We asked many algebra teachers which skills they wish their students were better prepared with when coming into Algebra class. Their answers were always the same three skills: Multiplication, Fractions, and Integers. So why are there so many students weak in these three areas?
Multiplication Facts – Most students just don’t know them well enough. They learned a song or jingle to help them count up by instead of just learning an individual fact. This makes them always have to take the long counting route to come up with the answer. If they get off on their counting along the way, they end up at the wrong answer. Since Algebra has so much multiplication in it, the faster they can pull the facts from memory, the more efficient and less frustrating the work is going to be. At this point, kids are also now able to use calculators, so they start to get out of practice on their basic skills and become calculator dependent. They lose the ability to check the reasonableness of the answer given by the calculator. In fact, there are many areas of Algebra where calculators cannot help.
Fractions - In all of math, fractions are the skill that most students lack. Usually when a fraction shows up in a problem, there is no quick review given to remind students how to do it. In fact, we see many students skip the problems that contain fractions. The problem is, most of your daily life contains fractions: 1/2 tank of gas, 5/8" wrench, 3/4 cup of sugar. Our kids need to feel comfortable with fractions, so they can function as adults. For more information on why kids struggle with fractions, visit our fractions page.
Integers – Positives and Negatives numbers. The two questions we are asked all the time are, “Do I add or subtract?” and, “Is the answer positive or negative?” If you depend on remembering the rules, you will probably get something backwards. Instead, if you think of the number line as a ladder, it makes more sense. If 0 is ground level, we go up (get bigger) when we add and go down (get smaller) when we subtract. It also helps to remember that a negative sign just means we are doing the opposite. So an integer problem becomes a series of three questions:
So, let’s say we are trying to figure out -3 + -4. We start at -3. Then we need to add, which usually means we get bigger. But we are adding a negative number, so we do the opposite. This means we are actually getting smaller by 4, so we end up at -7. (See the ladder graphic example)
The fact is, unless your child has a solid foundation in these skills and confidence in their ability, they will continue to struggle in Algebra and beyond. The skills and concepts are only going to build and become more complex, so making sure they know what they are doing now will set them up for success.
<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Many kids are surprised by the amount of Algebra there is in Geometry. Come to find out that we use Algebra everywhere in Geometry, especially with the problem solving. If their Algebra skills are weak after completing Math I, it is going to be very troublesome when they get to Math II next year. The same goes for Math II (algebra and geometry skills) weakness going into Math III.
<p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Next we need to sit down and talk with you and your child to analyze where they are currently in their Math I, Math II, Math III skills. Then we can develop a strategy to catch them up!
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