Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Algebra possible for 7th grade - HELP DECIDE

I think your son will be fine. I have no idea what "doublespeed" 7/8 math would be - is that school lingo for Pre-Algebra? Accelerated math in most districts near here is Pre-Algebra in 6th, Algebra I in 7th, so I think that kids like your son would do just fine in Algebra I. When middle kid was accelerated in this manner, she and others who placed into this track had some gaps, but most handled the gaps easily (kids who pick up things very quickly tend to fill in gaps quickly).

I guess that most would call Algebra I in 7th rigorous. However, it sounds like the type of challenge he needs. Teachers worry about all sorts of things. However, they usually don't know your kid's potential as well as you do.

Doublespeed is a word I made up because Accelerated Grade 7 Math is grade 7 and 8 math in one year. It's the start of the Honors track. The school says it's "breakneck paced". Makes me nervous. They're probably used to parents and kids who freak out.

I heard somewhere that things learned quickly are forgotten quickly. Things learned slowly are retained. I suppose this theory does not really apply to most gifted children? 8th grade fill-in-the-gap summer study is reasonable?

You are in the same situation as us. DD10 is headed to 7th grade but we will homeschool her for the first time and I plan to do Algebra I. Over the summer, I will do an assessment and do pre-Algebra to fill in the gaps.

I dont know how much study and homework time algebra I will require in the fall nor the accelerated 7 class. All I know is that current 6grade math homework he whips out in 5 Minutes or less. He never studies at home for any of the tests. What concrete quantity of time can I explain he needs to commit to in fall..for both options? He might complete hw quickly or not. He will also need to learn new study skills. How do I describe what his experience will be and what is expected time wise? Is he entitled to be taught study skills if needed or is that left up to the parent?

This is so school-dependent that we can't really say. But tbh I'd worry more about Alg1 being an anticlimax than about it being too hard! It's possible the school will pile on busywork homework, but as the school is being helpful now I would cross that bridge when I came to it, personally (eg by having him do only the harder problems).

Fwiw, without knowing your son, the plan to some work over the summer and go into Alg1 sounds fine to me, if he's happy with it.

When I investigated California's Common Core middle school math standards, I found that most of Grade 8 was a review of Grade 7 with a couple of bits added on. It should not require a 'breakneck pace' to cover it all - not by the standards of this board, anyway, and especially not if he's learned half of it already.

Possibly the 7/8 course has more of a spiral path through the material, while Algebra really requires mastery of each concept before moving on? The teacher might assume this makes Algebra more difficult.

That theory is more trite than real for anyone. At best it describes disconnected cramming.

We learn best at our level challenge, when ideas come in and connect with things and we work a bit to make sense of it. When the information is engaging and interesting, we put more focus and more of our mind on it at the time; the boost of the thrill of succeeding also makes the recall better. If you're floating in a bored zone, your brain engages less and encodes more shallowly; active attention is the currency of memory.

This is very well put.

Please may I use this as a quote... This is so well said and needs to be shared with the world! I'm happy to reference you for credit... real name or ZenScanner? )

Thank you, feel free to reuse, no credit needed or just Zen.

Funny, I liked the currency part so much in reread, I thought someone else must've said it first. But Google says it's an original.