Math help- What would you do?

[Tina D]

I have a 7th grader who will complete Chalkdust Pre-algebra this year. She did not ace the course and I do not think she would be ready for Algebra in 8th grade. Several chapters she had to do twice.

 

Would you use a different pre-algebra program for 8th grade? If a different program, which one?

Reuse Chalkdust again, if so, would you state that on their records?

 

Thank you,

Tina

[Storm Bay]

What does she struggle with the most? Does she have her fractions and decimals down? I would choose doing pre-Algebra again with something different. The next question I'd ask is, how does she learn best? My dc all love Life of Fred, and all are doing it for at least one run through of at least one math course. The Fractions & Decimals books can be used for pre-Algebra, but there is also now a pre-Algebra book. All 3 of my dc like the story and the humour. I like the way mathematical thinking is included and how the author, a retired mathematics professor who also homeschooled his dc, helps students to relate math to real life and other things. By choosing something called pre-Algebra your dd wouldn't feel like she is going backwards. I'm currently doing a teaching swap with a friend of mine and am doing Life of Fred Fractions with her dc who have always done Saxon math. Both of those dc love it and are seeing math a whole differnt way.

 

That said, if you have an auditory learner, she might have to read it alound or have you read it out loud. My dc read the books themselves, but when I'm with the other dc I have them read it aloud. I help when they need more explanation, etc.

 

My eldest didn't need pre-Algebra by the time she was finished with SM 6B & Saxon 76 (the only time she did 2 books prior to Algebra,) and my second dd did hers by doing the Mathematics book at Perpendicular Press. Ds is going to do his with Life of Fred, but since we tend to do two math programs, will also do the book from Perpendicular Press.

[Chris in VA]

By records, do you mean the transcript you will send along to colleges? They don't care what you do in 8th grade, unless it's algebra or above.

 

I'd go ahead and put her in algebra. She will be retaught nearly everything she had in pre-algebra, anyway. Imo, pre-algebra is just a tune up of basic fractions, a/s/m/d, and an introduction to what they will be learning--it smooths the way, but you can jump on the way w/o it sometimes, too. You can just go a little slower if you need to.

[MIch elle]

Look at Saxon algebra because it's incremental and you have 4 choices of DVD's to go with it: DIVE, Art Reed, Saxon Teacher or Teaching Technology.

 

We'll be using Saxon with Art Reed.

[Brindee]

I was going to suggest what Karin already suggested--Perhaps the LoF Pre-Algebra with biology. The books are low-cost, yet really helped my ds, now 16, catch on to concepts. He loved the story-line and really improved by using LoF! (He used the LoF Beg. and Advanced Algebra books)

 

If she is confident enough, you could go on to Algebra 1 and move slowly. My dd had a bad experience with math one year and ended up almost math-phobic. Anytime she made a mistake, she'd think she was stupid and couldn't do math! So, though she really did have the ability, I did not push her into Algebra last year. She's ready for it now, so we'll move on. She wanted a program with DVD's, so we're going with Teaching Textbooks, and plan to stick with it through Pre-Calc, to get the full extent of the program. If that starts not working, then we'll re-evaluate at that time.

 

This last bit of Pre-Algebra may be just what she needs to "get it" and be ready to move forward. You can move at her pace. If she already knows something, she can move through it more quickly. If she finishes the LoF Pre-Algebra early, you can then move right into an Algebra 1 curriculum.

 

I feel like it's very important not to push if she's not ready! The more confident she is with this base math the better she'll do as she moves forward!

 

Best wishes!

[Teachin'Mine]

I'd suggest she take the Saxon placement test online. If she really struggled, I'd be more inclined to go with Algebra 1/2 and let her get a good foundation before Algebra I in 9th. No need to put the 8th grade courses on her transcript. :) And with it being called Algebra 1/2, dd doesn't even need to know it's basically a repeat. ;)

[EKS]

I would use Jacobs Algebra with a real human teaching it so that any deficiencies can be remediated immediately. The first six chapters (or so) are a review of prealgebra.

[Handmaiden]

If you really want to re-do pre-algebra, you could use Lial's Basic College Mathematics (essentially a pre-alg text). Perhaps using a text that doesn't have the word pre-algebra in the title wouldn't make her feel discouraged about repeating the same content.

Edited April 2, 2010 by Handmaiden
edited text

[Tina D]

Thank you the help!

 

Do you know anything about Kinetic Pre-Algebra or Algebra (I am thinking this would be a great visual program, but know nothing about it)

 

Would you consider the above a good alternative for this situation?

 

I will look into the other programs suggested, thank you.

 

On my records I could just call it math 7 and math 8.

 

Tina

[Corraleno]

From what I've seen of it so far, I think Kinetic Books PreAlgebra is similar to Chalkdust Prealgebra in it's scope & sequence and level of difficulty. There is quite a bit of Algebra in it. So if you wanted your DD to go over those concepts again, from a different perspective, to really cement them before proceeding into a heavy-duty Algebra program, that might be good choice.

 

Alternatively, if you want a gentle Algebra program instead of another PreAlgebra one, your DD should be able to do Teaching Textbooks Algebra I without any trouble.

 

Jackie

[choirfarm]

Yep, my son is in the exact same boat. He is halfway through chapter 9 and he has gotten C's on the last two tests. The word problems are what really get him. That and there are so many multiple steps that he will step the multi-step problems correctly and then reverse a number when he copies it (does that a bunch). It is funny because he had vision tracking issues and it has never affected his reading...he reads SO fast and well and scores at the top on standardized test. But he seems to have trouble with math, reversing numbers and such that he doesn't do with letters!!! Anyway, I already own Chalkdust Algebra I that my older one did, so he will do that.

