Algebra I in eighth grade has been a stretch. “I could do multiplication tables ... The kids clapped and cheered. Riccio put ...

Focus.” He wrote another large integer on the whiteboard. “What if I give you something like this? Any volunteers?” Eighth grade algebra teacher Rick Riccio helps students with a problem at Braham ...

slope — that come with Algebra I, some experts and teachers say. Those more complex ideas also require extended concentration, which is difficult for many middle schoolers. “Eighth grade, they’re just ...