How to keep an A in Math?

Parents Forum
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Hi- My daughter is going to a magnet school, with an advanced 9th grade level of math (her choice). On her 8th grade final exam she scored a slightly disappointing score, 87, and only has a 92 this year in math, and in order to remain in the math track and be eligible for higher level math in 11th grade she needs to have an A grade in math (93) as well as a 90 average on tests in 9th grade. The level of math in 9th grade should be comparable to Algebra 2 with some trigonometry at the end.

Basically we are just looking for things we can do to ensure a good grade. She is willing to practice in the summer.
We are looking for suggestions along the lines of practicing with any recommended books, any videos as well as personal recommendations that you’ve found to work yourself as well as any surefire tips to avoid silly mistakes in math (one of her weaknesses.)

Thanks!

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I’m not sure how to figure this out, but I advise trying to determine if your daughter is struggling to achieve the score of 87 or getting 87 because of things like making silly mistakes (as you said above). My older daughter did well in math in 5th grade, struggled in 6th grade, did okay in 7th and 8th grade, and then really fell off the curve throughout high school. It was terrible for her self-esteem and her feelings about school in general. Fortunately, her GPA survived the pummeling it took from her poor math grades and she went to and graduated from college, but not pulling her off the double-advanced math track was the biggest school-related mistake I made as a parent.

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@rosered Thanks for your response!
She did much better in math in 7th grade, with a 94 final exam. I think it was the combination of having a lot of things in May including a national level competition in another subject as well as a lack of preparation and correct pacing in study, as well as silly mistakes being a factor. She understood all but one of the concepts that she lost points on (and the particular concept that she didn’t understand was only worth 5 points), it was just a lack of practice of problems to identify sources of error that brought her down.

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What will her subsequent math courses be if she gets an A grade, and what will they be if she gets a B grade?

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@ucbalumnus If she gets an A grade she would be on course to do Math HL (in the IB Program) in 11th and 12 grades .If she gets a B she would do Math Methods SL in the 11th and 12th Grades

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Many problems can be checked by plugging the answer back in. Students are often too lazy to do this. Problems that can’t be checked can generally at least be checked against one’s common sense.

For example if the problem involves finding the time for light to reach us from the moon given certain parameters and you get 1000 years, perhaps you might think there is something wrong rather than just writing it down. Other problems can be checked against the extremes - at really large X I expect the answer to get really small, etc. Don’t waste any of your allotted time. Always use it to check your answers in every way you can.

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Not sure if I follow – is she is a 9th grader finishing algebra 2 (two grade levels ahead)? Shouldn’t her normal progression be:

10th grade: trigonometry and precalculus
11th grade: calculus
12th grade: post-calculus math at a college (optional)

What would her 10th grade math course be in each scenario? Either way, it looks like both IB tracks result in her completing not as high a level of math as one would expect for a 9th grade student in algebra 2.

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Does she really like math? Does she want to do as much math as she can, or is she trying to be in the top classes? Does she like sciences or prefer other types of classes? I know it is too soon for her to decide her college path (I was vehement about taking minimal science as a HS freshman and got an Honors Chemistry degree as an undergrad) but does math take her away from subjects she prefers? Some kids go for the top tracks just because they feel they need to.

Since math builds on previously learned material this summer she could learn her weak areas more thoroughly than she did during the school year. She also could train herself to look for errors and silly mistakes. My college honors math major son did horribly with flash cards in early elementary school- not his thing. But by now your D is learning more concepts than just arithmetic facts. She needs to own them. It is up to her if it is worth the effort to go from a barely A to a top A student in math.

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Make sure she answers the question that was asked and make sure units are correct, if relevant. Leave enough space for writing, and be reasonably neat. Cramming equations into insufficient space on the paper leads to errors. Try to develop a sense for whether the answer makes sense and is numerically reasonable. Always check answers if time permits. Do extra practice problems in addition to homework assignments if necessary to get completely comfortable with the material. If she is addicted to her calculator, it might help to go without on homework to help her develop mental math skills that might help her notice errors.

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Great post above. Practice this summer in showing all of the steps. Sometimes assuming you know something and jumping over the steps leads to errors. Enough practice and she can mentally go through the steps. I remember in college having essay type exams for math and science courses. The method was more important than the final number. She’ll get the correct answer with the correct logic by going step by step. Perhaps she could check out her last year’s textbook from her school to review material not as thoroughly learned.

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Grades aside, here’s a great review site: www.regentsprep.org IT’s intended to prep kids for NY state’s Regents exams, but the review is solid without excessive emphasis on the exam. Make sure she knows Algebra II & Trig solidly, then go back and make sure she’s good with Geometry.

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Just do a homework every day and do it correctly with the right answers.

