Preparing Middle Schoolers for Algebra

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We are in the final months of my oldest’s middle school year and Algebra is just a few short months away. This could be causing me some stress because I’m not a mathematician, but it isn’t. A few years ago I took time to research math curricula for the middle and high school years because I knew math was not my strong suit. I didn’t want my aversion to math to hold either of my children back. That meant that I had to find a math curriculum that would actually teach mathematics to my children.

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My son was in 6th grade and tears (on both our parts!) were a daily part of our math lessons. We were about halfway through the homeschool year when I finally accepted that I was not able to explain the math processes to him in a way that he could understand. He is a visual learner and I was trying to make him an auditory learner because of how I was teaching him. It is no surprise that it just wasn’t working.

Thankfully the wisdom and experience of other homeschool moms helped me find the perfect math curriculum for our middle and high school years. Not only did this math curriculum provide the instruction and visual learning that my children needed, but it also has made my life easier because it grades the lessons for me!

Currently my middle schooler is preparing for Algebra in high school by completing Teaching Textbooks’ Pre-Algebra course in his 8th grade year. I am thankful that this math curriculum provides the visual instruction that my children need prior to tackling the upper math courses like Algebra, Geometry and Calculus. I have no doubt that my children will continue to excel in their math courses throughout high school thanks to the firm foundation in basic mathematics acquired through Teaching Textbooks.

The first half of the year my son has spent refreshing his memory of basic mathematics concepts such as; measuring length, percents and rational numbers. As he is nearing the seventh chapter of Teaching Textbooks’ Pre-Algebra, he will soon begin to learn simple algebraic equations. From there he will move on to integers, combining like terms, rational expressions and more as he prepares for Algebra 1.

As our first homeschool high school year is approaching I’m thankful that I do not have to figure out what we’re going to use for mathematics, especially since it is the most difficult subject for me. The peace of mind that I have thanks to Teaching Textbooks is invaluable to me as a mother. I can rest assured that my children will not only be taught how they learn best, but also be taught mathematical concepts that I am ill-qualified to teach them.

How are you preparing your middle schoolers to tackle Algebra?

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