What grade were you when when you started learning algebra?

[FeuerFrei]

9th?
I really don't remember pre-high-school math.
High school went like this:

1. Alg. I
2. Alg. II
3. Geometry/Trigonometry/Alg. III
4. Calculus with trig. and analytic geometry

 

[Leros]

They've apparently really shifted learning of advanced math earlier in the curriculum. I started high school in '82, taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade. Most people started algebra in 9th grade, with some starting in 8th. Next year was geometry, followed by trig, followed by pre-calc. My first year in college I did a full year of calc, and my 2nd year I went up through differential equations and linear algebra. Now, 20 years later, I've completely forgotten it all, lol.

What I really have to wonder is whether it's a good idea to start early. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but I'd be interested in seeing studies that look into whether students learn the material as well at a younger age. There's no real point in starting earlier if a greater percentage of kids struggle with it.

Considering that some majors like engineering need calculus for even the introductory courses, I think its a good idea.

In high school, courses are slower than in college and its easier to get some hands on attention. I consider calculus to be a mathematical base (like algebra) so having a good understanding of it is very important.

For me, it worked out really well taking Calc 1-3 my senior year of high school. I remember about half the class found it pretty easy and the other half struggled but managed to almost the entire year.

 

[grrl]

I think 6th grade, that was standard in my school.

 

[Bignate603]

6th grade.

 

[BeauJangles]

We started doing basic algebra in seventh grade, however my father took it upon himself to teach me math starting in sixth grade. Hence, I spent two years (7th + 8th grade) learning things I already knew and, occasionally, reviewing multiplication tables when people forgot how to multiply. And supposedly I attended one of the better school systems in the country.

 

[Modelworks]

Did you ever get to learn about imaginary numbers?

I went on to become an engineer, funny how that worked out. Hated math in high school. Guess it was the lack of application that made me hate it. Was fine with it as an engineer.

 

[FoBoT]

i don't remember
i went to jr high school, grades 7,8,9 together

i remember this

12th trig 1st semester , i got a D , pre-calc 2nd semester, i dropped it and didn't take it
11th algebra II
10th Geometry
9th algebra I
8th i dunno, math i guess
7th i dunno, math or something

 

[tfinch2]

Here's what I did.

6th - Pre-algebra
7th - Algebra I
8th - Algebra II
9th - Geometry
10th - Precal
11th - Calculus
12th - Stats

 

[JEDIYoda]

It was in kindergarten that I started learning algebra. I was palced in a gifted students program.

 

[Possessed Freak]

12th: Calc at Penn State (Math 140)
11th: HS Calc
10th: Trig
9th: Algebra II
8th: Geometry
7th: Algebra

 

[olds]

First year of college

 

[SlitheryDee]

8th...and that was really pre-algebra. It think our school system is way behind in math.

 

[mugs]

When I was in fifth grade I was bored with math so my teacher gave me some harder work to do. He didn't teach me how to do it, and I didn't know it was algebra at the time, but he had given me word problems from an algebra textbook. I figured it out pretty easily.

So I guess I started learning algebra in 5th grade; my school started teaching it in 8th grade (earliest they offered it at the time).

 

[compman25]

They've apparently really shifted learning of advanced math earlier in the curriculum. I started high school in '82, taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade. Most people started algebra in 9th grade, with some starting in 8th. Next year was geometry, followed by trig, followed by pre-calc. My first year in college I did a full year of calc, and my 2nd year I went up through differential equations and linear algebra. Now, 20 years later, I've completely forgotten it all, lol.

What I really have to wonder is whether it's a good idea to start early. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but I'd be interested in seeing studies that look into whether students learn the material as well at a younger age. There's no real point in starting earlier if a greater percentage of kids struggle with it.

Or you just weren't as smart as you thought back then. I had algebra in 6th grade, started high school in 85.

 

[Chess]

7th grade for me.... i hated math.. my dad has his Phd in math too.. ugggh

 

[drum]

Uh.......let's see.

I think it was 8th grade for me.
12th Calc
11th Trig
10th Geometry
9th Alg II

me too. Everyone else was Alg in 9th algII in 10th ect

 

[rivan]

I was in 3rd grade doing 4th grade basic algebra in Leavenworth, KS.

Then we moved to Middle-of-Nowhere, MO and I didn't see algebra again until 7th grade. Yuk, yuk, don't need erlgerbra t count yerr kows!

 

[TheVrolok]

12th: Calc at Penn State (Math 140)
11th: HS Calc
10th: Trig
9th: Algebra II
8th: Geometry
7th: Algebra

Did you only do 140 during your senior year, or 141 as well? Just curious. I recall some of my friends complaining about one of the two (although I think they took the E versions as they were engineering majors) while I whimsically took COMPSC 101 to fulfill my only remaining math credit requirement.

 

[Ruptga]

I had pre-algebra in 7th grade, and that class was for the "smart kids." But I don't think it's a bad thing they're offering it earlier; it's way better than putting them through another boring class of the same stuff they've known for two years.

 

[zebano]

4th grade. We split into two groups in math. There were 20 kids who did the usual stuff, then 5 of us who were given huge stapled packets of work which we worked through on our own at our own pace and were given 10-15 minutes with the teacher when the normal class was doing a worksheet or something. I transferred schools in 6th grade and didn't learn anything new until high school.

 

[mchammer187]

6th or 7th

only got to Calc AB by senior year since that was all they offered

 

[Jadow]

7th

 

[lokiju]

Pre was 8th
Regular was 9th

 

[Shadow Conception]

7th grade - Pre-Algebra
8th grade - Algebra I
9th grade - Geometry
10th grade - Algebra II/Trig
11th grade - Functions/Analytic Geometry (i love you for short, or Precalculus), AP Stats

next year, in 12th grade, I'll probably be taking Calc BC.

 

[hanoverphist]

7th and i was in an advanced class too

same here. my kids started in 6th grade