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I would work with your child on problems. Do them as well. Then go over the mistakes. With two people, it’s a matter of the person getting the problem wrong explaining what they did to the other person. It becomes clear very quickly if the problem is carelessness or not getting the concept.

That said, stepping down a level may be a good idea. Sihe may need the extra year (it really depends on her errors). I’ve seen good but not stellar students crash in math in 11th and 12th grades when they have a weaker understanding and poor instruction.

Also if she shows that she is having problems keeping up with all her academic responsibilities, it’s okay to ease up the rigor on one subject. If math isn’t her thing, it may be the one subject.

I echo Mathyone - take away the calculator.

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ALL kids like challenges, stepping down may actually kill interest in the subject all together.

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What a surprise answer.

I don’t agree…because there will be times when you might get stumped on that homework. Don’t be afraid to stay after school, or make a time to meet with the teacher to get clarifications. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class.

In other words…get the info you need to accurately do the work.

A 92 is not a bad average for an advanced math course, in my opinion.

What is the reason for accelerated math, other than it was your daughter’s choice?

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I think the thing to do is to do more practice problems when studying for a test…get a separate book (that has solutions) and just do problems. Then look at the solutions to see what you are getting right and wrong.

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All kids may like challenges but there can be overwhelming ones. A balance needs to be achieved. All kids like success as well so sometimes backing off to one’s comfort level is a good thing. There are reasons there are cutoffs for some courses. Struggling to keep up/get the A is not as good as slowing down a bit to truly learn the material. Consider that those marginal kids will be at the bottom of the class- perhaps not getting A’s but B’s or even C’s.

So what if she doesn’t finish x++ levels of math? She can learn and retain material to even be a mathematician if that is what she later desires.

See how this summer goes. Use the advice above to have her solidify her knowledge base. If during the course of that she dislikes the subject instead of embracing it you have your placement answer for the lower class. If she is enthusiastic she deserves the opportunity to forge ahead on the fast track. No matter which route she ultimately takes she will be able to succeed in college at any math option she chooses. Her future will NOT be limited by getting into/not getting into a certain math track at her HS.

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Thanks for the responses. I just wanted to clarify that there was no pressure from us- this post was just prompted by her worries about next year, in fact she was the one who wanted to take extra math classes and accelerate in 7th grade.

@ucbalumnus The course is not exactly named an Algebra 2 course, though it is intended for people who have done the equivalent of geometry the year before.
In the school there are two levels of math, Integrated Math 2 and Integrated Math 3
The average student would do Integrated Math 2 in 9th, Int Math 3 in 10th, and either Math Studies or Methods Standard level in 11th and 12th grades
She would do Math 3 in 9th grade, IB Math Methods SL in 10th and IB HL Math in 11th/12th if all goes well
Geometry in 8th grade was required by the school in order to do Integrated Math 3 in the 9th grade

@wis75 I actually think about this sometimes and will talk to her about it. Personally she is the one who wants accelerate, she convinced me in middle school after I said not to.

@sylvan8798 @bopper @SlackerMomMD Thanks for the tips, I will pass them along to her and work with her
@bjkmom Would you recommend going over Algebra 2 completely before next year? She does have time this summer.

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So the advice consisted of doing more practice problems. Would the AoPS book on Intermediate Algebra be helpful? A lot of online reviews said that the conversational tone was good to keep interest.

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@niabost ,

She’s taken Algebra I at this point, right?

Then, no, there’s no reason to teach herself a course she’ll be taught. (For what it’s worth, many kids find a rigorous course of Algebra II & Trig to be among the tougher courses in high school.)

But make sure she enters the course knowing Algebra I thoroughly. Begin, believe it or not, with her times tables-- she should know them cold. From there, make sure she can factor and solve any quadratic equation she comes across, including ones with a leading coefficient not equal to 1. Make sure she can solve a system of equations in 2 variables. Make sure she can solve any linear equation she comes across, whether the coefficients are rational, decimal, or whole numbers. Make sure she’s good with algebraic fractions, particularly adding and subtracting those with different denominators. Make sure she can handle a complex fraction. Make sure she can handle an absolute value equation and inequality. Make sure she can make sense of verbal problems-- say, investment, motion, mixture, percent mixture for starters. Make sure she has a good understanding of the basics of trig-- any trig problem involving SOHCAHTOA that can be solved in a right triangle.

And make sure she can do all of that without the help of a graphing calculator. (The trig will require at least a scientific calculator, but make sure she can do the rest basically without a calculator.)

She should be comfortable with all of that, having passed Algebra I.

The last thing I would do, no kidding, is watch her health. Algebra II & Trig is a rigorous course. Once they hit Trig in particular, it builds and builds and builds. Miss the foundation, or any small step along the way, and you’re in for a rough time. A case of strep or mono, and you’re in real trouble.

That’s the speech my daughter is getting this year before taking the course next fall.