Reply to Algebra 1 - In 6th Grade

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[quote=Anonymous]The issue is that, for young students, being very, very good at Math 6/7 level content isn't the same as being ready for the track of algebra and beyond. The difference is whether it truly comes easy to the student, or are they working very hard and unintuitively in a way that isn't going to be sustainable over the next 5 years.

I had 2 kids who qualified for algebra in 6th. One of them zipped through everything easily. The other, despite having the same scores on ES/pre-algebra testing in 5th grade, struggled mightily and wisely held off algebra until 7th.

There are certain developmental milestones for levels of abstraction, that have biological component. They happen at different ages for different kids, but they do happen on their own timeline. When a kid is ready to learn, their brain unlocks and they can learn quickly. When they aren't, they can't even learn slowly. It's not just about prior preparation.

The way to test algebra readiness is to teach a slice of algebra, and see if the kid really understands it.

(Similar for learning reading in younger kids.)[/quote]

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