DS(y10) having horrors with algebra, what to do?

[Mandy2003]

DS has just had his first class test of the year. He's in Set 1 for maths but has always been shaky about algebra. He came bottom of the class
The students were told that he algebra test marks weren't going to be formally used for anything.

Can anyone recommend a resource/approach that might crack it for him? He's really depressed about it and has started to say "What's the point" about all schoolwork today.

Has he tried looking at khan academy?

CGP or Letts GCSE revision guide and workbook?

The approach he may find useful is not trying to think he has to understand it all at once. Do about half an hour, take a 15 min break then see if it has become any clearer. If he does the same section again after a few days is it clearer still?

With pre-algebra maths, pupils are sometimes reassured if they check their answers with a calculator. One reason many people don't like algebra is because it's harder to check the answers, to give yourself feedback that it is right.

However, here is a method for using a calculator to check algebra. I used a similar method when I was in year 10, and I found it helped me a huge amount:

If he uses a calculator which has an "ALPHA" button (e.g. Casio FX83), it's possible to store numbers in letters. For example, you can make the letter A have the value 3 by pressing 3, SHIFT then STO (for store; on RCL key), then A (small red A, above one of the keys). The display then shows "3 -> A", to confirm it has gone in.

He can then type things like 3A + 4 to see what the value of this is. (To get A, he has to press ALPHA then A.)

How to check the answer to...
"Multiply out the brackets in 3x(a + 4)".

If you work this out on paper, the answer is 3ax + 12x; but how does he know this is right? Here is how to use a calculator to check:

Store some different numbers in A and X (any numbers will do, but it's slightly better not to use 0 or 1).

Type 3x(a + 4), and note the answer.
Then type 3ax + 12x; if this is correct, the calculator will give the same answer.

How to check the answer to...
"Solve the equation 4x - 8 = 40".

Work it out on paper: the answer is x = 12.
To check this, store 12 in x.
Then type in 4x - 8: the calculator should then say 40.

You might find him asking the teacher if they could go through algebra with him helps.

What does he find hard?
Is it that he can't put it in a calculator, or is it he just panics at the sight of letters?

It may help him to go back to the beginning.

I would really work at it with him, because algebra is such a big part of maths, if he wants to do science stuff at alevel it will help too.

Does he have problems with the little sums:
2 + x = 5
He can probably see straight away that x = 3.
But you need to get him doing those sums as he would for harder sums:

So
2 + x = 5
Take away 2 from each side: 2 + x - 2 = 5 - 2
2-2 =0 So x (+ 0) = 5 - 2
So x = 3.

And then do similar with 3x = 12
You want one x on it's own, so you need to divide by 3.
So divide both sides by 3: 3x/3 = 12/3
3x/3 = (1) x so x = 12

Saying he has problems with algebra is too vague, it's like saying he has problems with geometry - more details are needed.

If he is Y10 top set, then presumably he has done quite a bit of algebra.
Can he simplify expressions including powers?
Substitute values into expressions?
Expand brackets?
Factorise linear expressions?
Solve linear equations?

He'll need all that to be solid before tackling quadratics and so on.

Does DS's school use mymaths? If so then working through the algebra lessons on there would be a good idea.

There are lots of good YouTube videos available. I like the ExamSolution ones. Just search for GCSE Maths exam solutions or for the actual topic once in You tube.

There is a brilliant ipad app called Dragonbox algebra which might help. It's a game which starts off with moving characters around to balance the two sides of the board and moves on to using x and y. We've only done the first level (5+ yrs) but that took my 6 yr old up to at least secondary school level algebra very easily, and there is a high school levels for more complex problems.