MATH

In general, 6th-graders will do a course in the fundamentals of mathematics, building on the arithmetic they learned in elementary school; 7th-graders will do pre-algebra; and 8th-graders will do algebra.

 

​Texts: All of the math textbooks are college textbooks. The concepts are the same as those found in middle or high school level texts for the same subjects: 2 + 2 = 4 always, whether you’re in elementary school or college. But lessons in these texts are designed for two or three classes per week, as in college, so this gives us a logical division for teaching and learning concepts, since our math classes meet only two days per week. Some application problems use ideas that students may not yet be familiar with – mortgage, down payment, wages, etc. – and discussing these problem types in class has seemed very interesting to them.

 

​Sixth-grade text: Basic College Mathematics (Aufmann, Barker, Lockwood)

Pre-algebra text: PreAlgebra (Aufmann, Barker, Lockwood)

Algebra text: Introductory Algebra (Aufmann, Barker, Lockwood)

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Homework: Homework will be assigned daily. The aim is to assign enough problems to ensure understanding, but not so many that it becomes overwhelming. The purpose of the homework is to give the student the opportunity to practice and master skills. Because mathematics is a cumulative discipline (understanding the next concept depends on understanding the current one), the student will be asked to make corrections to incorrect work. Making corrections also helps the student learn to find his or her own errors, which is an important skill.

 

Organizing work: In general, for multi-step problems, students will write their solutions step-by-step in an organized way. They will need to be able to do this in more advanced math classes, so it will be helpful for them to develop – or continue to practice – good habits now.

 

The goal: My hope is that each student will master all concepts and skills at grade level, gain a very well-founded confidence in his or her mathematical abilities, and begin to understand the beauty of mathematics.