Berkeley Parents Network: Skipping 7th Grade Math & Taking Algebra

Berkeley Parents Network

Skipping 7th Grade Math & Taking Algebra

Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > School & Preschool > Skipping 7th Grade Math & Taking Algebra

May 2001

My daughter is doing very well in 6th grade math and would like to move on to algebra rather than taking 7th grade math next year. Have other parents had this experience? How did it work out?

I'm not sure I understand your question. But if your child is being offered honors algebra as opposed to regular algebra, I'd look at it closely. Secondhand observation of one friend of my child's showed that it was very hard. If it's a choice between pre-algebra and algebra, and your child's teacher feels comfortable with that, that course seemed appropriate for my child who had to work hard but not too hard. Also, drop a line to Neil Smith and ask him for a name of a 7th grade math teacher to talk to. He's very responsive. My student has Ms. Mukerjee (sp?) who is very enthusiastic. You might want to talk to her.

Regarding a 7th grader skipping 7th grade math and doing 8th grade algebra. My daughter, now in 9th grade at BHS, did algebra in 7th grade (geometry in 8th and now algebra 2 in 9th). At this point I feel it was the right thing for her, and she agrees. She is alittle nervous about the progression and taking higher levels in the next few years as her other classes become more complicated and the work load increases dramatically (with Latin and other AP possibilities). BUT--she would have been very bored and I wondered if she would have begun to lose interest in math. She has one of the most difficult math teachers and does work hard but is doing quite well. I think one has to look ahead to the path your child would be on and think about the rest of her/his course load. Also going to BHS in 8th grade for math was workable because she went with a small cohort group from Willard so the bus issue, being on campus, etc was an ok adjustment for her.I don't like pushing kids, particularly teens who have so much to struggle with as they grow, but I think in our case it was a good decision. Think about your child as a whole and all the other factors. Good luck. Karen

I am a ninth grader at Berkeley High. I skipped up to Algebra in seventh grade. It was difficult to be in a class where I was the youngest, but once I was used to it, I did OK in the class, although sometimes it was a struggle. I would recommend Algebra if your child is good at picking up new concepts very quickly and doesn't have social issues about being in a class with all eighth graders.

My daughter skipped 7th grade math last year and took Algebra. This year she's taking Honors Geometry early in the day at Berkeley High, then returning to King Middle School for the rest of her classes. She's doing well now, but there were two problems in the 7th grade:

1) At first, she had to do a lot of catching up, because every one else had pre-Algebra and she hadn't - learning new terminology and such. That settled down after a while.

2) At the end of the year, she earned a B, which did not qualify her to take Geometry at Berkeley High. (She needed an A.) In order to qualify, she had to take a scheduled test at Berkeley High, which she did well on, so she got to take Geometry.

The problem is, that if she had not passed the test, we were told she would have to take Algebra all over again in eighth grade, because Math is required and King doesn't have anything more advanced to offer. That would have been embarrassing and disappointing for my daughter, and I fear it would have turned her off to math. I question whether it's a good idea to take Algebra in 7th grade if you run the risk of doing well and still having to take the entire year over again. Beverly

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