New Florida Math Standards Introduce Algebra Concepts in Middle School

Editor’s Note: In 2001 HEF successfully gained free access to all of the courses offered by the Florida Virtual School for Florida home educators. For more information on their course offerings, visit www.flvs.net. Thanks to Becky Subrahmanyam for sharing her experiences and recommendations with other Florida home educators.

New middle school math standards in Florida have changed the math concepts students need to know before they start high school math. Becky Subrahmanyam said, “FLVS math has proven to be a very effective tool in teaching high school-level math to my grandchildren.” For many years Becky has helped teach math to her homeschooled grandchildren. She suggests that home educators planning to use FLVS for high school math also use them for middle school math.

Subrahmanyam’s two oldest students took high school math through FLVS and were very well prepared for college math courses. The first child began FLVS math with Algebra I. The second child she started with FLVS math in 8th grade to help better prepare her for Algebra I.

However, when her younger twin grandchildren recently began FLVS in 8th grade, she discovered that the Florida math standards had been changed, adding many additional concepts to the 8th grade FLVS course. Even though the twins knew the same things their older siblings knew, they weren’t as well prepared as the older grandchildren had been because the new math standards introduced some Algebra concepts much earlier than the 8th grade. Subrahmanyam said, “Because some curriculums that home educators may be using for middle school math may not have incorporated the new Florida standards, some students may not be prepared for the new FLVS high school math courses.”

Subrahmanyam highly recommends that home educators who are planning to use FLVS for high school level math should begin FLVS math in 6th grade to ensure their students have learned the required skills to be successful in their FLVS high school math courses.