<p>Has anyone used Mathnasium? My daughter will be starting 6th grade next month. I am thinking of having her clep out of 7th grade Pre Algebra and the end of 6th grade. She would need to learn Pre-Algebra while in 6th grade. Has anyone used Mathnasium for grade acceleration? </p>
<p>Why do you want your daughter to do this? </p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend this if it takes additional study. Algebra is a math that takes a particular development to really grasp and even highly gifted kids can hit it too early and struggle only because they are young and the brain wiring needed isn’t totally developed yet. Another 6 months of physical growth and mental development and Algebra can be a snap just like earlier and later maths.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, my two took pre-algebra in 6th grade (they were age 10) but both had been on an accelerated math path since early elementary without any intervention from us. Both flew through pre-algebra. Both hit the wall on algebra. Our district doesn’t jump 8th graders to geometry (because our public college system is soon not recognizing geometry as a year of math if take prior to high school.) Instead, they offer a second year of algebra… “advanced algebra” which digs deeper and I’m SO grateful for this. My kids really needed this second year to let their wiring catch up and to fully absorb algebra. I will say though that D’s confidence and joy in math never returned even with later successes. Hopefully S will be able to regain his during high school.</p>
<p>I know, I know, you’ll hear other stories of kids who had no such issues but that doesn’t mean it’s not a real phenomena. If your kid needed the accelerated path early, sometimes you have no option but to move them into algebra because traditional school isn’t set-up to let them hold-off until they are fully ready (this was our issue.) However, if your child HASN’T been on this track, trying to push them ahead with outside study may do more damage than good at this juncture. Algebra isn’t the math to race to for most kids (even kids who will go on to accelerate much further than normal in high school.)</p>
<p>My son, a math major at MIT, worked for Mathnasium for three years during high school. He really believed in their philosophy and the kids he worked with, by and large, really enjoyed it. Some kids came because they needed extra help. Others came because they loved math and wanted more challenge.</p>
<p>I think it’s a good business with a good product, but you would probably need to talk with then about your goals. Other ides for math would be math competitions, math camps, and Art of Problem Solving materials.</p>
<p>Only do this if your daughter wants to and has a long-term plan for high school.</p>
<p>As someone who was far ahead curriculum-wise, it can just cause problems. And those problems aren’t necessarily academic.</p>
<p>Math acceleration is best only for kids who really are the one pushing themselves to do more math. If she is very mathy and this isn’t just something you are wanting, first read <a href=“Don’t Fall into the Calculus Trap”>Don’t Fall into the Calculus Trap;
<p>The “not necessarily academic” problems include things like younger kids being on the lowest priority level for registering for classes. So, my sophomore next year will have to take Calculus BC during zero period before regular school starts, because the other sections are filled with seniors and then juniors. Then, he will need to take community college classes for math the following two years and will again be last to be able to register for classes that often fill up. So, our plan is not perfect, but he really wanted to be where he now is in math.</p>
<p>If your D is Ok with this and her school system will allow it I would go for it. At my D’s school, by the end of 8th grade there are kids who have completed Algebra 1 & 2 and will take honors geometry in 9th grade, some who have completed standard Algebra 1 and others who have completed honors Algebra 1. Some kids are ready for more math, and as long as the school embraces it and the child is ready, go for it. </p>
<p>Hoping gunsup comes back and tells us WHY he would like to do this.</p>
<p>Is it standard public school policy to refer to taking a test to place out of something “clepping?” Not ever having had a child in a school, I have only ever heard that term toward the actual CLEP exams (obviously there is no pre-alg CLEP exam.)</p>
<p>I have had a child taking his first alg course at 10 and never missing a beat. However, it was absolutely nothing we did. He taught himself multiplication through observation at 6. He sees the world in patterns and sequences and is continuously creating mathematical models. (nothing I understand at all.) For kids that “think math” like that, I would say, go for it.</p>
<p>Flip side, I have a dd that is actually more gifted than her brother across the board (he is dyslexic and very skewed math/science). She is only one yr behind him math progression but she really does not like math. She loves languages and wants to major in linguistics. So, in order for her to math 4 yrs of math in high school, she is really having to take levels of math that she really won’t ever need. She does fine (she is a 4.0 student), but she wishes that she were not as far ahead as she actually is b/c she could have math as more of an easy class than one she has to put effort into if she had stayed on a typical math sequence vs. advanced.</p>
<p>It is hard to tell when they are young what direction they are going to want to go. But, unless a child is really there rock solid on their own, there is no way I would move forward simply for the sake of moving forward.</p>
<p>I agree to see what effect this plan will have on high school classes. Will your child run out of math? Will he have to take CC classes?</p>
<p>We don’t call it clepping here, because they typically take the school’s end-of-course exam. However, to skip precalc, they take the community college’s placement test for being able to take calculus. I’ve never heard anyone mention the CLEP tests here (California).</p>
<p>First, why are you considering this? Does you daughter find math way too easy? Does she love math? Is she asking to accelerate? Have her teachers suggested this? Does she score very highly on math standardized tests? </p>
<p>Next, have you discussed this with the school? If she’s really ready for pre-algebra, it would be much more appropriate simply to put her into a 7th grade pre-algebra class than to have her take 6th grade math she already knows and will be bored by and then also spend a lot of her own time out of school learning the pre-algebra. </p>
<p>You also need to consider how would she feel about being in a class with older kids? Does she have strong reading skills, good organizational skills, and good study habits? Also look in to what will happen in high school. Does she have reasonable options for taking more advanced math? If not, is it ok for her to stop taking math? This isn’t necessarily bad as it could allow her to explore other interests.</p>
