Pre-Algebra Curriculum Strand for Grades 6 and 7
If you teach Grade 6 or 7 math and need the pre-algebra strand of your year sorted out, the Algebra Foundations Bundle gives you four workbooks: expressions, equations and inequalities, real numbers, and ratio, proportion and percentage. It handles the algebra side of the year, not geometry or statistics, and costs $59.99 instead of $79.96 for the same four workbooks bought one by one.
View the Foundations Bundle →The Algebra Foundations Bundle ($59.99) groups four existing Teach Lessons workbooks for Grades 5–9: expressions, solving equations and inequalities, real numbers, and ratio, proportion and percentage. Bought separately, the same four cost $79.96. For a Grade 6 or 7 teacher it works as the pre-algebra strand of the year. It does not cover geometry, statistics or probability, so those parts of your math year come from other material.
The resources
Algebra Foundations Bundle, Grades 5–9
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Algebra Foundations Bundle | Expressions, Equations, Real Numbers & Ratio | 4 Workbooks | Grades 5–9
Middle School Math Starter Bundle | Growing Math Kit, Fractions, Compass Constructions & Algebraic Expressions | Grades 5–9
Pre-Calculus Prep Bundle | Quadratics, Function Transformations, Derivatives & Graph Analysis | 3 Workbooks | Grades 9–12
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
Why the pre-algebra strand is the one that slips
In Grades 6 and 7 the algebra thread runs through the whole year, but it rarely gets a block of its own. It shows up as a few lessons on writing expressions, a week on one-step equations, a ratio chapter, and then the calendar moves on to area, volume and data displays. Students leave Grade 7 able to copy a worked example, yet unsure why 3(x + 4) is not 3x + 4, or why dividing both sides by a negative number flips an inequality sign. The second weak point is the number sense underneath. Students who cannot place -2.5 and -3 on a number line, or who read a fraction as two separate numbers, stall the moment an equation has rational coefficients. Ratio and percent then get taught as tricks (cross-multiply, move the decimal) instead of as proportional reasoning, which is exactly what slope and linear functions lean on later. The hard part for a Grade 6 or 7 teacher is not a shortage of worksheets. It is keeping expressions, equations and inequalities, the real number system and proportional reasoning visible as one connected strand, so the algebra does not vanish between the geometry and statistics units.
Why it fits
How the four workbooks map onto a Grade 6–7 year
Each workbook sits on one of the four threads, so you can slot them into the year where those topics already live in your scope and sequence.
- The expressions workbook supports the early push on variables, terms and turning words into expressions.
- The equations and inequalities workbook gives solving a proper block instead of a rushed week.
- The real numbers workbook backs up integers, fractions and decimals before students solve with them.
- The ratio, proportion and percentage workbook carries the proportional reasoning thread of Grades 6 and 7.
- Four separate files mean you can teach expressions in fall and ratio in spring without reshuffling anything.
- Written for Grades 5–9, so one purchase serves both your Grade 6 and Grade 7 sections.
Getting started
Placing the strand in your year: one suggestion
The bundle does not include a calendar. This is one way a Grade 6–7 teacher might spread the four workbooks across a year; move the pieces to match your own sequence.
- Early fall: expressionsOpen with the expressions workbook, since every later topic leans on it. Build the habit of reading 2x + 5 as a quantity rather than an instruction before any solving starts.
- Late fall: real numbersFollow with the real numbers workbook while integers and rational numbers are on your calendar anyway. Students who can order and compare them cope far better with negative coefficients later.
- Winter: equations and inequalitiesGive solving its own block. Pair the workbook with number-line sketches so students see why an inequality usually has many solutions and a linear equation usually one.
- Spring: ratio, proportion, percentTeach proportional reasoning after equations, so students set up a proportion as an equation they can solve instead of a cross-multiplying ritual they half remember.
- All year: short returnsBetween geometry and data units, pull one or two pages from an earlier workbook so the algebra strand stays warm instead of disappearing for two months.
What to buy
The bundle, one workbook, or the starter kit
For a teacher building the whole pre-algebra strand, the Algebra Foundations Bundle at $59.99 is the sensible choice; the four workbooks come to $79.96 when bought singly, so you save $19.97. If your textbook already handles expressions and equations well and you only want more on ratio and percent, buy that one workbook on its own. If you also need fractions and compass-and-ruler geometry for these grades, look at the Middle School Math Starter Bundle ($54.99, parts $77.96). It includes an algebraic expressions workbook too, so compare the two part lists before buying both.
Honest limits
What the bundle leaves to you
This is the algebra and number strand only. Geometry, measurement, statistics and probability for Grade 6 or 7 are not in it, and there is no pacing calendar, year-long assessment plan or online platform. Compare the workbook topics with your state or district expectations yourself before you plan around them. The licence covers your own classes; if your math department wants to share the files, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If the workbooks turn out not to fit, you can exchange them within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to Common Core or my state standards?
No alignment, approval or endorsement is claimed. The workbooks are written for Grades 5–9 and cover expressions, equations and inequalities, real numbers, and ratio, proportion and percentage. Those topics appear in most Grade 6–7 math frameworks, but you should check the actual pages against your own state or district standards before you build your plans on them.
Can it be my only Grade 6 math curriculum?
No, and it is not meant to be. It covers the algebra and number side of the year. Geometry, measurement and data still need their own material. The most common use is next to an existing textbook, to give the pre-algebra strand more weight and more practice than the textbook chapter alone provides.
Will one copy work for my Grade 6 and Grade 7 classes?
Yes, for your own classes. The workbooks are written for Grades 5–9, so the same files can serve both. In practice a Grade 6 group may spend longer on real numbers and expressions, while a Grade 7 group moves faster into inequalities and proportional reasoning. You choose which pages each section gets.
How do I receive the workbooks?
Everything is a digital download. Right after checkout a link arrives by email, and the files are also stored in your customer account under Orders, so you can download them again from a school computer later. Nothing is shipped and students do not need any login.
How much do I save compared with buying the parts?
The four workbooks are also sold individually and add up to $79.96. The bundle costs $59.99, so the difference is $19.97. If you only need one or two of the four topics, buying those workbooks singly can still be the cheaper route. Either way you receive the same four files, so the choice depends only on how many topics you need.
What should students use after this strand?
For students heading into Algebra 1, the Algebra 1 Pathway Bundle (Grades 7–10) continues with equations and inequalities, linear functions and systems, and quadratic equations. The Complete Algebra Bundle contains all ten algebra workbooks, from expressions through function transformations, if you would rather own the whole sequence at once.
See what sits in the four workbooks
Open the product page to check the four workbook titles and decide where each one fits in your Grade 6–7 year.
View the Foundations Bundle →