 

Christine

[choirfarm]

Ok, I was bringing home my boys and their friend from standardized testing and today was math. They were talking about how the test was pretty easy and them my middle son was talking about where are you in your book (friend is doing Saxon). He talked about how much he LOVED Dana Moseley and about how he stressed showing your work and doing ALL the steps and how it helped him. Then they talked about next year. and I mentioned him doing TT Algebra I like we had talked about and he said, " No, mom. I want to do Chalkdust Algebra. I may not get as good a grade, but I'll learn more." I almost had to pull over the car!!!

 

Christine

[Susan C.]

From our experience, I would strongly disagree about going into algebra. I would get an easier prealgebra program that can review concepts and build confidence. We did CD Prealgebra with ds, it was overkill, and did BJU Prealgebra with dd, it went very well.

[Jann in TX]

One thing for sure--I would NOT recommend moving on to Algebra.

I only suggest 8th grade Algebra 1 for 'naturally gifted' math students... the vast majority of students will do better--and UNDERSTAND it better if they have that extra year for mental maturity.

 

My suggestion for you would be to repeat Pre-Algebra--and probably with a different program. LOF, the Key to books, Lial's BCM... you have lots of choices.

 

As a math teacher and tutor I get to see way too many students struggle in Algebra because they did not get enough experience with middle school math! Fractions are especially critical.

 

I gently disagree with the other posters who suggest that the BRIEF review found at the beginning of most Algebra 1 texts/programs is enough for a struggling student. These 'reviews' often do not include instruction--and what little is given often assumes prior mastery.

 

There is a reason why middle school Math texts all seem to look alike... at this stage in mental development most students 'slow down' in their ability to easily learn new concepts. When students are rushed they tend to start seeing themselves as failures--and even (gulp) start HATING Math...

 

Your child will not be behind if she does not start Algebra 1 until 9th grade. If you start Algebra 1 with a student who is NOT READY--you may be climbing a hill only to make a huge snowball...

[Brindee]

Your child will not be behind if she does not start Algebra 1 until 9th grade. If you start Algebra 1 with a student who is NOT READY--you may be climbing a hill only to make a huge snowball...

:iagree: Love that statement!

[mom31257]

One thing for sure--I would NOT recommend moving on to Algebra.

I only suggest 8th grade Algebra 1 for 'naturally gifted' math students... the vast majority of students will do better--and UNDERSTAND it better if they have that extra year for mental maturity.

 

My suggestion for you would be to repeat Pre-Algebra--and probably with a different program. LOF, the Key to books, Lial's BCM... you have lots of choices.

 

As a math teacher and tutor I get to see way too many students struggle in Algebra because they did not get enough experience with middle school math! Fractions are especially critical.

 

I gently disagree with the other posters who suggest that the BRIEF review found at the beginning of most Algebra 1 texts/programs is enough for a struggling student. These 'reviews' often do not include instruction--and what little is given often assumes prior mastery.

 

There is a reason why middle school Math texts all seem to look alike... at this stage in mental development most students 'slow down' in their ability to easily learn new concepts. When students are rushed they tend to start seeing themselves as failures--and even (gulp) start HATING Math...

 

Your child will not be behind if she does not start Algebra 1 until 9th grade. If you start Algebra 1 with a student who is NOT READY--you may be climbing a hill only to make a huge snowball...

 

:iagree: TOTALLY! I have tutored many kids in high school math. It was almost always the middle school math skills that caused them to struggle. I wanted to push my dd ahead to Algebra 1 in 8th grade, but have realized I should not. She can do math, but it does not come naturally for her. We did part of a Glencoe 8th grade book this year. Because of her love of literature, we are going to use LoF's Fractions and Decimals and Percents books next year before Algebra 1 for 9th grade the following year. I do not know yet what we will use for high school maths, though.

[Storm Bay]

One thing for sure--I would NOT recommend moving on to Algebra.

I only suggest 8th grade Algebra 1 for 'naturally gifted' math students... the vast majority of students will do better--and UNDERSTAND it better if they have that extra year for mental maturity.

 

My suggestion for you would be to repeat Pre-Algebra--and probably with a different program. LOF, the Key to books, Lial's BCM... you have lots of choices.

 

As a math teacher and tutor I get to see way too many students struggle in Algebra because they did not get enough experience with middle school math! Fractions are especially critical.

 

I gently disagree with the other posters who suggest that the BRIEF review found at the beginning of most Algebra 1 texts/programs is enough for a struggling student. These 'reviews' often do not include instruction--and what little is given often assumes prior mastery.

 

There is a reason why middle school Math texts all seem to look alike... at this stage in mental development most students 'slow down' in their ability to easily learn new concepts. When students are rushed they tend to start seeing themselves as failures--and even (gulp) start HATING Math...

 

Your child will not be behind if she does not start Algebra 1 until 9th grade. If you start Algebra 1 with a student who is NOT READY--you may be climbing a hill only to make a huge snowball...

:iagree: Jann is one of my math gurus. I do have one difference. I have put dc in Algebra before gr 8 who are gifted in math and were obviously ready. This has nothing to do with their IQ and everything to do with that part of their brain developing early (11/12). However, I have them do Algebra 1 twice, with the second time being in gr 8.

 

But I would never put a dc into Algebra at any age without a strong understanding of all arithmetic and pre-Algebra; it's not important to me to have my dc do it early, but my eldest vehemently hated arithmetic and pre-Algebra, and putting her into Algebra reduced arguments and strife a great deal since she doesn't hate it. I did postpone one dd for an entire year because of these very reasons, and she was not happy about it, but it has paid off in spades (she did pre-Algebra level work twice). While it looks like ds will be ready before gr 8, if I'm wrong, we'll wait until he's ready.