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School and Maths Acceleration


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So, got my daughter's first school report. You can get Outstanding (so advanced you're on a special program), High (working at a level above class level), and then the rest of the levels (can't remember, but basically working to standard and then below standard). Daughter got Outstanding in reading, High in Maths. Ironically, she stays in her class for reading but is taken to another class for Maths. (Other subjects - sport, social studies, arts - were either standard or high - I have no concerns there). 

 

So, she's in K. She tested as Year 3, just, at the start of the year, but they decided to do Year 2 so it wasn't too stressful - I agreed. Result is that she hasn't learned anything new in maths at school all year (made big leaps in writing, very happy there). At home she's working on 2 digit addition and subtraction using regrouping, she's basically learned that this term. She's learned her times tables up to 6s, starting 7s, and will sit in the car and ask about prime numbers etc. At school they're doing 2 digit (no regrouping), and using lots of manipulatives to introduce the idea of multiplication. 

 

I am have a meeting with the school and am not sure whether to say - can't you push her a bit - or whether just to think of school maths as a way of shoring up the foundations, while home maths is pushing her along. 

 

I'm also wondering whether it's a teacher thing. I like her main teacher, who does reading and writing with her. The maths teacher is also the principal and is often called away, and just from conversations isn't a super-mathy person. I'm wondering whether I should suggest she just stay in her normal class but be on a special program. On the other hand, doing group maths is of great benefit - after all, that's why she's at school. 

 

I am planning to use Beast Academy online when it comes out (so long as we can afford it). 

 

Any and all comments welcome. In real life, people cannot understand why I worry at all when she's already ahead. 

 

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I'll speak to two sides at once.  :ph34r: :001_smile:

 

First side:  Why worry at all when she's already ahead and only in K?  She will have plenty of time to accelerate when she is ready.  After all, kids do develop asynchronously...  We didn't start accelerating DS10 until he started to beg for it in the middle of first grade, and he is heading into AoPS Precalculus + vector geometry approach to linear algebra next year.

 

Second side: Let her have "for the love of math" enrichment at home.  If the enrichment is far enough out there to provide a very different perspective on math, then she will accelerate on her own.  This is what we did with DS10 when he was in first grade.  He then taught himself arithmetic and jumped straight to AoPS Prealgebra in second grade.  He also began the first of several years of geometry (including Jurgensen, Kiselev Planimetry, and Kiselev Stereometry), allowing him to proceed to college-level material (linear algebra) by 11.  He decided in first that he wanted to be a cosmologist, and his love for the topic drove him to learn very advanced math topics at an early age.

 

 

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Thanks. When I think about your question - why worry - I guess it comes down to the fact I don't trust the school. This may be down to the fact that I left primary school (year 6) without being able to tell the time or add much more than single digits.

 

Of course, I also don't want her to spend her week re-learning how to count by 2s. It's not only a waste of time, but boredom will lead nowhere good for her. 

 

I am meeting with the maths teacher this week, so I'll go in with an open mind and listen to what she says.

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We did all our math acceleration and enrichment at home when my son was in PS k-2. It wasn't worth the battle in school and they wouldn't have provided the type of resources we needed anyway (Singapore Intensive Practice, Zaccaro's, and later Aops). I did in the last year get permission to do a separate math with my son and come in twice a week. But very few schools are that flexible.

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My 7th grader started the math track in preschool.   In 2nd grade, he took a 4th grade math class with  EPGY.   Did very well in the class, but got jammed at the final exam that was word problem heavy.  He could do the math required in the word problem, but the lacked the comprehension/vocabulary to understand what the question was asking. He would have bombed in a  real classroom.  Since then, have kept all advanced math independent of school.  Going at his own pace, has served us well.  For example, took 1 1/2 years for alg 1,  something that would not have been possible at school without repercussions.    Another thing to consider with early acceleration, especially with a couple of grade levels, is that you can jam your child  in h.s.   If your child finishes calculus bc  in 10th, you will have committed him/her to  college math major courses whether they have the passion or skill for it.  All selective colleges require  4 years of math in h.s.  . So even though the 7th grader will be starting D.O.  pre-calc in the fall, he will be going to pre-alg at school.  I'm waiting h.s. for proper placement.

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 I did in the last year get permission to do a separate math with my son and come in twice a week. But very few schools are that flexible. 

 

 Wow, that's interesting. I'm lucky my daughter is in a flexible school - I take her out one day a week for music and language class. 

 

 All selective colleges require  4 years of math in h.s. 

 

 We are in Australia, so this doesn't apply. My current plan is to pull her out of school after primary (year 6) and keep her at home after that. We will see if that pans out. 

 

 

 

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It wasn't worth the battle for us either (but we have a rigid school system) and that didn't stop me from trying  :laugh:

 

I really agree with Mike... keep it enjoyable/intriguing at home. The curriculum needs to be unrecognizable to an elementary math teacher. We've used LofF and BA, but also problem-solving based games to discuss strategies, the see the value of persistence and to have fun! I haven't pushed it enough here... I keep falling into the trap of 'finishing' programs before starting another. It doesn't work because they become demotivated... it becomes too much like school where they can't work at their own pace/interest level.

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I really agree with Mike... keep it enjoyable/intriguing at home. The curriculum needs to be unrecognizable to an elementary math teacher. We've used LofF and BA, but also problem-solving based games to discuss strategies

 

 

 

If Beast Academy online is affordable next year, I will seriously consider it. It's too expensive with shipping to manage it now. We do read Penrose the Cat, but I am not keen on Life of Fred. We have a lot of other mathy picture books though. Most of our maths ends up being done in the car driving (we live rural, lots of driving). Lots of discussion happens there. She also dabbles in all the online maths stuff like Math Playground, Khan academy, Prodigy, math seeds. 

 

Had the meeting with the school today, but didn't come out any clearer than before. Teacher did say they'll reassess at the end of the year and they're more than happy to grade skip again or even higher if necessary. I feel she's at about year 3 level at home, whereas teacher feels she's mid year 2 level. So the next 6 months will be spent covering a lot of stuff she already knows.

 

At the end of the day she's happy enough and I guess it's better she comes home saying "it's so easy" rather than "it's too hard". I'll reassess at the end of the year and just hope all the repetition means she has an even stronger foundation of basic maths. 

 

 

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