After Saxon Advanced Math ...

[Teachin'Mine]

Is it better to follow it directly with Calculus, or is it okay to take a year for statistics and probability?

 

I know it's not necessary to do statistics, but I think it's good to have for a variety of other areas of study and for general knowledge. I'm also thinking a year of this would postpone having to do CC classes for math like Calculus II and the other math classes that follow.

 

I guess my question is - Is it easier to take a year off before calculus, or after doing Saxon calculus and before doing calculus II and other calculus classes?

 

Would love to hear the pros and cons of either way and suggestions. :)

[jld]

Great question, TM. I'm anxious to hear what people can advise about this, too. :bigear:

[Teachin'Mine]

I'm glad I'm not alone! Confusion likes company. :)

[jld]

LOL!

[regentrude]

I am not familiar with the book -How much calc is there in Saxon Advanced math?

You can do the basics of stats without calculus, introduce concepts and deal with discrete events (such as dice), but to really understand statistics and probability you need a good working knowledge of calculus. Continuous probability distributions (such as the Gaussian) , central limit theorem, transformation between random variables are all important things that can not be understood without calculus.

 

So I would postpone statistics till you have enough calculus so that you can really do all those things.

[jld]

Thank you, regentrude. We'll just chug along into the calc book when dd finishes SAM, then.

[kiana]

Pro of calc first: She'll do it right after adv math and so won't have forgotten the trig by the time calc comes around.

Con: If she needs calc in college she'll have had a year to forget it, unless stats involved calculus.

 

Pro of stats first: Calculus knowledge will be fresh in college.

Con: Relearning the trig may be difficult. Also, you'd have to change publishers sooner.

 

If you can find a stats course that uses some calc, doing calc as a jr and then that as a senior would be my first choice -- but I don't think any of the commercially available home-study courses use it. (I could be wrong). I really liked the book I used, but it came after calc 3 and I don't think Saxon goes through that -- also, you'd pretty much have to learn it yourself in order to teach it.

[Teachin'Mine]

I am not familiar with the book -How much calc is there in Saxon Advanced math?

You can do the basics of stats without calculus, introduce concepts and deal with discrete events (such as dice), but to really understand statistics and probability you need a good working knowledge of calculus. Continuous probability distributions (such as the Gaussian) , central limit theorem, transformation between random variables are all important things that can not be understood without calculus.

 

So I would postpone statistics till you have enough calculus so that you can really do all those things.

 

Thank you for your reply Regentrude. :)

 

Saxon's Advanced Math is a pre-calculus text. There is no calculus in it.

 

I have a feeling that you're referring to more of an advanced college course for statistics. The texts and courses I've come across regarding AP statistics do not have calculus as a prerequisite. From what I've seen, most students usually take either statistics or calculus in their senior year - some do both.

 

So my question is less about what math is needed for each, than about when is it better to have a "gap" (with statistics) in the usual math sequence. Does that make sense?

[Teachin'Mine]

Pro of calc first: She'll do it right after adv math and so won't have forgotten the trig by the time calc comes around.

Con: If she needs calc in college she'll have had a year to forget it, unless stats involved calculus.

 

Pro of stats first: Calculus knowledge will be fresh in college.

Con: Relearning the trig may be difficult. Also, you'd have to change publishers sooner.

 

If you can find a stats course that uses some calc, doing calc as a jr and then that as a senior would be my first choice -- but I don't think any of the commercially available home-study courses use it. (I could be wrong). I really liked the book I used, but it came after calc 3 and I don't think Saxon goes through that -- also, you'd pretty much have to learn it yourself in order to teach it.

 

Kiana thank you for your post - I missed it since I was writing when yours posted. :)

 

Those are pretty much the same pros and cons I've come up with.

 

Saxon only has one Calculus text which I believe is equivalent to Calculus I only. I haven't taught her math since we began Saxon with 6/5, so we'll need to utilize something online or at a CC for the courses after Calculus I. I'm just trying to delay the need for a CC class.