Should I go up a grade level in math?

Question

I'm currently self-teaching myself, so I get the benefits of choosing my grade level. At the moment, I am doing 6th grade math. I haven't gotten it 100% down. But, while doing it, I feel very unmotived, bored, and unchallenged. Yet, I still haven't soaked up all of the information from that grade level.

I would really like to do 7th or 8th grade math, but I'm not sure if I should; would bumping up to another grade really hinder my math abilities if I haven't done everything in that grade level yet? (I have glossed over it, mind you, I just haven't done it yet, and I'm sure as h**l not motivated to.)

What would you reccomend?

Answer 1

Don't bump up completely. Not if there are still bits and pieces you haven't absorbed. Don't go getting yourself a higher level math curriculum just yet, but rather start doing some interesting and challenging math activities on the side. Use the internet... websites like coolmath.com have really great information that makes math very exciting and interesting. Study some more in-depth concepts to supplement what you learn form the books and to keep it interesting. Try figuring out the WHY's of a formula, and not simply the HOW's. That's what I've done, and it works like a charm. I'm doing great in math this year.

Answer 2

6th grade math covers a lot of different areas. I'd say alternate between the 6th grade and the 7th grade where appropriate. Or start the 7th grade math and when you hit a snag that you know is because of the 6th grade work you missed or didn't master, then you go back and review that.

Answer 3

It sounds to me as if the books or worksheets you are using are not giving you a complete picture.  Perhaps you and your parents could find a curriculum, or a series of math challenges, that will help you to learn the rest of the sixth grade work in a way that will be stimulating, at the same time as preparing you to go ahead soon to seventh grade work.  There is nothing more tedious than doing the same repetitive problems over and over and not seeing the end of the road.  One of the advantages of homeschooling is that you can change and challenge yourself.  So do not make this decision without consulting the adults who are in charge of your homeschool curriculum..  It is an important decision.

Good Luck...  math is wonderful and i hope you get to enjoy it soon.

Answer 4

school possibly?

Answer 5

I wouldn't go up a grade just maybe speed up what is easy for you and more time on something difficult. Spend a good deal of time in pre-algebra, then algebra, and get the geometry down. There is a lot of geometry on the required tests for college and you need a good foundation. Sounds like motivation is the problem not the content.

Answer 6

Short answer: YES.

Mathematics is far to powerful a tool for you to get bored with it this early. If you are doing good but feel unchallenged, I would add another level. Notice, I did not say "skip" a level. I said "add" a level.

I teach college level math, and believe it or not, Calculus is easy. Its all the algebra involved that is hard.

Algebra is easy, its the arithmetic involved that makes some students struggle.

Each level is built upon the previous level, so by adding another level you are, in fact, strengthening the previous one.

If you are unmotivated, try word problems. I know, I know, but  once you get the hang of them, they are much more fun than simple exercises.  

I am not sure how low a level they have, but the Thinkwell CD's are incredibly good for college courses, and I am sure they have some school stuff too. They include some rather deep topics, so you need to pick and choose which ones you study, but once youget a feel for the power you get from mastering mathematics, you will be forever hooked.

If you are bored, then move on. As long as you are proficient in the previous lessons skills, you will encounter more ways to use them in the next lesson.

don't get bored.

EXPLORE!

Hope that helps ya, and good luck!

Answer 7

Go ahead and move up, many of the concepts are reviewed over and over again anyway.  If it is too difficult for you, you can always go back down.

Answer 8

it's extremely important to have everything down before you move up.  just keep plugging away- it'll be worth it later.  also, it depends on how much you like math.  whats the point of getting so far ahead in math by barely understanding.  it's way better to take the time and enjoy it and actually learn it.

Answer 9

You can get on an accelerated course, you know. Do the problems related to the new concept and half of the review problems.

Think of learning mathematics as being like building a really awesome-looking church. Before you can go and put in the pipe organ, and the cool stained glass, and the nifty spires, you've got to get yourself anchored in some bedrock. Otherwise, the whole thing will collapse and your hard work will have been for nothing.

I'm doing geometry and I hate it, but I need to learn it if I ever want to get past it.

Also, the problem probably isn't with the math, but with how you're approaching it.

I had the wrong mindset when I was trying to work through an AP class. I kept saying that I wasn't organized right (went through notebooks, binders, highlighting, underlining, reading the material out loud, having it read to me, color-coding, strict schedule, no schedule...) and that's why the class was boring and I wasn't doing well.

Well, now I've found that a five-subject notebook works just fine, the class was actually really cool (I dropped out...really shouldn't have) and what I really needed to do was go somewhere quiet, sit down, and do it.

If you just take your boring math to the library every day, set your watch timer or cell phone timer (put it on vibrate, of course) for an hour, and then work until the timer goes off, you'll be amazed at how fast you get through it.

Consistency is really the key when it comes to math. Half an hour every day for six days is better than three hours all at once. Math is really entirely conceptual (remember, nothing you're dealing with actually exists) so you need to understand the concepts. A few gimmicks and tricks can help speed the process up a little, but when you take the SAT, or college math, or want to build something, you're going to need to understand how it works.

This might not make much sense, but maybe thinking about math in non-numerical terms would help you. An easy example: instead of solving 10-6, try to visualize a quantity (10) decreasing by another quantity (6) and then that remainder is your answer, 4. That's not a very clear explanation but maybe you'll understand what I mean.