It’s a great thought isn’t it? A simple plan. Just make students take Algebra I in 8th grade and students will have more opportunities to take higher level math in high school. And why not just have everyone take Algebra so all students can have a grounded background in math. Every student will be math literate. The problem is solved, right? Well, not really. Math is different than a government class or economics.
The Brain Is Divided into Two Sections
Brain development is uneven. The brain develops in spurts. Not every twelve-year-old is in the same stage of development. And, to make things just a little more complicated, the brain is divided into left and right hemispheres. There is a left side and a right side. Each side of the brain favors different activities.
The left side of the brain, which controls the right side of the body, is more analytical and prefers math and reasoning. The right side of the brain, which controls the left side of the body, is the creative side that includes music, athletics and art.
Does everyone have the same abilities on both sides of the brain? Well, no. One person may have more abilities on the right side of the brain and another may have more emphasis on the left. Everyone is a different combination and wired differently.
I.Q. Tests and Math
When schools give students in grade 3 and 6 the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT), they are actually testing several capabilities of the brain. The average I.Q. is 100 with 90-110 considered average. 80-89 is considered low average and 111-120 is considered high average. A score below 80 is considered below average and a score above 120 is considered above average. The CAT tests also divide the scores into three areas:
- Verbal
- Quantitative
- Non-Verbal
The test then averages the three for an I.Q. score. The verbal score usually predicts how skilled the person will be in reading and speaking. The quantitative score usually predicts how skilled the person will be in math. The non-verbal score usually predicts the ability to develop strategies and intuition.
If a student scores high in the verbal portion of the score (a 127) and somewhat lower in quantitative (a 94), the teacher will expect the student to struggle more in math than reading. The student may have an overall average of 115 but with the lowest score a 94 in the quantitative area, the student will struggle in advanced math. It has little to do with trying hard or studying more. It is about ability in that area.
Students Have Strengths and Weaknesses
Some students will excel in many classes in school but go down for the count in advanced math classes. Why? Some brains are not programmed for math. Every brain is wired differently. It isn’t a matter of finding the right math curriculum or the right teacher. This student simply does not have the capability to excel highly in math.
Imagine a fabulous musician being forced to become a good basketball player to become more well-rounded. The musician's strength area is music and not athletics. The brain is programmed for music. He or she can practice for hours until pigs fly, but the student will never be a top athlete. The same happens in the classroom with left and right brains.
Algebra-Ready Students
Actually, only about 25-35% of students are ready to take Algebra I in eighth grade. Forcing all students to take the class in eighth grade is futile and will result is failure and frustration. And, realistically, about the same percentage will actually use advanced math in the adult world.
While it is great to have high goals, going against the grain of how the brain is formed makes no sense.
Barbara Pytel - Email me Experience Although I was never particularly fond of going to school as an ELL student, I ironically became a teacher, ...
