From break point to practice
· 2 min read
Finding the break point is only half the job. In Algebra Readiness, the diagnostic’s result becomes each student’s starting point for practice.
A skill tree built from the standards
After a session, each student has a skill tree built from the same map of standards the diagnostic used. Every standard in it is mastered, available, in progress or locked. The available standards are the frontier: skills whose prerequisites the student already has, but which they haven’t mastered yet. That’s where practice begins.
Lessons, then a skill check
Practicing a skill means working through a lesson, then taking a 10-question skill check. A student who answers 8 or more correctly masters the skill. As prerequisites are mastered, the standards that depend on them unlock, so the path moves forward one skill at a time.
Why start at the break point
Reteaching a whole unit spends time on skills a student already has. Starting at the break point means the first thing a student practices is the missing prerequisite, and each new skill builds on one they’ve already shown they have.
An example path
Say a student’s answers show that comparing fractions is where understanding breaks down. The skills underneath it are in place, so comparing fractions is on the frontier and practice starts there. The student works through the lesson, then takes the skill check. With 8 or more of 10 correct, the skill is mastered, and the standards that depend on it unlock once all of their prerequisites are in place.
If a student doesn’t pass yet
A student who doesn’t reach 8 of 10 keeps the skill in progress and keeps working on it. The skills that depend on it stay locked until it’s mastered.