Background:
DS12 first entered the AIG program because of his math skills. All through elementary school his strength flip-flopped between math and verbal. He was invited to participate in Duke Tip after his score on his 4th grade EOG. In fifth grade, however, he lost his love for math. He didn't like the teacher, thought the way she insisted on the class using zeros as place holders for multiplication and division was confusing and he almost lost it on the fact that much of the year was dedicated to teaching fractions and division and that was it. It got so bad that he would fuss and fume and say he hated math. When discussing with her the possibility of grade advancement she insisted he'd be fine. That though he wasn't the fastest in class, he was usually very accurate. His math subtest on the Explore he took in fifth grade was the lowest of the four, but he still scored well enough to suggest he needed math advancement.
So...
He skipped 6th grade math. He took 7/8 compacted math in 7th last year, with a teacher he liked but who wasn't very good. DS is not one to go out of his way to practice things or to study on his own, so I was scrambling at times to fill in any holes. Last year, for instance, was the first time he was introduced to the concept of negative numbers in any real meaningful way and it nearly did him in. Not one person had shown him a number line in teaching him negative number equations. He learned expressions, inequalities and various things all for the first time. He did well on paper but I'm worried that the holes are still there.
This year there's been some announcement that if the kids don't get above an 84 in the class they'll be asked to leave the 8th grade/High school Math 1 class and go to regular math class. The pace is like this: at least one new concept per day (though for some it may be review) and some of it was covered last year and some of it wasn't. DS is doing okay, but swimming with his head right around that 84 line.
So my question: should I hire a tutor? I've been helping him the best I can, but soon I won't be able to. How would I go about that? It seems that he catches on quickly but I wonder if this is just too quickly? Conversely, he cannot tolerate the snail's pace of general classes. The teacher is very good but isn't that communicative. I can't find a math book I like.
All the other aspects of grade-advancement have been a success and even socially it's better for him. But I worry that we made a mistake by advancing him this much in math so quickly.
And I'll just add that I don't think the math is taught very well in this county/state.
Last edited by KADmom; 09/30/14 05:42 PM.
