Algebra Readiness begins in elementary school. Three essential topics in elementary school mathematics are 1) numerical fluency, which includes the effortless recall of addition facts and the times tables stemming from mental math strategies for computation, 2) foundational understanding of the nature fractions, and 3) the basics of problem solving. Mathnasium was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal and highlights our unique and effective approach to teaching fractions. Read the full article here.
As students move into middle school, work with fractions expands to embrace rational numbers (common fractions, decimal fractions, percents, ratio and proportion, and negative numbers). At the same time, student's problem solving horizons broaden to include multi-step word problems, both routine and non-routine.
Successful mastery of these elements sets the stage for success in Algebra, the rest of high school math, and college. If any of these areas are under developed, the road ahead is fraught with danger.
Visit a Mathnasium Learning Center and see where your child stands.