If they accelerated math, did you regret it later?

[Anonymous]

My oldest is in 9th grade and algebra 2. He always liked math - no regrets.

However, it's no joke and a lot of work for him - but he's up for it. I have a current 6th grader in AAP who we are counseling again algebra 1 in 7th, even if he qualifies. He just doesn't have the same attitude about math / up for the challenge like his older bro and I think it would be a big mistake for him. He does better being the big fish - and doesn't do great when things don't come easily at first.

[Anonymous]

again = against

[Anonymous]

P.S. my 9th grader made the choice on his own. He qualified and wanted to do it. I told him it counts on transcript, it's not joke, etc. and he still wanted to do it. I don't think anyone needs to do it. I can't believe the people who prep for the IAAT and SOL. I feel like if you need to prep, you def should not take it in 7th

[Anonymous]

Both of my kids qualified to take Algebra in 7th with no outside prep whatsoever. Both chose to not take it. My sophomore has no regrets, even though he's now in math class with freshmen and some of his peer group is a year ahead. My seventh grader is happy as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If have to struggle hard to meet the requirements for 7th grade Algebra, it’s more likely they are going to regret accelerating. You want a kid who is very self motivated and reeeeeeally has that foundation rock solid. If that’s not your kid right now, consider holding off.

—Middle School Math Teacher

Hello you royal math teacher,

What happens when the unmotivated, talented, not gifted/prodigy, held behind in math kid becomes interested and motivated in HS?

What do you say then? Do you say ‘oh well!’?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If have to struggle hard to meet the requirements for 7th grade Algebra, it’s more likely they are going to regret accelerating. You want a kid who is very self motivated and reeeeeeally has that foundation rock solid. If that’s not your kid right now, consider holding off.

—Middle School Math Teacher

Hello you royal math teacher,

What happens when the unmotivated, talented, not gifted/prodigy, held behind in math kid becomes interested and motivated in HS?

What do you say then? Do you say ‘oh well!’?

The newly motivated math student takes the harder level of the math courses available to them. That might mean moving from regular math to honors or honors to AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If have to struggle hard to meet the requirements for 7th grade Algebra, it’s more likely they are going to regret accelerating. You want a kid who is very self motivated and reeeeeeally has that foundation rock solid. If that’s not your kid right now, consider holding off.

—Middle School Math Teacher

Hello you royal math teacher,

What happens when the unmotivated, talented, not gifted/prodigy, held behind in math kid becomes interested and motivated in HS?

What do you say then? Do you say ‘oh well!’?

I'm confused by your point. Are you saying we should force unmotivated students into harder classes when they aren't interested and don't want to be there? What's the benefit to that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If have to struggle hard to meet the requirements for 7th grade Algebra, it’s more likely they are going to regret accelerating. You want a kid who is very self motivated and reeeeeeally has that foundation rock solid. If that’s not your kid right now, consider holding off.

—Middle School Math Teacher

Hello you royal math teacher,

What happens when the unmotivated, talented, not gifted/prodigy, held behind in math kid becomes interested and motivated in HS?

What do you say then? Do you say ‘oh well!’?

If the kid is that motivated, there are typically summer classes that can be used for acceleration. Where there's a will there's a way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s less about how hard the subject is, and more about how organized they are in middle school. If the kid won’t do his homework or study with any basic effort then it stinks to miss out on what for most bright kids should be a straightforward A for the high school transcript.

Hard disagree. I'm with the poster who said there's a brain development step you cannot predict that helps students process higher level math concepts. The same kind of brain development I firmly think also helps with computer science concepts like recursion. Pushing those too early is just painful and doesn't accomplish much, where as after the brain development step they are easy.

I've heard this fairy tale of "brain development" so many times. Even from math teachers who should know better.
It sounds to me to be similarly pseudo-scientific as "learning styles" or the "growth mindset" BS that's so prevalent in our schools - both never verified BS hypotheses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s less about how hard the subject is, and more about how organized they are in middle school. If the kid won’t do his homework or study with any basic effort then it stinks to miss out on what for most bright kids should be a straightforward A for the high school transcript.

Hard disagree. I'm with the poster who said there's a brain development step you cannot predict that helps students process higher level math concepts. The same kind of brain development I firmly think also helps with computer science concepts like recursion. Pushing those too early is just painful and doesn't accomplish much, where as after the brain development step they are easy.

I've heard this fairy tale of "brain development" so many times. Even from math teachers who should know better.
It sounds to me to be similarly pseudo-scientific as "learning styles" or the "growth mindset" BS that's so prevalent in our schools - both never verified BS hypotheses.

growth mindset "BS"?

