Should 7th grader take 7th grade Math or 8th grade? Urgent PLEASE!

Education & Academics K-8
1

Hi,
My son is in the public school in SAS program and now finishing 6th grade. I just found out that he can take the 8th grade math next year while being in 7th grade. The class was given the math assessment test. Everybody who tested above 80% will automatically get into the 8th grade program, for the kids tested from 70%-80% it's up to the parents. these kids can get accepted if we agree. Everyone tested below 70% stay with the regular 7th grade math. My son scored 72%. I don't know what to do! On one hand it's good to be ahead but on another I'm concerned: how he'll be able to do well when he basically skips the entire 7th grade! There'll be at least some knowledge missing that he will be straggling without next year if he takes more advanced math. What are the advantages and disadvantages? It'll also be bad if he takes the 8th grade but will fall behind and start bringing Cs or Ds. Shouldn't he become proficient with 7th grade math first, building the basis for the future and bringing good grades?

Overall he is a sharp kid however this year he'll probably be getting the final "B" only because he loves to make stupid mistakes, something like 2+2=7 or not paying attention to the teacher's requirements.

Please help me to make the decision! Thank you!

2

hi. what i think you should do is talk to your son and husband together and weigh the pros and cons of your son doing 8th grade math. also if your son is ready to try the harder math let him. but its ultimately you and your husbands decision. good luck!

3

Hello Inna,

My son is graduating from 8th grade so I recently went through some of the same dilemmas. You must keep in mind that 8th grade you want your son to take Algebra so that by 9th grade he will be eligible for Geometry. Therefore, 7th grade he should be taking pre-algebra. It is important to begin Geometry in 9th grade which will advance him to algebra 2 and prepare him for chemistry. If your son is planning to go to college, this track will enhance his opportunities. I hope this helps some.

Stephanie F.

4

You know your son best, but my advice is don't do it! My son is now in 10th grade and a GATE student. Although quite capable, he has not been a straight A student. Because they advanced him in math in middle school, he was put into Trigonometry his freshman year...what a disaster.

Even though he was fine with the advance in middle school, in HS it caught up to him with all of the other changes. If you keep him on a normal track, the pressure will be less and his grades will be better (more than likely).

My son scores in the high 90s on all of the standard tests and his grades are fine because I pulled him out of that class last year. He will be fine for college with a normal track and later in HS he will have the opportunity to take more advanced classes anyway.

Sometimes, I think we are pushing our kids too far and I will tell you that I am not the only parent experiencing this. I would rather see my children doing well in school and feeling good about themselves than struggling in advanced classes and suffering under constant stress.

Bottom line...if your son is an over-achiever and making straight As and asking for more challenges then consider it. If not, let him take a normal course. I know this is a hard choice to make and I wish you the best of luck. If you do decide to advance him, just keep a very close eye on his grades and stay in touch with the teacher-if he is struggling, you can always pull him out. Good luck to your son!

5

I am torn but wanted to put my two cents in LOL With your son on the lower half I would suggest to keep him in the 7th grade math! Only because math is a tricky subject and there might still be information in the 7th grade level that he NEEDS to know to succeed at the next level, and if this is the case then the 8th grade level might be to hard and discouraging for him. But if you and him feel he can accel at the 8th grade level then advance him! It never hurts to be step ahead. Good luck!

6

Since he scored in the lower half of the grading scale , I would keep him in the 7th grade math. Especially with your comment "stupid mistakes" and "not paying attention to the teacher's requirements"
HEidi

7

What does he think about it? I have seen far more kids get bored because the math is too basic...then they shut down when things get hard. So if he's motivated to try the higher math, I'd do it. Before algebra, there's not a whole lot that a kid would be "missing" in terms of foundations, and if he's good at math and likes it, remember the first part of each year is generally review, so he could go quickly through the 7th grade stuff and move on to new challenges. If he's excited about being proficient enough to go on to the higher math, I'd go for it--capitalize on his enthusiasm. Then, if it gets tough, remind him that he has chosen the trickier path, and get an after school tutor (high school kids work for cheap! :) I wouldn't ever want to hold a child of that age back if he's excited or interested in challenging himself.

8

Hi Inna, My daughter now 19, took 8th grade math while in 7th grade and got an A, if your son feels he can do, I say let take it. Julie

9

Hi Inna,

I am a middle school math teacher, and placement in math classes is always a big issue. I'm glad you are concerned about it and have asked for advice!

