Middle School Math Curriculum
Middle school mathematics is concerned with one thing and one thing only.
Mastery of the grammar of arithmetic.
Mastery guarantees readiness of students entering high school to pursue algebra and the world of higher mathematics.
Every middle school textbook delves into the world of arithmetic, some deeper than others, in order to guarantee that students are ready for pursuing algebra.
Most math curricula can be grouped by audience intent in a chart like this:
What’s the point of this chart? Mostly, I created it for you to compare texts. More often than not, however, you aren’t in control of the specific textbook that your child uses for math. That’s okay. Because the book isn’t nearly as important as you think. As I shared at the beginning of this post, all middle school math books have the same goal. You have many resources available to you to help work towards this goal: Your child’s teacher, the textbook and any supplementary texts, a tutor , or Scio Academy and other online video programs are all available as valuable resources. What is the most important tool for helping your child reach the goal of mastering arithmetic?
It is you.
As the parent you are the most important part of your child’s math education. Even if you are terrified of math, you are still important. It is through you that your child will learn how to overcome poorly written books, how to persevere through a hard concept, and how to give grace to a stressed and overworked teacher. The concepts in the math curriculum are not the only concepts to master in math class.
Through your love and dedication your child will receive the resources that are needed to master difficult mathematical concepts.
If you’re still hung up on what middle school math curriculum to use, then study the chart above a little and study your child a lot.
Need more help? Feel free to ask specific questions in the forum and see what other parents have learned about teaching middle school math.