would be grossly inappropriate for a 5th grader.

OP, no one will pick on your little one. They will in fact be protective/admiring and probably call him Young Sheldon. However, he will be exposed to typical middle school language and behavior, which IMO he’s too young for. A friend’s child who took Algebra I in 6th did fine in the class work, but struggled with other kids’ behavior and teachers’ classroom management style. Which is apparently not much different if you do the coursework online (her second child who took the same route took online classes to avoid this and can into the same issues).

Can you give an example of things 8th graders talk about or music they listen that would be grossly inappropriate?

There is a lot of cursing. Usage of language among friends that would be considered bullying if it were directed towards others. Kids hook up and talk about it, not just the relationships but what they do. There will be a lot of exposure to TikTok, Insta and other social media platforms that a 5th grader is likely not exposed to. Rap and R&B are popular. I don’t know what exact listen to, but popular artists include Cardi B, 21Savage, Drake, Ken Carson, Lil Uzi, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son took Algebra in 4th, online version at the local community college, and kept taking online classes at this institution up to calculus this coming fall.

Content wise, there are many places where one could take online classes, like some previous posters mentioned AOPS, RSM, and many others. Community college might work if he needs some kind of credit, but in our district it is recommended that the student take the AP version of the class even if they took it at the community college, which in our experience were lighter in content and easy on grading.

Taking accelerated classes at the middle school didn’t work for us. At some point the school determined he should be in 6 grade math, but it was too easy for him, next year he was placed in 8th grade math (not honors) but they started with a review of decimal arithmetic that was pointless for him, and had weird scheduling of missing 15 mind of his previous class, arriving late at the next one etc. in the end the math teacher recommended he takes the online classes.

It’s really important to make sure he understands the content in depth, whatever he does at school, I’d recommend he supplements with other programs like AOPS etc.

How did you enroll him in 4th grade? What was the name of the course he took, and how did you know he was ready to take it?