Mathematical Acceleration is Developmentally Appropriate For Students Who Have Learned The Prerequisites

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Many people think that learning math early is not appropriate for students’ social, emotional, or academic development.

But the reality is that educational acceleration does not lead to adverse psychological consequences in capable students.

According to a study titled “Academic Acceleration in Gifted Youth and Fruitless Concerns Regarding Psychological Well-Being: A 35-Year Longitudinal Study”:

“There is little evidence that academic acceleration has negative consequences on the psychological well-being of intellectually talented youth. Those who were accelerated had few regrets for doing so. Indeed, if anything, tended to wish that they had accelerated more.”

The takeaway is that whether a student is ready for advanced math depends solely on whether they have mastered the prerequisites.

If a student has mastered the prerequisites, then it is appropriate for them to continue learning advanced math early and not appropriate to stunt their development by holding them back.

Further Reading: The Greatest Educational Life Hack: Learning Math Ahead of Time

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