<p>In our school district there is no accelerated math in elementary school. She is a great student (straight As) and learns easily with math being her best subject. The only reason I was thinking of bypassing pre Algebra with an exam is that pre-Algebra is 7th grade then Algebra I is 8th grade then she would have to take Geometry and Algebra II in 9th grade in order to take pre Calculus in 10th and Calculus AB in 11th and Calculus BC in 12. </p>
<p>Should I just stay on that tract instead and not test out Pre-Algebra and take both Algebra II and Geometry in 9th grade together?</p>
<p>I don’t want to harm her math confidence</p>
<p>She wants to be an engineer and her standardized state test scores have been higher than commended. </p>
<p>While she might think she wants to be an engineer, she is a rising 6th grader. I am sure she is clueless what that even means. Fwiw, there is absolutely no reason to spend a yr on AB and then a yr on bc for a strong math student. If, when she is a jr and is self-motivated, could she not simply complete bc in a single yr? (We are homeschoolers, so I have never had to deal with issues that are completely based on bureaucracy vs. authentic reasoning. Good thing, too. I think I go nuts dealing with made up lines in the ground that don’t serve individuals but collectives.)</p>
<p>Both of my kids ended up skipping 6th grade math: One skipped 6th grade altogether, the other tested into 7th grade math at end of 5th grade. Neither did any summer prep and neither had any problems whatsoever with 7th grade work. Made me wonder what they do in 6th grade math. </p>
<p>Mom2aphysicsgeek, do you know anything of Life of Fred books. I ordered the books of fractions, decimals/precincts and pre-algebra. I was thinking we could work on these books during the school year while she was doing 6th grade math. </p>
<p>Thank you all for your help.
I definitely don’t want to harm her confidence or burn her out.
She has been in a science camp for girls the last two summers and next summer she is starting TexPrep (if accepted) which is a pre freshmen 4 year program that runs 7 weeks during the summer M-F all day.
She loves robotics and computers. She will taking robotics as an elective and is very excited for this.
She is not asking for extra math lessons, but she is compliant with any assignments I give her ( reviewing 5th grade math is what we have been doing this summer).</p>
<p>I appreciate ya’ll’s help. </p>
<p>Hmmmm, my kids have never reviewed math during the summer. Summer is for fun and doing whatever they want. At 11, spending time doing math is not their idea of fun. ;)</p>
<p>I strongly dislike the Life of Fred books. My rising 7th grader went through the fraction book in 3rd grade after she had finished her 3rd grade math program early. We both disliked it so much we didn’t even bother opening the decimal book. The author starts off talking about fractions in terms of top number and bottom number. Seriously. The words numerator and denominator don’t show up until somewhere late in the book. The explanations are not conceptual but based on algorithm. My dd was frustrated bc we use math language during math. She felt the whole book was condescending. There are much better resources out there.</p>
<p>I would let her play on Alcumus if you think she could handle pre-alg problems. (that is the lowest level) <a href=“http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/liz/Alcumus/index.php”>http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/liz/Alcumus/index.php</a> If she likes it and is as strong of a math student as you think she is, let her take their online classes when she is at a high school level in math. Most students take them in addition to their ps classroom course. </p>
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<p>This is the red flag for me. If your child is NOT asking for more math, truly clamoring for more problems, more challenges, leave her be. Follow her lead. She likes science and robotics so go with that. She doesn’t have to be so accelerated in math as to skip or test out of her current track now. </p>
<p>Later, if she wants to (as in she asks for it, not do what you say), she can double up on Geometry and Algebra. It may not be the most elegant solution but it can work.</p>
<p>What yo u do want to do is make sure she is well-prepared for high school and she is able to pursue her interests. But if you accelerate her beyond her abilities - such as taking on algebra a year too soon - that can actually bemore harmful than helpful. You want your child to have the strongest - not fastest- math foundation. Parents seem to always confuse the two.</p>
<p>There are ways to accelerate later if she wants to. Many math minded kids choose to take a summer school course either at the high school or at a community college between sophomore or junior year. You should keep in mind that many, many, many kids who go into engineering and robotics only get through Calculus AB in school because that is how most schools are set-up (at least in my area which is one of the largest counties in the country.) Geometry is the 9th grade standard and many schools won’t offer it in 8th grade period. </p>
<p>I’m never against acceleration if it’s coming from the kid. Just keep in mind that the traditional system offers little flexibility for kids who might only need 4 months to master one year of math but then may need 6 months of maturity to really tackle another year of math. If she’s not pushing for math acceleration at this point, I wouldn’t do it. That doesn’t mean she won’t push for it later. Even if she NEVER chooses to accelerate, doesn’t mean she won’t move ahead into the maths or sciences in college.</p>
<p>And a side note, compliance isn’t equivalent to acceptance. We learned that when compliant D turned passive aggressive at 14. Thankfully, the various types of academic acceleration were driven by herself but in others ways, we were guilty of “encouraging” her in activities she really wasn’t invested in. Lesson learned on both sides… for her, stop saying “yes” when you really don’t want to… for us, trust that she WILL step forward and take what she wants when she wants it.</p>
<p>A kid that is getting straight “A’s” doesn’t need to review 5th grade math all summer. This is an example of a “yes” that may be more a “well, I want you to be proud of me so I’ll deal with all the repetition I clearly don’t need.” Eventually, these kids find a way to say “no” and it often hurts themselves.</p>
<p>Thank you guys for making me see the harm I am doing. No more math this summer! No skipping a math grade. But it seems the 15 minutes of math homework does not seem adequate. But I will take her lead. Thank you again.</p>