Mister Jones The question's wording allows for many more yeses, but I get the jist, anyway.

. It fully depends on what "basic" Math concepts we're talking about. Many of the "basic" Mathematical concepts are prerequisites for fully understanding and applying (read: mastering) more complicated concepts. Multiplication is a basic concept, but Vertex Edge Graphs are more complicated. However, a student needs not be able to have strong computation skills in order to accurately read or "solve" a vertex Edge Map. What it boils down to is that Mathematically, like many other subjects, the bigger the base of the building, the higher the building can be built. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Bonnie Yelverton I agree with Mr. Jones that the wording forces a Yes. It should have been something like "have difficulty mastering more complicated topics." Some topics include more basic (by which I understand PreAlgebra) skills than others. But there are ratios everywhere, and if a student doesn't understand fractions, he's going to have trouble with similarity, etc. But opportunity, yes, because it doesn't mean he can't learn those skills. It's just that we teachers have to help him get them up to speed so he can go on, as soon as we figure it that is what's holding him back. (And the earlier teachers discover that, the better!) As someone said, students may have life experiences that distract right when they're supposed to be learning something important and basic. Irene Sawchyn The question is a loaded one - WHY are the basic skills weak? If the question was worded, "If a student cannot develop basic skills... then my answer would be NO. If the student has had poor training, then my answer would be YES, after they received better training. I see that middle- and high-school students who come from eastern Europe or Asia come 1-2 years ahead of their American peers in math. How could that be? They just never hear the words "is the student "ready" for math (at some level)". I am the eternal optimist and believe that (almost) all "average" students should be able to master HS math if prepared well in grade school, and dedicate enough time to the work. James Smith I have to agree with Irene. This a "When did you stop beating your wife?" type of question. If the job of educators is to educate, the belief exists that this weakness will be seen and then addressed, hopefully in a way that will increase the skills. I have had this on my own experience and it means you must be willing to use your curriculum to provide support. Not an easy task, but one an educator must take on, if they are to ensure future success in their own subject. I am not sure that one can quickly teach, and have students master, the basic maths necessary to be successful in chemistry, or physics, but, if I have any integrity as an educator, I must be willing to stop my own curriculum progression and deal with the defect. If I ignore it, the class can be irreparably damaged. Laurence Cuffe In most cases, don't run before you can walk. I can however imagine a case where I might teach some functional maths as part of life skills basing the computational aspects on the use of a calculator to someone whose dyscalculia rendered it unlikely that they would ever master paper based computational algorithms. James Rasure Unless you consider going back and fixing the poor math skills as an opportunity. For example: I teach basic math at a community college. Some of the students have horrible math skills which would keep them out of a nursing program. They take my class which gives them some basic math skills and more. Thus they have the OPPORTUNITY to catch up and master more complicated topics.