should my son repeat algebra?

[Only me]

My son was homeschooled through 8th grade. Up until 7th grade he really excelled in math. For some reason once he started 7th grade he seemed to forget a lot of the pre-algebra he had already learned. We ended up doing pre-algebra for 7th grade and 8th grade since I didn't feel he was ready for algebra.

 

He is currently at the public school. He is doing well in all of his classes except for math. He has struggled on and off all year. I believe part of the problem is the way the teacher teaches the students. I'm not giving her all the blame but I do think that certain methods match different kids. She also tends to teach them a simple type of a problem and then put harder ones on the test. The examples are easy and then on the test is a more difficult version of the problem. My son has gone in for extra help from her a few times but it hasn't helped. During study hall he went in the resource center to get help from another math teacher. The math teacher told him a completely different way to do the problem so he was completely confused. One time when they had another math teacher as a substitute teacher they were taking a quiz. As the students were turning in the quiz she told them that they were all doing it wrong. The students told him that is the way they were taught.

 

Last semester my son ended up getting a B-. Right now he is getting a C. I think it is possible that he can pull his grade up to a B before the end of the year but I still don't think that he has grasped the material. He will get a B on a test so we think he is doing ok but then on the next test he ends up getting a D. Looking over his grades he has received several Ds or Fs on quizzes. The teacher gives a lot of extra credit so his grade is higher than I feel it should be. He does all of his homework so that grade is good. He is not slacking off and does his homework, studies, etc.

 

I feel that it is so important to understand algebra before he moves on to higher math. I talked to his guidance counselor today and she agreed to let him repeat algebra next year with a different teacher as well as take geometry. Even though my son knew that I was going to be talking to the counselor, he didn't realize that I was going to actually change his schedule. This afternoon when he found out he was very upset. He is worried about being able to finish all of the homework. He will also be taking Biology and Spanish, which tend to be difficult subjects at this school.

 

Do you think I'm correct that he should repeat algebra? He thinks it doesn't make sense to have to repeat it if he ends up getting a B or even a C. At first the counselor was a bit surprised too but she agreed with me about how important it was to grasp algebra.

 

I would appreciate any input. Thanks.

[mysticmomma]

I'd just do a review over the summer.

[Only me]

I think he needs more than a quick review. I also don't think that I can provide him with enough knowledge of algebra to do a good job of teaching him. I'm just not up to having to relearn it myself. Due to my health problems and medications I am on, it is hard for me to do things like that. He would also be very upset if he had to do math over the summer. He used to really enjoy math and now he hates it. I don't want to make that worse by making him do it over the summer. Thanks for your input anyway.

[Pegasus]

I don't think I'd have him repeat the same course at school once he's taken it with a B or C grade. Consider having him go through a different algebra program at home, with a tutor if necessary, or using a self-taught program like Teaching Textbooks. He could do it slowly over the summer and continue all school year while he is taking Geometry at school. It is not unusual for students to lose a lot of their Algebra I skills while taking a year off for Geometry so by him reviewing/re-learning Algebra I over the year, he'd be very prepared to tackle Algebra II the following year.

[arstephia]

I would have him do Teaching Textbooks this summer instead of adding that much work to his high school load during the school year. He probably just needs a good review/refresh and the Teaching Textbooks would fill in the gaps.

[StephanieZ]

Algebra 2 will also review a lot of algebra . . . I would hire a tutor, and have him meet at least weekly beginning in the summer, and continuing until mastery is achieved. The tutor can help with next year's math, too, so this doesn't happen again.

[kiana]

I would have him work on redoing algebra 1 with a tutor while he takes geometry next year.

[Candid]

I agree with others, get a tutor or enroll him in a summer class to get algebra under control and don't repeat a class he has made a B or C in. For that matter, hire that tutor now and get his grade up now. And talk with the teacher, many teachers are willing to spend extra time with struggling students and if not they often will know of tutors.

