The most effective way to provide Algebra 1 help to your child is to include plenty of guided practice. Watching a video is not enough. Your child will also need practice problems that include complete audio explanations because most students will make mistakes when they first try to solve problems after learning a concept.
MathHelp’s Algebra 1 program is different because it’s an entire curriculum with a teacher inside. Developed at one of the top private schools in the country, the course is designed to simulate a $30,000-a-year private school education for a tiny fraction of the cost. As a result, it’s not only an ideal solution for homeschoolers looking for a stand-alone course, but it’s also a natural fit for any parent who would like to provide his or her child with world-class instruction from home.
The best way to learn Algebra 1 is with an online program that combines all of the following features.
The key to learning Algebra 1 fast is to use diagnostic quizzes, which tell you if you already know a lesson concept before spending time on a lesson. If your diagnostic quiz results indicate that you already know the concept, you can skip ahead, allowing you to focus your studies on the exact lessons you need.
It’s possible for a 7th grader to take Algebra 1, but it’s not recommended. Algebra 1 is normally an 8th or 9th grade course, so there’s no reason to rush into it in 7th grade. Instead, it’s better for 7th graders to take Pre-Algebra.
Generally speaking, you should be in 8th or 9th grade when you take Algebra 1. However, it’s not unusual for a student who struggles with math to take the course in 10th grade. The important thing is to make sure you understand before moving on because all high school math classes are built on this foundation.
Whether Algebra 1 or Algebra 2 is harder depends on the student. For example, the shock of dealing with variables for the first time can make Algebra 1 very hard until you get used to it. On the other hand, Algebra 2 is often considered harder because of its advanced concepts such as logarithms and imaginary numbers.
Algebra isn’t necessarily hard. The reason that so many students need Algebra help is that they’ve never seen variables before. In other words, students often panic when they see “letters" in math problems, even though the concept of variables is just an extension of what they’ve learned in previous math courses. Algebra is also the first time that students have to write down all their steps to the problems. You can’t get away with doing Algebra in your head like you can with arithmetic.
You can learn Algebra on your own, but you’ll need an online program that builds the teacher into every aspect of the curriculum. In other words, the best way to learn Algebra on your own is if every lesson has video and audio explanations for both the example problems and the practice problems.
Any Algebra 1 student who wants to get an A will need to develop mastery of the following concepts and skills.
Surprisingly, one of the biggest reasons that students struggle with Algebra is that they are simply unable or unwilling to organize the steps to a problem on paper. Bad handwriting alone can derail a promising Algebra student who can’t go back and read what he or she has written down. More commonly, however, students are tempted to do the problems in their heads rather than writing down all the steps, which comes back to haunt them no matter how good at math they are.
You’ll learn the following basic concepts in Algebra 1.
If you’re wondering how to pass Algebra 1, the key is to get individualized instruction. In the past, this meant expensive private tutoring. Nowadays, however, affordable Algebra online tutoring is available in the form of video instruction and guided practice with audio explanations.
Algebra 1 takes about 6 to 12 months to learn. How long it takes depends on the student’s math background, natural ability in math, and the amount of time reserved for help each day.
The cost of an Algebra tutor ranges from $25 an hour to $100 an hour, depending on your location and the level of expertise of the instructor. For example, if you’re in an expensive city and you want an experienced Algebra 1 tutor, it can cost up to $100 an hour. However, if you’re in an area with a lower cost of living and you’re open to Algebra tutoring from a college student, it can cost as little as $25 an hour.
You can teach yourself Algebra, but you’ll need both instruction and practice. The best way to get the huge amount of Algebra help that’s required to teach yourself the course is to use a program that incorporates a video teacher throughout the example problems and practice.
We loved the Algebra 1 course. It was very understandable. We loved the practice problems and the diagnostic quiz if you already knew the topic.Mary Laster - August 2025
The program was amazing! Got my kids ready for the upcoming school year very quickly.Jeff Jacobs - June 2025
I’ve been using your program for the past 5 years as a homeschooling parent, and it has been an incredibly valuable resource. I often recommend it to other homeschool families as well.Summer Tunde - June 2025
Algebra I, also known as elementary algebra or beginning algebra, is the first course students take in algebra. Historically, this class has been a high school level course that is often offered as early as the seventh grade but more traditionally in eighth or ninth grades. The course is also offered in community colleges as a basic skills or remedial course.
Elementary algebra (Algebra 1) is the most basic form of algebra. It is taught to students who are presumed to have no knowledge of mathematics beyond the basic principles of arithmetic. In arithmetic, only numbers and their arithmetical operations (such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) occur. In algebra, numbers are often represented by symbols called variables (such as a, n, x, y or z). This is useful because:
• It allows the general formulation of arithmetical laws (such as a + b = b + a for all a and b), and thus is the first step to a systematic exploration of the properties of the real number system.
• It allows the reference to ""unknown"" numbers, the formulation of equations and the study of how to solve these. (For instance, ""Find a number x such that 3x + 1 = 10"" or going a bit further ""Find a number x such that ax + b = c"". This step leads to the conclusion that it is not the nature of the specific numbers that allow us to solve it, but that of the operations involved.)
• It allows the formulation of functional relationships. (For instance, ""If you sell x tickets, then your profit will be 3x − 10 dollars, or f(x) = 3x − 10, where f is the function, and x is the number to which the function is applied"".)
It has been suggested that elementary algebra (Algebra 1) should be taught to students as young as eleven years old, though in recent years it is more common for public lessons to begin at the eighth grade level (around age 13) in the United States. However, in some US schools, algebra is started in ninth grade.
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