Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Enrichment options for 8th grade math

I just took the NWEA Math MAP test (Fall of 2015-2016 year). I have been tested for accelerated math before and I have not passed (although many, including my teacher, think I should have). On this fall MAP test I scored ~270. That was much higher than others at my school and especially for a fall test. I was wondering what I should do from here because I am not being challenged enough in math.

Welcome, friend!

In the interest of online privacy, you might want to remove references to your true name (assuming that is your true name) from your signature and username.

As to your MAP results, take a look at this page: https://www.nwea.org/content/uploads/2015/06/2015-MAP-Comparative-Data-One-Sheet-AUG15.pdf

The first table addresses mathematics. You'll see that in the grade 8 column, your score falls far above the 95th %ile. The footnote under the table also points out that NWEA finds this score to demonstrate readiness for classes well beyond algebra I and geometry. (This does not mean, of course, that there might not be some gaps here and there, where you haven't been exposed to certain math concepts or skills.)

What you should do about math challenge depends quite a bit on what resources are available to you. In school, this will depend on your school curricular offerings, policies, and staff, and your parents. Sometimes schools are more open to acceleration based on their own end-of-course exams, rather than generic tests like MAP. You and your guardians can discuss possibilities with the school. Outside of school, there are more options for supplementing. Visit the Recommended Resources Forum on this site, and you will find a number of discussions about mathematics supplementation, such as Art of Problem Solving (online or books), EPGY/Redbird, or OpenCourseWare (free college course materials). There are also various rigorous textbooks that might be options for self-teaching, depending on your exact mathematics background and temperament.

If your school has a math team you might consider joining. Students in our district can compete up even if they aren't subject accelerated in math. For example, we have several 7th grade students who compete in the AMC 10 (American Mathematics Competitions) a contest for high school students. If your school doesn't have a team, you might find contests offered at a local University. The AMCs, for instance, allow you to search for locations where you can take the contest. You might also try USAMTS which is open to Middle School studetns, and you compete individually on your own not through school. All you need is an internet connection. Finally, The Art of Problem Solving has many great resources and problems for math enrichment on your own; consider their Alcumus program it's free.

Have you tried talking with your teacher and asking his/her advice? What about your parents?

Can you give a bit more detail about your math class? You say 8th grade math but that can mean multiple things depending on your school. What topics will you be covering this year. Are you in a public school in the US? Is this Common Core Math 8? What book does the class use? (Please don't give any details about your exact school.) Are there students at your school who are taking a higher level math class in your grade?

There are a number of things that can be done for your boredom that range from moving to a higher level class, your teacher giving you enrichment (like assigning proofs or more challenge problems), joining a math club or training for a math competition like math Olympiad, finding enriching material on your own. Khan Academy is an good free online math resource. Or if your looking for challenging fun math check out 'Martin Gardner' either online or find his books at your local library.

Good Luck

Thanks for the information very helpful!

Thanks for the response! My math class is in the US and it is public. The curriculum is Common Core 8 and the class is called Algebra 1.