[Julie in MN]

He could do it slowly over the summer and continue all school year while he is taking Geometry at school.

 

I agree that you have a good year to get him ready for Algebra 2, or to decide if he's ready for Algebra 2, for that matter.

 

Algebra 2 will also review a lot of algebra . . .

 

Yes, it's basically the same course, taken further and faster. But I know several people who did far better in Algebra 2 than they did in 1. Sometimes it's a matter of a better teacher or book for them.

 

Math Relief is a program that's sometimes used to help public schooled students with Algebra: http://mathrelief.com/

 

Julie

[BlsdMama]

I would have him do Teaching Textbooks this summer instead of adding that much work to his high school load during the school year. He probably just needs a good review/refresh and the Teaching Textbooks would fill in the gaps.

 

 

 

I think you, the OP, has a really valid point. It *is* really important to have the foundation firmly in place before taking the next class. That said, Geometry is more of a "side step" IMO than a step up so I think he's okay continuing onto Geometry next year. I certainly wouldn't throw off the whole schedule in order to get in a repeat of Algebra I. I'm speaking from experience. DD had never struggled with math until Algebra I and then struggled mightily. We did the same thing you are proposing right now. We repeated it, twice, until she acheived an A and I was sure she "got" it. The problem? The problem is that it seriously affected her otherwise stellar PSAT scores because she hadn't gotten through Algebra I and now it will affect her SAT scores because she's only in the middle of Algebra II. The repeating has long term affects. :(

 

What would I do if I had to do it all over again? I would have bought Life of Fred far, far earlier. She "got" Fred. If your son tends to be a "lit" guy, you might try Fred. It's awfully inexpensive as far as curriculum goes. We followed Fred with Teaching Textbooks. TT isn't the most rigorous program out there, but it fills gaps and is a solid enough follow up program for someone who has had Algebra in another version and/or isn't super mathy. Ana loves both Fred and TT and it's given her back some of her math confidence.

 

I'm still sad that we repeated Algebra I instead of finding something that clicked with her sooner. She is our first and, unfortunately, the guinea pig.

[ErinE]

Chiming in with review or hire a tutor. I got Bs in Algebra I; I made straight As in every other high school math class all the way up to Calculus AP. He may really enjoy Geometry.

[flyingiguana]

Maybe he could go through the Khan academy algebra problems? It's possible he knows more than the teacher gives him credit for. But if not, Khan should point out where the problem is.

 

If you want to spend money, the guy who does the Thinkwell calculus is pretty good at explaining things. If he is also teaching the Thinkwell algebra, that might be a possibility.

 

OTOH, if he gets a B or C, just let him go on, while keeping an eye on the situation as to whether he needs a tutor. Oddly, I just had a physics student wander through the office here saying he'd flunked algebra 2. He's doing fine now, though. There's a lot of review that happens in later math courses and it could be all your son needs is a different teacher. Or a few months to let his brain figure things out.

 

There's also a free algebra course at udacity. I haven't tried it -- but it might be worth going through something like that over the summer. If he's up to it. One advantage might be that he'd see a different way of doing things. There are often a couple ways to approach a given problem and one way may make a lot more sense to some students.

 

BTW, I did great in Algebra 1, but couldn't make heads or tails of algebra 2. I realize now it was all the fault of the teacher. There really are some bad teachers out there. (First time I took calculus was a complete disaster as well -- switched teachers and it suddenly made sense.)

[Matryoshka]

I agree with others, get a tutor or enroll him in a summer class to get algebra under control and don't repeat a class he has made a B or C in. For that matter, hire that tutor now and get his grade up now. And talk with the teacher, many teachers are willing to spend extra time with struggling students and if not they often will know of tutors.

 

 

I agree. Hire a tutor, or maybe have him take something like the Thinkwell course online at home alongside the Geo, but don't have him take it again at school. Or summer school - that's what those courses were designed for.