Algebra 1 a distant memory? Click here to be ready for A2.
How to Bullet-Proof Your Algebra Experience
FACT: Many (I would argue most) students need more practice in order to master something that what happens in a typical math classroom, or in a typical tutoring session. Read on to find out:
- How to tell if you are one of these students (are you human?)
- Why it’s MUY IMPORTANTE to implement a practice-method of mastering math skills before taking Algebra 1 if you are.
In grades 4 through about 7, there isn’t a whole lot of radically new math material that a student is expected to learn. They will see more and more sophisticated versions of the skills as they advance in years, but nothing that’s that big of a departure from what they’ve already been shown beginning as early as 4th grade. So basically, student’s have FOUR YEARS to get basic math down.
Then along comes Algebra. Even with initiatives to get students thinking algebraically well before they take an actual algebra course, still an Algebra 1 course represents a radically new set of skills. And rather than having multiple years to get it down, students have one single short fast semester, with the next 3+ years of their math career riding on it.
What? One semester? Isn’t Algebra 1 a year-long course??
Yes, BUT…in the second semester of an Algebra 1 course, a student is already being introduced to more advanced concepts. These brand new, advanced concepts come at them quick, and assume complete and total mastery of the things that they were only just exposed to in the first semester. Expecting lasting mastery of this particular set of skills in a single semester, especially with the background that most students enter an Algebra 1 class with, is simply not realistic. (I think it’s actually cruel.) This point right here is the cause of many students’ downfall in math. Even students who have done fine in math up to this point start to struggle, fall behind, and then STAY behind for years to come. They need more time to digest the new material before piling MORE new material on top of it. The fact that these students need more practice in order to master the skills does not in any way mean that there is anything wrong with the student’s math aptitude. It merely means that to expect lasting mastery in such a short amount of time is setting the student up for failure. Given a more appropriate amount of time, exposure, and strategically-timed practice like what a practice-method offers, the same student that would otherwise flounder and subsequently struggle in math for the rest of their academic career, can THRIVE.
Contact me to learn how to get an interactive MFK assessment to find out if you’re ready to thrive in Algebra. And btw, the skills that ensure a thriving experience in Algebra 1 are the same skills that you want to have to tackle the ACT, SAT, and all college entrance and placement exams related to math. So investing in them has super far-reaching results.
Learn more about the metrics I use to determine thrive-readiness for Algebra here and here.
Already took Algebra 1? Click here to read about being ready for Algebra 2.