Bringing Algebra to Elementary School

Gone are the days of the simple "reading, writing, and arithmetic" formula for the grade school classroom. As the United States trails much of the rest of the developed world in math test scores, teachers are ditching that age-old, three-part curriculum and bringing more advanced concepts like algebra to the desk. The aim: to foster math proficiency in students at an early age and bump up the country's competitive edge.

To this end, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has developed the "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" for U.S. schools. It states that from pre-kindergarten to second grade, students should be developing a solid understanding of geometric ideas and the base-ten numeration system. By grades three to five, they should be grappling with multiplicative thinking, equivalence, computational fluency, and fairly complex algebraic concepts.

Melissa Romano, a second-grade teacher at Broadwater Elementary School in Helena, Montana, has been instructing her students in algebra for the past five years.

"I think it's important to develop these math concepts early because it helps students with all aspects of learning," Romano says. "It's fairly easy to teach, and parents can be a part of it, too. There are so many games that you can play with kids that are so simple, like dice games or even card games like cribbage."

Romano is among several teachers in America that are nurturing students' algebraic-reasoning abilities and basic number skills in elementary school. It is a lesson plan that was once reserved for middle or high school advanced math classes, and there is an ongoing debate about whether K-5 is too early for the instruction.

Some educators argue that introducing children to algebra problems at young ages will pave the way for future classroom skills. Others say that learning algebra may be a stressful undertaking for young children, as not all students will readily grasp the material. Those who have a more arduous time with the concepts may grow to resent math sooner than later, causing them more distress as their math requirements intensify in middle and high school.

But according to NCTM research, nearly three-quarters of fourth-graders in the U.S. report enjoying mathematics, viewing the subject as "practical and important." Romano says her second-graders can attest to this, too, as the word problems, board games, and thinking exercises they undertake produce concrete results.

Outside of school, Romano suggests parents introduce their children to Sudoku, Yahtzee, and math dice. Families can play the basic version of the game "24" at home, which asks children to use four given numbers to make a math expression that is equal to 24"an exercise that is ideal for 8- and -9-year-olds.

"Through problem solving, students are able to work fairly complicated equations. In class, we'll take 60 minutes to solve a pattern problem, and the students can't wait to do another one the next day," Romano says. "It's like a little kid trying to solve a puzzle. They're always looking for the next piece."

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