Algebra teaches problems solving skills and these skills aren't limited to the classroom.
Researchers have found that the algebra skills required for college were also required to work as an electrician, plumber or upholsterer. Problem solving skills are essential in all walks of life.
There is overwhelming evidence that the single most important factor that correlates with success in college is what is done in high school math.
Learning to solve problems is not memorization or vocabulary but a skill that you can learn. Learning to solve problems is the principal reason for studying mathematics.
Problem solving is crucial in math because it transcends mathematics. By developing problem solving skills, you learn not only how to tackle math problems, but also how to logically work your way through any problem.
And this is the most important skill you will learn in school. |
Pre-Algebra
You´re not alone. Over 50% of college students taking algebra fail. Colleges haven’t succeeded any better than high schools in teaching algebra despite the presence of free tutoring on most campuses.
Across the country, math education is being re-engineered so that Algebra 1 begins in seventh or eighth grade. Ironically, over 300,000 college students struggle with algebra each year. Regardless of whether the student is 13 years old or 31 years old, all students find the chief impediment to learning algebra is the inability to ask one question after another until the students grasps the concept.