Integrated math is a collection of high school level courses that cover increasingly advanced skills in Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Statistics in order to prepare students for advanced math. The more traditional system of taking these subjects separately led to many students not having the skills from prior years fresh in their mind to apply to new coursework and required teachers to remediate and refresh or pre-teach skills in order to help students access the current math curriculum. It may not be the way parents and caregivers learned math but the math is not different. Honest, I swear, the math is the same!
Many parents feel like they do not have the skills to help their junior high and high school students with math and now they do not even recognize the math classes their kids are supposed to take. Many schools have turned away from the traditional math pathways where students spend full years on Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Statistics. This has been replaced with a new pathway where elements of each of these math “strands” are taught each year for three years as Integrated Math 1, Integrated Math 2 and Integrated Math 3.
Whether you take the traditional path or the integrated path, you end up in the same place–ready for advanced mathematics such as Calculus. Although both systems have their champions and their plusses and minuses, as a math educator, I prefer the integrated approach as it shows students how the math disciplines connect and makes the links to the sciences more clear. It also has the benefit of providing a spiral review of math skills in all the disciplines which strengthens student learning.
Many people view themselves as an algebra person or a geometry person. I have heard many comments about not understanding one or the other and being grateful they only had one year of a particular subject. This compartmentalization of math has resulted in uneven skills for many adults. This can be problematic when your child comes home from school with homework which is deliberately using the interconnectedness of these math subjects such as solving and graphing linear equations. The same problem requires us to have the algebra skills to solve the equations and an understanding of geometry to set up the equations.
So what is a parent to do?
Try to remain positive, or at least neutral, about how your kid’s math is being presented.
Steer away from “back when I was in school” or “ugh, I hated Geometry.” Read the blog: Math Anxiety: How to Avoid It and Keep Your Kid Calculating for more tips.
Use internet resources to help.
Khan Academy has very helpfully made courses for Integrated Math 1, 2 & 3. You can search for short videos with key words to help you and your student understand topics
Ask your child what they DO KNOW about the topic as a starting point.
For example take the linear equation y=mx+b, a good starting point is to know what the variables stand for. You can also ask to see handouts or worksheets from class. Many teachers provide resources beyond the textbook.
Be on the lookout for roadblocks which may stem from earlier math learning.
For example: Students may understand a lot of the current math learning but do not understand how to correctly handle fractions in the equation so they keep getting confused. Reviewing earlier skills that they are not confident in can help with their understanding of their current coursework.
Reach out to a professional.
At Breakthrough Education we have seen students who have struggled for years with math, blossom with 1:1 tutoring and instruction tailored to their needs. We are here to help.
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