<p>Should we start the tread - What grade did your kid take Algebra (for credit of course) ;)</p>
<p>no of course we didn't notice
or we wouldn't have wasted time giving her some advice.</p>
<p>If the topic were current I would have answered it exactly the same way as I assumed she was actually looking for advice from people who had been in similar positions, and despite its age, this thread could still help others. </p>
<p>For instance at my kid's HS they do NOT use anything from prior to HS on the transcripts. I had to lobby pretty hard to get the classes included. It may be helpful for parents to know they should not assume anything about their school's policies or they may like to know that there are other options for education if your kid is advanced in a subject rather than having them take classes with High Schoolers if they are still pretty young.</p>
<p>So is this now the thread to make fun of parents with math smart kids who are just trying to help someone out?</p>
<p>Anyone who has kids advanced in math should read this (I apologize if it has already been posted on the previous pages)
The</a> Calculus Trap</p>
<h1>theorymom - smile, we are all in the same boat here :)</h1>
<p>Kelowna, thanks for that link.</p>
<p>yes thanks for the link! (she says smiling)</p>
<p>My daughter wanted to take Intro to Algebra the summer before 6th grade. </p>
<p>At her middle school they use Algebra 1: Concepts and Skills for the intro class. I think kids on the regular math track are taught pre-Algebra concepts in 6th and 7th grade (not sure, because we are new to this district). </p>
<p>Before deciding to let her take Intro to Algebra, I tested her critical thinking and problem solving skills with a few algebra books and advanced science books. She felt pretty confident after reviewing them. </p>
<p>In retrospect I don’t think she fully understood what it would be like for her take a one year course in six weeks. She struggled for the first two weeks, mostly because of her over confidence, she was used to coasting through school. This was the first demanding, rigorous class she had ever taken. She started sinking a bit at first, but decided to pull herself up by the boot straps, and by the 5th week she was tutoring a few older students. She impressed her teacher very much with her understanding of the concepts, not just memorization of procedures.</p>
<p>She feels like it was the academic experience of her life and is thrilled to have taken the class. She is an October baby, just started 6th grade last week, still only 10 years old and the only 6th grader at her middle school taking Algebra 1. </p>
<p>She made friends with a few older students during summer school, so on top of the academic experience for her, she feels very cool.</p>
<p>“Gee, is this the thread where all the parents of math smart kids can tell the forum how advanced they are? Since the first post was done years ago, I’m not sure what the point is in bringing it back up…”</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>I found this forum and this thread while googling for discussions about younger kids on advanced math tracks. I learned quite a bit from the responses here.</p>
<p>I’m gonna bump up this thread because even though it is over 6 years old, is still a very good thread that should still be discussed.</p>
<p>Great thread.
Back in 6th grade, I certainly was not as good as the smartest students and wasn’t even in the accelerated program. My parents put me in Pre-Algebra 7th because they didn’t believe I was ready for Algebra 1–they tend to weed out parents at the meeting (API scores probably) and only about 30 sign up. I was lucky however to move up into the Algebra class where you get to learn in the environment of all the “smart”/competitive students. At first I got B’s in Algebra and Geometry, but over time I built a love for math (look at the username) and a lot of other subjects that those students influenced me with :)</p>
<p>If he wants to do it, let him. Telling him not to because you think it’ll be too hard is like saying that you don’t believe in him, even if it’s in his best interest.</p>
<p>On a side note, Algebra’s not a hard subject. With good teachers and supplemental programs, it could be taught in elementary school to the truly gifted students.</p>
<p>The original post is from 2006–I should think the OP’s issue has been resolved by now.</p>
<p>Well obviously, but I’m just talking about it being a good topic to talk about. The most important factor for Algebra 1, especially with a 7th grader is the teacher, My 7th grade math teacher was horrific, I was barely able to pass that class but picked up most of the concepts I didn’t understand while I was doing Geometry and did fairly solid in Geometry with a decent teacher. So far in Algebra 2 I am doing fine because I have a good teacher. I took Algebra 1 without having took pre-algebra in 6th grade because 6th grade is still elementary school in my school district which everybody just did 6th grade math in and they gave us an algebra readiness test at the end of the year which I got a perfect score on even though 6th grade was a year that I slacked off a lot in.</p>
<p>Why? This is a forum for parents of students looking at college or in college. The cow has left the barn.</p>
<p>I took the equivalent of Algebra 1 in 6th grade and am only taking calculus for the first time now - as a senior in high school. The curriculum just moves that slowly. It’s really frustrating.</p>
<p>I encourage anyone who feels he or she can move up to do it.</p>
<p>D’s 6th grade math teacher recommended her for Algebra in 7th grade. D decided against it because “that class is all boys”.</p>
<p>I am still mad she didn’t tell me about it before she made that decision because we would have had a REALLY good talk about boys and girls and math and not being ashamed to be smart.</p>
<p>We still had the talk, just too late for Algebra in 7th grade.</p>
<p>She took it in 8th grade and is on track for AP Calc as a senior. But shoot.</p>
<p>Our kids have a 6th grader in their Calc BC class this year. One girl in their class is really excited because she is no longer the shortest kid in the school :D.</p>
<p>I’m glad to see the thread revival. This is a recurrent issue, especially for families who come from other countries and are surprised to see the wimpy mathematics curriculum in much of the United States. The “Calculus Trap” article recommended above years ago </p>
<p>[The</a> Calculus Trap](<a href=“http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Resources/articles.php?page=calculustrap]The”>Don’t Fall into the Calculus Trap) </p>
<p>is still a very good article on this issue.</p>
<p>This is an oldie but goodie thread, and it was fun to read some of my old posts from 2007. S1 graduated from college last spring with a math major and is now a software engineer. Is still considering grad school, but found out that the serendipitous success he experienced with research in previous years was difficult to recapture. Expect he will pick up a MS in CS courtesy of his employer, which may parlay into better PhD placement. </p>
<p>In reading about what is happening to the math curriculum in our school system these days, I am thankful my kids have graduated.</p>
<p>I am taking the same track the OP’s son is on and I would like to say its been pretty good, nothing to terribly difficult. Also, if you take algebra 1 in middle school it is not seen by colleges.</p>