Nervous about intensified algebra In 7th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a win win (I'm the PP before who said you can always retake). Since most take Algebra in 8th, you have the chance to try it this year and see how your kid does. If they struggle from the get go, then you move down to pre-algebra 7th grade and retake as an 8th grader with the majority of their classmates. No harm, no foul. But the teachers are usually pretty good at predicting who will be successful in the class- they are fairly strict (and have gotten stricter in the past few years) about who they put in the class, so if your DC is excited to take it I'd let them go. Contrary to popular belief a B+ will no doom your kid to a life of community college and a career at Mcdonald's.

You can also get a tutor to help before quizzes if that will help boost confidence. I've been doing that for both my High Schoolers since Algebra 1 and it's helped them feel ready for each test.

+1. The teacher probably sees your daughter's potential and believes she can handle the class if she buckles down and does the work. It is unusual for an APS middle school to tell you now what class your child will be placed in for the fall (they usually wait until end of summer for that), so my guess is you got this email from the teacher now because she also recognizes your daughter is not consistent about doing the work the class will take, and is giving you an opportunity to speak up before the placement is set in case you think she should be in the lower-level math class.

It was actually a letter to lots of parents (it said “if you are receiving this letter it means that your child has been recommended for intensified algebra”) but I will talk to the teacher about how I should support DC. That’s a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Just a warning that stepping down from intensified Algebra isn't as easy as it sounds. My DD had a terrible experience in Intensified Algebra in 7th grade, we knew it was bad news within the first week (mostly it was the teacher - he liked to use scare tactics & shamed kids in front of the class for being late or not having their homework done. Even though my DD wasn't the one being shamed it caused her tremendous anxiety). I had to go through a whole process to get her stepped back down to pre-Algebra, and the school was not happy about it. This was a couple of years ago, they are starting to back off the push of kids into higher math early - but they clearly wanted high performing kids to go further faster and didn't like me wanting to press pause. I ultimately got her moved, but it required more than just asking for it. She thrived in intensified algebra in 8th with an excellent teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just a warning that stepping down from intensified Algebra isn't as easy as it sounds. My DD had a terrible experience in Intensified Algebra in 7th grade, we knew it was bad news within the first week (mostly it was the teacher - he liked to use scare tactics & shamed kids in front of the class for being late or not having their homework done. Even though my DD wasn't the one being shamed it caused her tremendous anxiety). I had to go through a whole process to get her stepped back down to pre-Algebra, and the school was not happy about it. This was a couple of years ago, they are starting to back off the push of kids into higher math early - but they clearly wanted high performing kids to go further faster and didn't like me wanting to press pause. I ultimately got her moved, but it required more than just asking for it. She thrived in intensified algebra in 8th with an excellent teacher.

This part is key. I know a few cohorts who did intensified algebra in 7th and some who did it in 8th and the kids with the worst outcomes (bad grades, poor understanding) were the ones with a crappy teacher for intensified 7th. They had to do a math program over the summer to fill the gaps.

But the kids with good teachers in 7th or 8th were fine.

So maybe find out how good the 7th grade math teachers are...

[Anonymous]

Seems to me that you need to focus less on what math class the child is taking, and improving their organization skills overall.

[Anonymous]

I would advise forcing to take written notes for every class, and have them prepare either a written or electronic spreadsheet of all classwork and deadlines that you can review.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keeping up with the homework is a major portion of Algebra. Stay on top of that. Since she wants this class get some buy-in before it starts, that each day she’ll sit down and do the math homework first. You should supervise this if possible. Make sure she’s neat and methodical in her steps. Habits here will be useful for all of HS math.

Yes this. Get her buy in. Tell her you will help to support her but she has to do her part too (ie if you remind her to do her homework, she will not fight you on doing it). Just be frank and upfront about the challenges of ADHD and the need to work through them.

Set up a system to help her learn to track the homework and work through distractions. Make sure she's appropriately supported at school with accommodations for the ADHD through an IEP or 504 plan. Consider medication and private executive functioning support.

[Anonymous]

Keeping up with the homework is a major portion of Algebra. Stay on top of that. Since she wants this class get some buy-in before it starts, that each day she’ll sit down and do the math homework first. You should supervise this if possible. Make sure she’s neat and methodical in her steps. Habits here will be useful for all of HS math.

Speaking as someone who has taught/tutored mathematics for years, this is something I wish people emphasized more. Mathematics is like a language that has a grammar to it. In the same way that you write English statements from left-to-right and up-to-down with "connections" in between, you must also write mathematics. I think this starts to manifest itself around (Pre)Algebra so it is best to be proactive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Keeping up with the homework is a major portion of Algebra. Stay on top of that. Since she wants this class get some buy-in before it starts, that each day she’ll sit down and do the math homework first. You should supervise this if possible. Make sure she’s neat and methodical in her steps. Habits here will be useful for all of HS math.

Speaking as someone who has taught/tutored mathematics for years, this is something I wish people emphasized more. Mathematics is like a language that has a grammar to it. In the same way that you write English statements from left-to-right and up-to-down with "connections" in between, you must also write mathematics. I think this starts to manifest itself around (Pre)Algebra so it is best to be proactive.

OP here. As a high-schooler, I found this to be the biggest game-changer in math. I thought I wasn’t good in math but turns out I just hadn’t realized the importance of being meticulous in how I wrote things down on the page. I have emphasized this with DD at the beginning of the year (it was painful and she cried but after two hour-long sessions she got much better at using consistent sizing in her writing and keeping the columns in order and not trying to cram problems together).

