Sending a kid off to 6th grade can bring many changes. For some, it is the start of middle school. For others, it is the end of elementary school. Most kids are in the throes of puberty and all of the social and emotional changes that this can bring. One thing that parents can prepare themselves for in this grade is math class. Math will be challenging this year. Here’s what you need to know about what your child will need to do for 6th grade math.
Ratio, Statistics, and Probability
By 6th grade, students are ready to start learning some more abstract mathematical concepts. In this year, they will focus strongly on ratio, statistics, and probability. By the end of 6th grade, your students should be able to understand the basic concepts of ratios and use ratios to solve these problems. Teachers will also begin introducing the idea of statistical variability and will ask students to be able to summarize and describe distributions. These concepts can be challenging for parents who are not familiar with them, but help from Thinkster Math makes them easier to understand.
Geometry
In geometry class, sixth graders should have a thorough knowledge of the basic shapes and prisms and the terminologies used to describe them. In this year, they will begin solving real-world problems involving area and volume and will also learn the concept of surface area. Geometry is one subject area where kids will get plenty of hands-on, real-world instruction.
Expressions and Equations
Think 6th grade is too early for algebra? Think again. Actually, by 6th grade your child should have been doing quite a bit of algebra. Now they will extend that understanding and learn how to solve and reason with problems involving one variable, including both equations (with equals signs) and inequalities (with greater than or less than signs). They will also be using dependent and independent variables.
