Specific Content Area Interventions – Pre-Algebra Concepts

Abstract

It is quite advantageous for students going into algebra to be skilled in performing operations (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing) with rational numbers (negative and positive whole numbers, fractions, and decimals). Also, students should be able to solve basic one – and two-step equations. In reviewing these prealgebraic concepts with your students, remember to keep the processes as simple as possible. For example, subtraction is simply adding the inverse of the number being subtracted. Therefore, once students have mastered adding rational numbers, subtraction should be easy. Here are a few process pointers that you might use to simplify addition for your students.