It is tough to say exactly what to do, as I have not looked at the placement test and I am not familiar with the math department on campus. To be honest, some math departments are wonderful, progressive, and have figured out the best way to teach math to our kids, while others in California are totally struggling (a whole other issue).

However, I can tell you my 2 cents on your following concerns:

1.) "how he'll be able to do well when he basically skips the entire 7th grade!" --> 7th grade math is basically a repeat of 6th grade math but at a higher and more rigorous level. If your child did well in 6th grade math (ask his teacher personally about this), then most likely he has most of 7th grade math (Pre-Algebra) under his belt. Pre-Algebra is, in my opinion, a smorgasboard of math concepts that have no connection to one another. Check out cde.ca.gov to see exactly what Pre-Algebra covers.

2.) "It'll also be bad if he takes the 8th grade but will fall behind and start bringing Cs or Ds." --> Yes, I agree! In my opinion and experience, if your child is being offered to go into 8th grade math (Algebra) while in 7th grade, he should EXCEL beyond the 8th graders in that Algebra class. Go ahead and put him in algebra for the first two or three weeks and see how he does. If he is above average compared to his 8th grade classmates, he is in the right class (again, please be in personal contact with his teacher from day 1). If he struggles and is bringing home poor grades on his first test/quiz, you can ask his counselor to move him back down to Pre-Algebra. Yes, moving him back down could be a ego-damper, but middle school kids are pretty resilient, and if he was truly struggling, he'll be grateful that you moved him back down to Pre-Algebra. It is better to go from a higher class to a lower class than vice versa.

Finally, I cannot overemphasize the need for all parents to be proactive (as you seem to be!) in initiating contact with all your children's teachers. Public school teachers (especially middle and high school) rarely have the time/effort to make contact. However, if they know a parent is willing to speak with them and cares to speak with them, they will actually make more effort to contact you as well should any problems/concerns arise.

Hope this wasn't too much of a read...and good luck! Let me know if you have more questions =)

10

As a former 6th grade teacher I would say that you should look at his entire year's performance and then take into consideration the one test where he earned a 72%. Do math concepts come easily for him or does he struggle? How are his usual grades and test scores? Is math a subject he loves devoting time to learning?

Right now there are so many standards to be taught in any given year that skipping a year can be very detrimental to future success. How would he feel if he started in the 8th grade class and then had to move back to the 7th grade class? Would he be ok with that? On the other hand, does he make little mistakes (2+2=7) because he's bored in class? If that's the case, and he isn't just trying to rush, you might consider letting him try the 8th grade class.

Interestingly enough, when I was in junior high I skipped the 7th grade class as well so that I could take Algebra in 8th grade. It was a huge mistake for me personally because I struggled the entire year. In 9th grade I took Geometry and did fine, but when it came time for my second year of Algebra I ended up also taking a class at a junior college to back up what I was learning at school. I did ok after that but it was just hard trying to learn the material without the foundation. And that was 20 years ago...imagine the difficulty with the math standards we have now!

I would talk to your son about it and see how he feels. Since he scored lower on the test, I would probably keep him in 7th grade math, but it's very important to look at his overall performance and take that into consideration also. I wish you the best of luck - it's a very tough decision!

Michelle

11

Your son just barely passed 70%. I would discourage from entering him into the higher math level for several reasons. Clearly, he still lacks some math skills and will learn those in the regular math class next year. Secondly, if you push him ahead and he doesnt do as well as what is expected it will crush him. He is comparing himself with his peers. It is ok to be with the rest of the 7th graders and excel. My child's teacher suggested the same thing and I came to realize they did this because it frees up space, however it hurts the child more.

12

Hi everyone!

Thank you sooo much for great replies, support, advice and helping me to make the right (I hope!) decision for my child! We talked and talked and decided that he’ll take the regular 7th grade math. Our main arguments for staying on this track are: he is finishing this year with the firm “B” in math, he scored in low 70’s on the assessment test, when he does his homework he either takes a very long time because he is more interested in reading his book than doing the math or he rushes and makes stupid mistakes, it’s really difficult to get him to practice for his math tests as I get “It’s easy” or “I know how to do it” answer. In reality he just doesn’t want to study hard and review the formulas prior to the tests. He’s a gifted child and I think he has lots of potentials but he is not serious in applying them yet. I see the next year being a constant struggle and if he will take the 8th grade math. He knows that he is smarter than lots of kids in his class (per his teachers) and and it’ll be hard for his ego if he takes the 8th grade but cannot handle it and has to go back to the 7th grade. We think it’s best he stays where he is considering that it’s SAS program anyway. Thank you again!!!

I.