Why We Put Our 5th Grader in Advanced Math Classes

A common trend in education these days has been moving kids through math and reading/ELA/English courses faster. It’s not uncommon for a middle schooler to be taking high school credits. I’ve even seen some middle schoolers working on COLLEGE credit courses. As a teacher, I have seen the stress that this puts on kids and the pressure they are under to do it right because “it really counts” when it’s for high school or college.

I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, if the student is able to do the work, then let them. On the other, there’s the emotional and maturity required to manage more difficult classes that age can sometimes impact. Yes, the child can complete 10th grade math, but are they responsible enough to understand the implications of “trying their best” on their GPA?

In Florida, if a student scores a certain score on their state standardized test (usually called an FSA), they are automatically put into the higher math and reading classes. I’ve seen so many really smart, academically strong students struggle because they are placed into courses where they can’t keep up and I always vowed that I wouldn’t rush my kids into higher level courses.

And then it actually became a decision I had to make for my own child and I completely flip flopped and changed my mind! Ha!

Bean is in 5th grade. It’s his last year before middle school. A lot of our conversations this year have been about understanding that what we do now impacts our futures. That’s a hard concept for a ten year old. But never was that more important to understand than this year when Bean had the option of taking two math course in preparation for middle school.

Here’s the facts: Bean is a smart dude. Gifted, yes. But also just really smart. (And those are two separate things, by the way…) When he has taken state tests for math in the past two years, he always scores really high. We assume he will mostly likely score the same way this year in 5th grade. And here’s where it gets tricky.

In 5th grade, if you score really well on your state tests, you are automatically placed in 7th grade math, skipping 6th grade math altogether. But our district recognized that when students were skipping grades in core areas, they were getting some holes in their learning (obviously…) and so they started offering 6th grade math that could be taken online during the 5th grade year for those kids who would most likely be skipping 6th grade math next year.

So, against my previous belief that kids shouldn’t be pushed too far above their grade level, Chris and I decided that it would be better for Bean to take 6th grade math virtually this year so that he wasn’t getting too far ahead of himself.

He started this weekend. And there was much protesting. MUCH protesting. Protesting of an extra math class. Protesting of having to do math on the weekends (we don’t do homework on the weekends usually). Protesting because he was having to do something Gracie didn’t have to do. Protesting because he wanted to ride his bike. He even tried telling me that he had been playing too many video games lately and, therefore, his eyes were too sore for the online course work.

Uh huh… Yeah.

Finally, in one last desperate attempt to take back his hour on Saturday afternoon, he yelled out, “ISN’T IT MY CHOICE WHAT I DO IN SCHOOL?!”

(record scratch)

(Mom takes a deep breath)

(Mom unleashes the Wrath of Motherhood on child)

“Actually, you don’t get a choice at ALL in school, my friend. None. Zero. When it comes to making decisions about school for you, your dad and I are 100% in control. Because if YOU were in control, you’d rather be downstairs playing video games, right?”

A meager nod of the child’s head as he looks at his feet.

“Right. Because all kids would rather play video games than do math. Which is why you have parents. Because we know what is good for you and what is just fun for you. And it’s not our job to make sure you have fun. It’s our job to make sure you do what is good for you and your future. And right now, that’s 6th grade math. Understand?”

A second meager not of the child’s head.

So, for an hour on Saturday and an hour on Sunday, Bean sat at the kitchen table doing online math. I walked him through the Saturday session since it was his first one and we did the math mostly together, but on Sunday, I piddled around in the kitchen while he worked at the kitchen table.

I made muffins for the week for breakfast. I made Gracie deviled eggs (because she asked me last week why we only get deviled eggs at holidays and my mind was blown that we could have them ANY TIME WE WANT because I’m the adult and I can make them!). I made this delicious dinner of stuffed red peppers, which no one in my family liked except me but they can all SUCK IT.

Sometimes Bean had questions that I would come over and answer. Sometimes he needed me to check his work. Sometimes he had issues with the technology. And sometimes he just wanted to know that someone was there with him.

I fed him Cheez-Its and handfuls of M&M’s and laughed when he farted and said things like, “Welllllll, excuuuuuuuuuuuse me, young lady!”

He finished two out of three lessons of his first week, so we will have one night a week when we have to complete an additional lesson, but I think he should mostly be able to get it done on the weekends. Which IS a bummer, I know. But, you know what?

Growing up can be a bummer.

And we talked to Bean about that this weekend. As you get older, there are going to be responsibilities you have that you don’t like, but that you have to be disciplined enough to follow through with. We used our jobs as examples – if we didn’t work, we wouldn’t get paychecks. If we didn’t get paychecks, we couldn’t pay the bills… and so on.

I thought tackling this math class with Bean would be a nightmare. And it might become a nightmare still as we get further into the course. But for now, it was actually kind of nice to sit with him for a while and just encourage him.

Encouragement is one of my passions for this. To encourage my kids and my family, especially. Sometimes that’s words of affirmation (“I’m so proud of you, Bean!”) and there were plenty of that this weekend as he would complete tasks and assignments. But sometimes encouragement is just being in the room with someone to let them know you’re there with them.

That’s some straight-up parenting right there. Making your kid do stuff they don’t want to do because it’s good for them. Being prepared to take the heat and accept no excuses when you make decisions for them that they don’t want. And explaining that this is non-negotiable and not up for discussion, but helping them see the bigger picture in your logic.

Whew. I’m tired. Parenting is hard. I think I’m done parenting for the week now. ‘kthanksbye!

P.S. Bean didn’t want me to post and pictures of him, so these are pictures of everything in the room AROUND him while he worked. 🙂