Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Single Subject Accel - Pre or regular Algebra

I would look at the list of skills/topics in both classes side by side...maybe ask to look at the text books and sit with the teachers and see how much overlap there is.

My gifted son did honors sixth grade math,pre algebra 7th,and algebra 8th grade.
He didn't do 7th grade math at all.

But different classes are called pre algebra...sometimes pre algebra is just a way to slow down students who aren't ready for algebra and give them lots of practice with the basic concepts of algebra so they can successfully complete algebra...so it is designed for those not really good in math.

Other times pre algebra is consolidates all that middle school math and gets advanced younger students ready for algebra.

Sometimes it is completely necessary and sometime not so much and sometime it doesn't hurt...I think it depends on your child and the content of the class.

ETA. My younger son will be taking a different track next year (it is new) a special class in sixth grade and then algebra in 7th. So whatever he is taking will cover a consolidation of 6/7/pre algebra/whatever he needs before algebra. If that had been available for my older son he would have done that.