Reply to Would you have your 8th grader retake algebra if he got a B in 7th grade?

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Reply to "Would you have your 8th grader retake algebra if he got a B in 7th grade?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Okay. Try this— WHY did your kid get a B?  Was this a gave it 100%, worked with a tutor, watched Khan Academy, etc B?  Or was it a blew off some homework, half assed a project and only kinda studied for tests B?   A B in math isn’t the problem. The problem is that Geometry is fine, but by A2, kids without a decent foundation are really struggling in honors (as are kids with a decent foundation but without much math aptitude.  It’s a real “weed out” class for engineering/CS bound kids in some FCPS HSs).

I had 7th grade A1 kids. One was brilliant and pulled off good grades without the work. Went to TJ where reality (aka Math 3) hit him hard.  One was humanities driven and was off the honors math path by A2. Every humanities and social science AP in the book, but couldn’t pull off AP Calc.   And had to do APStats plus standard Calc to find enough math.   In BOTH cases, I wished we had redone or pushed Algebra I or just waited a year to start.

It’s not about the grade or not accepting a B. In my kids cases, the foundation was shaky— one because of aptitude and one because of attitude . And the math kid had an A (humanities kid an A- or B+, bur really worked for it). And by the time we realized it, it was too late to go back. They redid concepts with tutors. But that was a half measure.

As an aside, the humanities kid is now at WM retaking Calculus for upper level economics.  And recently mentioned that she finally understands Algebra for the first time. Letting it get that far was a parenting fail, although at the time, no one suggested we do anything but keep the kids tracked where they were. Big mistake.

Math isn’t a race. Do not move a kid past A1 unless they 100% understand the material. That should be the test— not the grade in the class. Especially if it puts them on a path for multivariable/linear in HS.

It was explained to me that kids brain development reaches a point where abstract concepts in math “click” more easily.  If your kid isn’t there, no shame in waiting until they are. 
[/quote]

This 100%
So so smart and insightful [/quote]

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