How to help your child get ready for algebra: Easy step 1 — monitor their performance

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of algebra

As a professor, I saw SO many students enter college with high hopes, only to run into the obstacle of their first college level math course. One of two things happened. Either they dropped out of college altogether when they found out that they had to take two or three “developmental” courses before they could even reach the level of taking a required College Algebra course, or when they barely pass that class, they change their career goal. Students go from pre-med or pre-engineering majors to majors in communication, social work or Native American studies or elementary education, for example.

If your goal is to be a teacher or historian, great — but I see people GIVING up on their goals because they don’t believe they can pass the required courses.

They are only half-right. The truth is that many students enter college unable to pass the required courses at that moment because they don’t have the prerequisite knowledge. It doesn’t mean they can’t ever pass and become a physician or software developer or astronaut.

How are your personal beliefs applied to the work you do?

This was a question I was asked recently and it may seem odd in relation to algebra but bear with me. This…