A student’s learning journey starts at the time when they begin exploring the world around them. They start with as small as identifying colors, shapes, and patterns and move on to solving complex equations. In building their foundation math skills, they progress at every stage and build an understanding of what they have learned until now.
Several math educators and middle school math teachers have outlined multiple math skills and math milestones that students master at a defined age group. In this article, we are going to take a look at eight essential math skills that middle school math students must master. Let’s get started.
Math teachers who teach middle school math students often find themselves teaching and re-teaching the same concepts to students who need to master a concept needed to transition to the next grade level . However, this can be extremely difficult to do given the depth of math knowledge that must be taught each year. Many teachers invest time and effort in strengthening middle school students’ math skills and provide them with a platform to smoothly transition to the next grade level.
What Comprises Middle School Math?
Students start building middle school math skills right from grade 6. The 6-grade math stands as the foundation for students to develop the right math skills, which they will likely use in grades 7 and 8.
In fact, students learn the extended version of mathematical concepts in grade 7 and above based on the math skills they learn in grade 6. It is at this stage that they learn new mathematical concepts and venture to learn algebra.
These math skills can help in adding to a student’s overall understanding level and help them achieve success at the high school level.
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What Are The Important Math Skills Middle School Math Students Must Master?
Every grade helps students learn a set of math skills that will help them to gain proficiency in mathematical concepts. We can all agree that there are a few math skills that have a higher priority when compared to others.
So, what really are the essential math skills for middle schoolers, you ask? Well, every math skill they learn is equally important. It is okay even if all students don’t have all the skills listed for their age. Some critical math skills middle school math students must know:
1. Operating with Integers
One of the primary foundational math concepts of 6-grade math is integers. It is vital for students to understand the entire concept of integers.
In most schools, integers are taught before 6th grade. If students really understand this concept and grasp the right math skills, it can help in making advanced math even easier.
Integers involve the usage and placement of negative numbers. Once a student understands this, they can quickly move toward complex problems in grade 7 and grade 8.
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2. Fractions
The other most popular topic students learn in grade 6 is fractions. It is another foundational concept that goes a long way from middle school into high school.
Though it seems to look easy upfront, there are several students who fear learning fractions. They are apprehensive about solving word problems and solving fraction-related sums.
Teachers can help middle school students to learn these math skills by using modeling materials, bars, diagrams, and graphs and help them learn fractions.
3. Equations and Inequalities
Equations and inequalities are introduced in the 7th grade. However, in most cases, it was also introduced in the 6th grade in some schools and states, following different standards.
When students grasp the right maths skills involved in identifying the variable, they find it easier to solve complex equations.
When students learn one-step equations and multi-step equations and inequalities, it helps interpret these inequalities and graph them rightly.
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4. Ratio and Proportions
This is another popular mathematical concept for grades six and grade 7. Ratio and proportions are a great way to learn a few real-world math skills. It helps in understanding the value of equality and the essential math skill – the skill of comparison. It helps students understand and describe relationships between given properties.
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5. Percents and Percentages
Percentages are also another crucial mathematical concept introduced in grade 6 and continue over to all grades of middle and high school.
While learning and solving percentage problems, teachers often find students struggling with place value. It is essential to pay close attention to percentages.
However, percentages are not used intensively in high school. They are used to teach students real-life math skills using rate and unit-rate problems.
6. Geometry
It is in grade 7 and above that students start focusing on geometry. With minimal understanding of both 2D and 3D shapes, in grades 7 and 8, students are taught the math skills to calculate the area, perimeter, circumference, volume, and surface area of these shapes.
In the 8th grade, they are introduced to the primary concept in geometry, the Pythagoras Theorem. The Pythagoras Theorem is an excellent mathematical concept for learning real-world math skills.
With the understanding of the theorem, students also learn how to interpret and apply these math skills to real-time problems.
7. Number Systems
Number systems are usually introduced in grade 7 in the majority of states. Middle school math students learn the math skill of identifying rational and irrational numbers.
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They are taught how to interpret rational numbers along with operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They even learn how to incorporate decimals, fractions, and percentages.
Students also learn how to evaluate all four operations using both positive and negative numbers. They solve problems involving both rational and irrational numbers.
With concepts of decimals, they find both rational and irrational numbers using number lines. Students can use these math skills and learn how to estimate positive and negative charges, debt, taxes, percentages, and so much more.
8. Linear Equations
In grade 8, students are introduced to linear equations. They expand their understanding of functions and learn new math skills on how to operate and solve functions.
In addition to that, they also learn how to compare equations based on relationships between the variables and their quantities.
Here, middle school math students strengthen their math skills by solving these equations numerically and graphically. They sometimes even write down verbal descriptions for the equations.
Also read: 10 Key Qualities of a Good Math Teacher
Takeaway
Most middle school math teachers can agree that learning these above-mentioned math skills can help them to strengthen their foundational understanding of math and help them to move quickly into high school math. Teacher, what are some other math skills that middle school students must learn?
If you are a middle school math teacher and want to help your students learn new math skills in a fun and engaging way, check out ByteLearn. Bytelearn, your new digital co-teacher, offers step-by-step help to prompt your students to think through problem-solving the same way you would if you were working with them one-on-one. . So why wait? Sign up on ByteLearn today and make your math classes interactive and engaging.
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