And this might show why I was nervous about DD doing algebra next year. I am generally a super relaxed parent and I don’t love making my kid cry because I told her to erase something and start over for the third time because the columns were still wonky.

But I did have a chat with her about what I expected and how I would help, and she kind of gave me a funny look (probably because I’m generally a super relaxed parent) but she said she would do it and I think she wants this badly enough that I believe her.

Thank you all for your advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just a warning that stepping down from intensified Algebra isn't as easy as it sounds. My DD had a terrible experience in Intensified Algebra in 7th grade, we knew it was bad news within the first week (mostly it was the teacher - he liked to use scare tactics & shamed kids in front of the class for being late or not having their homework done. Even though my DD wasn't the one being shamed it caused her tremendous anxiety). I had to go through a whole process to get her stepped back down to pre-Algebra, and the school was not happy about it. This was a couple of years ago, they are starting to back off the push of kids into higher math early - but they clearly wanted high performing kids to go further faster and didn't like me wanting to press pause. I ultimately got her moved, but it required more than just asking for it. She thrived in intensified algebra in 8th with an excellent teacher.

Yikes good to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just a warning that stepping down from intensified Algebra isn't as easy as it sounds. My DD had a terrible experience in Intensified Algebra in 7th grade, we knew it was bad news within the first week (mostly it was the teacher - he liked to use scare tactics & shamed kids in front of the class for being late or not having their homework done. Even though my DD wasn't the one being shamed it caused her tremendous anxiety). I had to go through a whole process to get her stepped back down to pre-Algebra, and the school was not happy about it. This was a couple of years ago, they are starting to back off the push of kids into higher math early - but they clearly wanted high performing kids to go further faster and didn't like me wanting to press pause. I ultimately got her moved, but it required more than just asking for it. She thrived in intensified algebra in 8th with an excellent teacher.

This part is key. I know a few cohorts who did intensified algebra in 7th and some who did it in 8th and the kids with the worst outcomes (bad grades, poor understanding) were the ones with a crappy teacher for intensified 7th. They had to do a math program over the summer to fill the gaps.

But the kids with good teachers in 7th or 8th were fine.

So maybe find out how good the 7th grade math teachers are...

DD says she knows and likes the teacher and her friend who took the class from that teacher said the homework was awful but the teacher was good. So I guess these are good signs?

[Anonymous]

We got almost the exact same email except for 7th grade pre-algebra (at HBW?), so it appears that is an option between Math 7 and Intensified Algebra. DC was virtual all of 6th and did not get a real introduction to middle school, how to take notes in class, etc, so we are hoping taking things slower in pre-algebra will build better study habits and be a good foundation for later math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC was placed in intensified algebra and the email about it from the teacher is making me nervous. “Very high expectations” “homework a major key to success” “being prepared for class is paramount,” etc.

DC is smart and this far has picked up on math concepts quickly, but bless her heart she struggles so much with organization, doing homework even when she doesn’t feel like it, etc. I feel like this is going to be a significant burden on me, with reminding her to do her homework and not letting her play before her homework is done. And even with that I cannot see her getting a good grade unless miraculous changes happen at the beginning of next school year.

If DC hadn’t been gunning for this I would request she take regular math instead. I can totally envision some drama three months into the school year when she is getting a bad grade and beating herself up over it. Her teachers are incredibly supportive, especially with her ADHD, but still.

Would it be awful of me to warn her about what I see as an inevitably? Maybe say “hey there is no shame in dropping to a lower level or repeating a class in middle school?”

Are you not nervous about learning how being good at math is white supremacy tho?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In APS do they receive HS credit for Algebra? In LCPS they do and it factors into their GPA unless you expunge it before HS.

In APS it factors into the GPA, but you can delete it senior year if it's lowering your GPA (either the straight GPA because the class wasn't right for you or the weighted GPA because algebra counts less than calculus)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC was placed in intensified algebra and the email about it from the teacher is making me nervous. “Very high expectations” “homework a major key to success” “being prepared for class is paramount,” etc.

DC is smart and this far has picked up on math concepts quickly, but bless her heart she struggles so much with organization, doing homework even when she doesn’t feel like it, etc. I feel like this is going to be a significant burden on me, with reminding her to do her homework and not letting her play before her homework is done. And even with that I cannot see her getting a good grade unless miraculous changes happen at the beginning of next school year.

If DC hadn’t been gunning for this I would request she take regular math instead. I can totally envision some drama three months into the school year when she is getting a bad grade and beating herself up over it. Her teachers are incredibly supportive, especially with her ADHD, but still.

Would it be awful of me to warn her about what I see as an inevitably? Maybe say “hey there is no shame in dropping to a lower level or repeating a class in middle school?”

Are you not nervous about learning how being good at math is white supremacy tho?

Is this an “HBW is too woke” joke?

If so, the joke is kind of funny, but I absolutely love how liberal that school is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We got almost the exact same email except for 7th grade pre-algebra (at HBW?), so it appears that is an option between Math 7 and Intensified Algebra. DC was virtual all of 6th and did not get a real introduction to middle school, how to take notes in class, etc, so we are hoping taking things slower in pre-algebra will build better study habits and be a good foundation for later math.

Yes, DD is at HB. I guess we’ll just see how she does. I hope it doesn’t backfire but I don’t think it’s worth a fuss either.