Where to begin in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade
Course sequences vary by school. Use these topics to locate a starting point, and follow the order your child’s teacher is using.
- 6th grade: ratios and rates, fractions and decimals, negative numbers, and simple expressions and equations.
- 7th grade: proportional relationships, percentages, signed-number operations, and solving equations.
- 8th grade: linear relationships, equations, exponents, roots, and geometric reasoning.
Worked example: find 15% of 80
Percent means “out of one hundred.” One way to find 15% of 80 is to split 15% into 10% and 5%.
Ten percent of 80 is 8. Five percent is half of 10%, so it is 4. Add the parts: 8 + 4 = 12. Therefore, 15% of 80 is 12.
You can check using a decimal: 0.15 × 80 = 12. Both methods describe the same part of the original amount.
Connect a new rule to an older idea
A ratio compares quantities. An equation says two expressions have the same value. A negative number describes a position or change relative to zero. Naming the meaning before calculating can make a new symbol less intimidating.
For equations, write one change per line and do the same operation to both sides. For word problems, name the quantity you are finding and keep the units beside each number. If the result seems wrong, estimate before recalculating.
Use practice to find the missing step
Try one problem with help, then a similar problem independently. If your child understands the setup but struggles with multiplication or fractions, review that foundation directly rather than starting the whole lesson again.
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