<p>I 100% agree with you. I have two teens in highschool and their problem with algebra/middle school math was never being smart enough but rather they never cared about the material because it never actually applied to their life. Maybe instead of force feeding students or waiting until they are “ready”, we just show them how algebra can help them do the things they love to do. One of my good friend’s kid participated in the reelmath challenge ([Reel</a> Math Challenge - A free math video competition brought to you by MATHCOUNTS](<a href=“http://www.reelmath.org%5DReel”>http://www.reelmath.org)) when he was in 8th grade. What the kid did was create a video showing how math applied to his life. Although he didn’t win the contest (there are thousands of entries), it really did spark his interest in math.</p>