One of those...OK...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Realizing that taking Geometry in MS puts them on a faster math track and 12th grade math may be more than calculus. Looking back, do you wish they had slowed down/less stress?

I regret not pushing harder for acceleration, which our school doesn't offer. The kid had to sit through 2 years of math which was trivial for them.

Dont underestimate the power of repetition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep. My kid is in APS. Did Intensified Algebra 1 in 7th, Intensified Geometry in 8th, Intensified Algebra II/Trig in 9th, and then we demoted her to regular Pre-calc in 10th (rather than Intensified Pre-calc) and Calc AB in 11th. She's taking AP Stats now -- many of the kids she was on the same track with are now taking Multivariable Calc (and took Calc BC in 11th instead of AB). She was pulled into the higher math classes in 6th grade because of a perfect SOL score, and I wholly regret that decision. It's been many years of stress for all of us and she now thinks she "isn't good at math" because she couldn't pull As in the advanced classes.

Why are you assuming that she wouldn't have struggled just as much with the higher math if she took it a year later? Also, why are you assuming that she would think she is "good at math" if she can see that a lot of other kids are on a higher math track?

Some kids are the types who didn't really understand pre-algebra and needed more foundational math. But others understood things perfectly, and then struggled with greater abstractions and higher level thinking when reaching algebra II. Waiting a year isn't a guarantee that your kid will sail through higher math classes with no struggles.

Likewise, some kids are the types who feel like they're not good at math if they struggle on the highest track. But other kids feel like they aren't good at math even if they're getting As, simply because they know they aren't on the highest track.

There is no easy answer.

There is an easy answer but nobody likes it: Stop pushing and stressing kids out with layers and layers of tests, and hire qualified teachers to teach them interesting things so that they develop a love for the subject while working at their own pace!

How would that be equitable? The goal today is to ensure all kids get the same outcome so working at their own pace isn't going to happen.

Getting to the same outcome is scientifically impossible because every brain is wired to work and learn at its own individual pace. That doesn't mean that teachers cannot try to challenge everyone as best they can, i.e giving everyone an equal opportunity to learn. For example, if student 1 is bored, the teacher would give them a more difficult assignment, while if student 2 needs help the teacher works with them to figure out where they are stuck, etc.

Learning is optimized for everyone because they are working at their own level.

Which school is your kid in? Teachers in our school won’t even care what they teach, what students learn. They come to school just for a pay. They let bored students sit in the back of classroom and do whatever they want to do, as long as they keep quiet. My kid math teacher is a runner. She might be a good athlete but not a good teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s less about how hard the subject is, and more about how organized they are in middle school. If the kid won’t do his homework or study with any basic effort then it stinks to miss out on what for most bright kids should be a straightforward A for the high school transcript.

Hard disagree. I'm with the poster who said there's a brain development step you cannot predict that helps students process higher level math concepts. The same kind of brain development I firmly think also helps with computer science concepts like recursion. Pushing those too early is just painful and doesn't accomplish much, where as after the brain development step they are easy.

I've heard this fairy tale of "brain development" so many times. Even from math teachers who should know better.
It sounds to me to be similarly pseudo-scientific as "learning styles" or the "growth mindset" BS that's so prevalent in our schools - both never verified BS hypotheses.

Haven't read the research. But I do believe there are likely some late blooming math thinkers. What about kids who have ADHD? Their minds don't develop the same as a neurotypical student's. The subject of this article is a shining example of someone who came to math late, academically speaking, and subsequently excelled.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/june-huh-high-school-dropout-wins-the-fields-medal-20220705/

[Anonymous]

My kid started Honors Algebra 1 in 5th grade in Fairfax County. Kid has no regrets, then or now, as was bored silly before then. In fairness, my child already knew most of the material in Honors Algebra 1 before taking it and it was an easy A.
A young student should genuinely enjoy math if taking Honors Algebra 1 early, as there will be are years of math after BC Calc in high school. My kid has ADHD, and the hyper focus on math helped this time. Each kid is different though, and I agree that if the child is having to be pushed to do the homework or has trouble understanding the concepts, it would be best to wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If have to struggle hard to meet the requirements for 7th grade Algebra, it’s more likely they are going to regret accelerating. You want a kid who is very self motivated and reeeeeeally has that foundation rock solid. If that’s not your kid right now, consider holding off.

—Middle School Math Teacher

Hello you royal math teacher,

What happens when the unmotivated, talented, not gifted/prodigy, held behind in math kid becomes interested and motivated in HS?

What do you say then? Do you say ‘oh well!’?

They can continue taking challenging math courses that appropriate for their level.