Reply to Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It makes me sad that some people cannot fathom taking advanced math/enrichment math for any reason other than to get into TJ or MIT.

[/b]It's no different than travel soccer [b]or private piano lessons for the right kid.  We don't do it (because I'm not driving an hour or more each way to get to Vienna/Mclean), but I did look into it at one point because he was bored at school and yet loved math and wanted more, and I don't know how to present it appropriately for his level.

I actually hope my child doesn't go to TJ. The level of stress and pressure there don't seem worth it to me, unless he suddenly becomes passionate about research. I kept him in A1 anyway though, because he is ready for it and excited about it.

(I drive a hyundai)[/quote]

Yes it is. If it’s no different, then why not just put your child into said sport or piano. I’d argue that that plus your kid already being smart would be a better combo than math enrichment. [/quote]

#1. Totally agree about TJ - not sure what the advantages actually are, and the downsides are very obvious.
#2. If a kid really loves math, then it's a great hobby and there's no reason to hold the child back. You wouldn't say that if a kid was doing extremely well in violin, we should put them in a math class instead of having them study the Brahms Concerto in order to balance them out. That said, I'd bet that the number of kids who really love math enough to pursue it as a hobby is pretty small. The schools should find a way to accommodate the relatively small number of kids who are really ready to move forward in the curriculum without setting up a large-scale Algebra in Sixth Grade program.[/quote]

Would child have been ready for Algebra in 6th without the math enrichment outside of school? Ask yourself that. And why is simply taking the normal math offered at school considered “holding a child back.” Why must there be a push to accelerate?[/quote]

Yes. My child has never done math enrichment and has a 98% after 2 quizzes and 2 tests in 6th grade algebra 1.

As for why? Because my child was miserable in school from K-5 math. We had a 504 for school refusal because it was so unbelievably slow for them that they called it "torture" (a bit melodramatic, but they truly were miserable). It's not a push for the right kid, it's meeting them where they are.

Would you make a kid who was fluent in Spanish start in spanish 1, just because that's the "normal" sequence for a 7th grader? No, it's why FCPS offers "Spanish for fluent speakers".  Algebra 1 in 6th grade is "math for fluent mathematicians".[/quote]

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