Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Math Learning "gaps" ?

When our DD11 was 9 (?) she too was ready for algebra, but the school she was at couldn't fit her into the 8th grade algebra class because of class size restriction laws in FL. She had been radically accelerated at that point into 7th grade and we talked with the algebra teacher about her taking algebra on line while physically sitting in the algebra class so that she could get some instruction on topics she needed clarification on. In order for the school to allow this we had her take the "algebra readiness" test that other 7th graders would take. When her scores came back, it did show some gaps, but it also showed that her thought processing was definitely ready for algebraic thought. Her school used a score of 80% or above to allow admittance into algebra as an 8th grader.
If the score comes back and they say it was too low, I would request to see the test and results and if the score is above 70% ask them what score is permitted - you may find that they use a sliding scale based on who is asking/wanting to get into the class.
I agree with what others are saying though - most gaps in knowledge will be easily filled once they need to use the skills in algebra to solve problems. I wouldn't worry about them at all.

School just called. They are going to pull my son out of 6th grade math once a week, go to librarian's office, use a computer there, for KHAN academy math. Starting this afternoon.

Any thoughts on this?

They are also planning on administering the Accelerated Grade 7 math test to him soon. I am a little nervous. Just to recap, Accelerated 7 combines both grade 7 and grade 8 curriculum into one year. They told me it's at a "breakneck pace".

1) What kind of score is low enough to suggest it's the right placement for my son in September?

2) What kind of score suggests he's competent enough to actually take Algebra I in September? I asked about an Algebra Readiness test, but the math coordinator says he has not heard about it in NY.

I need to be prepared with my informed opinions for the next conversation. Would appreciate all thoughts...thank you

Is your concern that he already knows too much of the 7th-8th curriculum to make that feasible?

For whatever it is worth, the pacing sounds far better in a compacted course like that-- maybe even better than "higher level" math. If your school's accelerated mathematics options include this kind of compacting in coursework, that's a great thing. Well, I suppose not if he's ready for Algebra and this is being suggested instead. Seeing material you mostly know at a faster pace only makes it slightly more bearable.

I'd let him show them what he can do with Khan, myself. They'll probably believe that a lot more than anything you bring to them at this point.

Cee, I would think of the Khan arrangement as a stopgap only. Your child deserves instruction that includes feedback from a teacher.

You also might like the book Developing Math Talent (Susan Assouline).

Most places would consider 75% as a threshold for deciding to skip the class and just patch any gaps that were found on the test.

They called back, and put my son on speaker. They presented it to him, and stressed that it will be paced at his level. His response was "that's perfect" (they said he's wearing a big smile).

I just googled Khan, and one of the first links was a Washington Post critical critique of its math videos. Just great. Educators are saying it doesn't teach or anticipate cofusion or student misconceptions. If my son's school isn't aware of Khan's flaws, and set him up once a week to do Khan as though it's a magical computer gateway, I think that's misleading.

On the upside, my son may get excited about mathematics again. He has seemed jaded and disappointed for so long.

Howler Karma, my concern is this. Pace of grade 6 math is ridiculously slow for him. Accelerated 7/8 will be better, perhaps more in line with his natural comfort level but what IF he can still, because of ability, move along faster?

Now I don't think faster is always better. But how do we, as advocating parents, analyze the course content as well as our child's abilities, and decide that our gifted child should NOT move along faster, even though they might be able to? When do we know that faster IS better?

I think tbh, the key thing to realise is that none of the concepts in school maths as usually taught are hard. If your DS is seriously mathy, he is never going to be challenged by the kind of concepts and questions on them that are typically used to test schoolchildren. For this reason, I think "pace" through the usual syllabus is not always the right thing to be looking at - this isn't where the challenge comes from anyway. Obviously spending time on basic presentation of concepts that are already mastered is a waste of time, whatever the pace; if he's faced with a syllabus where there'll be some of that and some new stuff, going faster may help by having him waste less time on the old stuff. But even if Alg 1 is totally new to him, it is not likely to solve the problem, because it isn't hard enough.

If he doesn't get the chance to work on hard problems, he's sunk whatever base material he's being presented with; and if he does get that chance, it doesn't matter so much what base material he's being presented with!

I wouldn't worry too much about the criticism of Khan, as long as your DS is keen. I've watched some of it, and while it has a point, I think it has a much more valid point for typically-mathy children than for very-mathy ones. Just so long as your DS knows who to ask - whether that's you or someone at school - any time he does have trouble, and so long as he gets hard enough problems to expose any lack of understanding, he'll likely be fine.

Different kids have different learning styles. My DD will zone out if someone is teaching something she already knows. With Khan's academy, she could just answer the question, shows her mastery and move on. Only the stuffs that she has trouble with, she would do their video lectures. For the sound of it, your DS may not need a lot of video lectures anyway.