Math for teenagers exterior of the Calculus Sequence
Math is wonderful in that there’s a very clear studying path from 6 years old till a Math Ph.D. qualification exam, with everything in between.
So while you begin to assist a kid who loves math, do extra math, it is vitally straightforward to begin accelerating your kid down the math path from arithmetic to Calculus and past.
Should you’re not accustomed to it, it’s mainly arithmetic all the best way to pre-algebra, then algebra, geometry, algebra II, trigonometry, pre-calculus, after which calculus. You may extra in-depth details about the USA’s Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (PDF, Nov 2022) within the linked doc.
This works nice till the child begins to get too far forward of the varsity after which your child runs right into a bunch of associated issues:
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they don’t get known as on in school as a result of they all the time know the reply
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they’re too far forward of the category so don’t get assist in faculty
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they aren’t studying it “the varsity’s” method so their options get marked flawed
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they get graded additional onerous as a result of “they already realize it so they should get 100% each time”
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you as an grownup get requested to “cease serving to them get forward of the category”
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they, particularly in center faculty and highschool, run out of lessons to take (see “Don’t Fall Into The Calculus Trap”)
Quite than “dashing forward / accelerating”, there’s one other path to provide your child extra math: “enrichment”.
Since public faculties (primarily talking about US faculties right here) are usually setup to get the youngsters from arithmetic to Calculus, they go to solely a small portion of math that’s “doable” with a pre-algebra, algebra background, or pre-calculus background.
That is the place you may need heard individuals discuss “enrichment” vs “acceleration”.
Acceleration goes by the sequence to Calculus sooner (grade skipping, grade compacting, and so forth…)
Enrichment is math that both explores topics in additional depth or explores topics not seen within the Calculus Sequence. This depth or exploration will be seeing further content material and/or project-based studying that explores these different areas.
Okay, however what areas of math can we glance into for this “different math”?
For now, I’m solely going to checklist the matters as I’ll later embody many examples of issues, web sites, books, lessons for each as that is simply an introductory put up to enrichment.
Potential matters in your math child:
There are most likely just a few that I missed (and in the event you consider you, please let me know within the feedback in order that different individuals can look into it 🙂 ).
An instance of a useful resource on a selected subject from the checklist above: “Information In Small Bits: Information Theory for Kids”, a ebook by Christina Fragouli, Anna Scaglione, and Daybreak Faelnar.
The important thing right here is to search for issues {that a} child can do with out having to know an excessive amount of mathematical equipment.
If you understand a number of the math matters above, then you definitely’re set.
Nevertheless, there are numerous of us who haven’t seen the matters above or really feel insufficient about attempting to information a pupil by them.
There’s just a few methods to assist the scholar:
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You study it forward of them. That is enjoyable and it could present the kid that you just too are studying math.
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You discover a tutor. This may help the scholar with having an older youngster or grownup present curiosity in math and somebody exterior of the household who loves math.
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You discover a math circle the place they give attention to these kind of matters. For now whether or not the mathematics circle focuses on competitions or non-competition math, it doesn’t matter as you’re simply getting began within the “enrichment” space of math.
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Discover “edu-tainment” movies within the associated areas that may work on sparking curiosity in your youngster.
The subsequent small step so that you can discover together with your youngster is wanting by the checklist above and seeing if there are any matters on Wikipedia
You simply would possibly discover a new subject in your math child to discover!
Strive it quickly and let me know the way it goes!
Till subsequent time,
Sebastian