What is the difference between pre-algebra and algebra 1?

Pre-algebra concentrates on number properties, exponents, roots, percents and the rules that govern computation, with variables appearing in simple settings. Algebra 1 assumes that work is automatic and moves to solving multi-step and linear equations, functions and graphing.

My child gets the right answer but can't explain the steps. Does that matter?

It matters more from pre-algebra onward, because problems get long enough that an unexplained method fails silently. Sessions ask for the reasoning before the answer, which is usually where a memorised procedure shows its gaps.

Which grade is pre-algebra usually taken in?

Most commonly 7th or 8th grade, though some schools spread it across 6-8 or compress it. The topic list here follows the standard middle-school sequence rather than any one district's schedule.

Can Evelyn help with homework problems my child is stuck on?

Yes. The student can read out or describe a problem and work through it in conversation. The aim is to get the method transferred, so Evelyn will usually pose a second, similar problem afterwards to check it stuck.

Pre-Algebra

Middle School (6-8) · Mathematics

Pre-Algebra is the bridge between arithmetic and algebra. At the 6-8 level it is mostly about number sense done carefully: order of operations, factors and multiples, powers and roots, scientific notation, and moving fluently between fractions, decimals and percents. Sessions focus on the number work that later algebra quietly assumes you can already do, so that when letters appear the arithmetic underneath is not the thing that goes wrong. Related work on integers, expressions, ratios, graphing and statistics is covered in separate topics.

Start a session on Pre-Algebra

What this covers

Order of operations with nested grouping symbols, exponents and fraction bars, including how a fraction bar groups the whole numerator and denominator
Prime factorization, GCF and LCM, and choosing which one a word problem actually needs (shared groups vs. repeating events)
Whole-number exponents, the product, quotient and power rules, and what a zero or negative exponent means
Perfect squares, square roots, and estimating roots of non-perfect squares between two whole numbers
Scientific notation: converting to and from standard form, and comparing very large or very small quantities
Converting among fractions, decimals and percents, and percent of a number, percent increase and decrease

Where learners get stuck

Believing PEMDAS means multiplication always happens before division, and addition before subtraction: The acronym is memorised as a strict six-step list rather than four tiers, so 24 ÷ 6 × 2 gets read as 24 ÷ 12. Left-to-right evaluation within the same tier has to be stated explicitly and practised on expressions designed to expose it.
Adding exponents when the bases are being added, or multiplying the exponent by the base: Students pattern-match the rule x^a · x^b = x^(a+b) without tracking that it comes from counting repeated factors. Writing 2^3 · 2^4 out in full once usually fixes it faster than restating the rule; so does checking that 3^4 is 81, not 12.
Treating a percent decrease followed by an equal percent increase as returning to the original amount: Percents feel like fixed amounts rather than operations on a changing base. A price cut 20% then raised 20% is applied to a smaller number the second time, and this only becomes obvious when both steps are computed with actual numbers.

What a session looks like

A typical 25-40 minute session starts with two or three warm-up computations to see where the arithmetic is shaky, then works through problems out loud with the learner describing each step before doing it. Evelyn asks the student to predict answers, catches errors at the point they happen rather than at the end, and re-runs a similar problem straight away when something breaks down. Work can follow a textbook chapter, a homework set the student describes, or a diagnostic path chosen in the session.

Helpful to know first

Fluent multiplication and division facts through 12 × 12
Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals
Reading and writing place value, including decimals to thousandths
Comfort with basic word problems that require choosing an operation

Questions

What is the difference between pre-algebra and algebra 1?: Pre-algebra concentrates on number properties, exponents, roots, percents and the rules that govern computation, with variables appearing in simple settings. Algebra 1 assumes that work is automatic and moves to solving multi-step and linear equations, functions and graphing.
My child gets the right answer but can't explain the steps. Does that matter?: It matters more from pre-algebra onward, because problems get long enough that an unexplained method fails silently. Sessions ask for the reasoning before the answer, which is usually where a memorised procedure shows its gaps.
Which grade is pre-algebra usually taken in?: Most commonly 7th or 8th grade, though some schools spread it across 6-8 or compress it. The topic list here follows the standard middle-school sequence rather than any one district's schedule.
Can Evelyn help with homework problems my child is stuck on?: Yes. The student can read out or describe a problem and work through it in conversation. The aim is to get the method transferred, so Evelyn will usually pose a second, similar problem afterwards to check it stuck.