<p>Yes, My daughter is currently taking Honors math/ Algebra 1 in 8th grade and this semester is not doing well , a "D" , she will likely make a "C" at best for the yr. My question is wheither she should retake Algebra 1 next yr in 9th grade due to her poor grade or take Geometry.. Getting mixed answers to this. Need help Quick</p>
<p>Well, you can try getting her a tutor, or just make her focus more on math this semester, and see if she improves. She can always change her schedule over the summer if it doesn’t really work out. You can also try to preview the 9th grade materials over the summer if she’s not doing anything else.</p>
<p>She has been getting tutored by her math teacher 1-2 times a week, the counselor at her school has to turn in her classes for next year by friday/hence the urgency in this matter.</p>
<p>Well, then this is a gamble. It seems to me that her math teacher probably isn’t a very good tutor if your daughter is still getting D’s… or maybe you’re just not enforcing it enough?
Also, talk to your daughter about what she wants to pursue later in her life. If she’s in 8th grade, she probably doesn’t know much, but she should have a general idea of her strengths/interests. And you should also try talking to your daughter’s guidance counselor, since they probably see kids like your daughter every year.</p>
<p>I wasn’t too great at Algebra I in middle school but got a B in the class with a crap teacher. I got a C in geometry, but I’m bad at math. If your daughter can memorize formulas, geometry won’t be hard.</p>
<p>I think she should move on to Algebra II; not geometry, though. If Geometry is the honors level course, then don’t put her in it. A B in an honors course is the lowest you should have.</p>
<p>Have her retake the course. It is very important for her to have a solid foundation in basic algebra before moving on to more difficult levels of math. Granted, geometry is a different cup of tea from algebra but when she begins taking higher algebra courses she will be struggling if she never fully grasped the basics.</p>
<p>Experience: When I tutor, the kids who struggle the most are overwhelmingly those who just barely made it through pre-algebra/algebra I. They get lost fast when they run out of basic skills to draw on.</p>
<p>My daughter will do whatever we think she should do, I have heard from other parents and kids that the teacher is not good at explaining the “how to’s” in working the problems. I just am wondering how well she can do in Geometry or other higher math classes if she is struggling in Algebra 1. She did however have a “B” the first 9 weeks of school. Not sure what the problem is now</p>
<p>The Geometry isn’t a honors course</p>
<p>Maybe we’re over-analyzing this… If she was fine in the beginning of the year… maybe she got a boyfriend?</p>
<p>Fringe, I was thinking the way you are, you need to get the foundations before you move on to higher levels of math, but wanted to get other insights on this. so you tutor in Math??</p>
<p>How much does she like math (perhaps, how much did she like math in previous years, since she’s probably not happy getting a D)? If she has always liked math in the past and would be willing to work at it to learn it over the summer (by the way, if you’re not already, try to help her with it as much as you can - or have her watch some Khan Academy or Math Tutor DVD videos), then I think she should do that, make sure she really learns it (have her take tests of the same difficulty level as her class’s tests) then have her take Geometry.</p>
<p>If she isn’t really into math, have her retake Algebra I.</p>
<p>Also, if she switched from regular math in 7th grade to honors math in 8th grade (I did that… difficult adjustment for me), that could also account for why she’s just not doing very well.</p>
<p>No boyfriend shph119</p>
<p>Math hasn’t always been her favorite or best subject, I was somewhat surprised when she was recommended to take honors math this yr, though she did well last year. Wondering now if we made the right decision in letting her do it. She is also taking honors Science , but doing very well in it , Thank Godness</p>
<p>Could she re-take it during summer school?</p>
<p>In that case, I would have to agree with Fringe. I tutor math too, usually 9th and 10th grade, and most of the times, whenever they get points off on their test, it’s something fundamental. So you can have her retake whatever she’s taking now, or just review all the fundamental stuff with her over the summer.
Not to be racist or anything, but you know how almost all Asians (especially FOBS) are crazy at math? It’s because in Asian schools, other than physically hitting the students, they do a lot of reviewing. so yea… good luck with your daughter.</p>
<p>Can’t retake in summer school,</p>
<p>Her drop may be caused by a variety of things. Often the first several weeks of a math course are spent reviewing old stuff; your daughter may have done well initially but one she left her comfort zone of familiar material she became lost. Algebra is different. A lot of people have trouble making the transition from straightforward arithmetic to the more theoretical (using variables, etc).</p>
<p>The teacher might be a problem if s/he is rushing the material and not being receptive to her students’ issues. Some teachers teach to the “upper half” and expect everyone else to catch up. Others, as you said, are not good at explaining. If the teacher is the problem, getting tutoring from him/her may not make up for his/her mediocre classroom performance. You may want to ask another math teacher or tutor for help, or even have your daughter turn to peers who are excelling in the class. Sometimes explanations from those closer in age and life to you are better purely for the fact that you can better relate to the person giving it out.</p>
<p>And yes, I tutor in math. I’ve been doing it for almost 4 years in kids from 12-17 and math from pre-algebra to pre-calculus.</p>
<p>A friend’s daughter was faced with a similar problem four years ago. The parents talked to the GC at our high school and he advised to retake Algebra I. She did so taking the regular math tract with honors English and humanities. As a senior, she is taking pre calc. She was accepted to Michigan and waiting to hear from other top LAC’s. </p>
<p>My guess is that your daughter may not be ‘tooled’ to take the higher math levels courses at this point. I think she is being set up to fail if she moves to Geometry or Algebra II. That B first period could be the result of skills she brought with her from her past math class, not a reflection of what she was learning in Algebra I.</p>
<p>@shph119: While I agree with reviewing, that’s not how Asians are good at math. Being an Asian myself, i know better than others what other Asians do in terms of academics. Although most Asians and I are more math oriented, there are some Asians who aren’t. But how they manage this is through discipline. They are told, and sometimes pressured, by their parents about the need to succeed in school. Thus, they strive to try harder at math instead of giving up.</p>
<p>Since you said your daughter doesn’t like math, I would think that she’s probably easily discouraged from trying harder due to low grades. And that it’s just simply really boring to her. If she can’t get at least a B, I suggest retaking Algebra I. Geometry actually requires some algebra. So you need to know the basics first.</p>