AoPS online

[Mom-ninja.]

I have the hardest time searching these forums. 

 

Can you tell me about your experience with AoPS online classes? I am trying to decide if it would be a good fit my ds as opposed to just doing textbooks/videos/alcumus on his own. 

 

I have read here that they are fast paced. For those of you who use AoPS but not the online class, why? 

 

[crazyforlatin]

If you are referring to prealgebra, then the pace is faster than what I would have normally done with DD, but it was actually just right for us to get us going and done with the 2nd of half of the book within a few months. We used the summer to finish up challenge problems in the book since there was little time left over to do everything for the class such as problems, exercises, Alcumus, AOPS homework to even get to the challenge problems.

 

The best part of the class is the written feedback for the writing portion of each assignment from the tutors. And, for some kids, they may actually like the rush of typing out answers so that they see their names picked for correct answers. Not all answers, whether correct or incorrect, are chosen; just about 3-4 each time.

 

As for algebra, it would be too fast for DD. Since algebra is foundational for higher math, I didn't think it would be a good idea for DD to finish the first half of the book within a few months. She needs time to absorb the material and since she is young for algebra she has time to take 2 or more years to finish the book. Many of the kids in prealgebra are in B&B schools, based on chat conversations, so that may be the case with algebra.

 

I am considering one of the discrete math classes for the summer. Or I may enroll her in the algebra class since she is in Chapter 9 already, just to get a review of the class and get feedback from the tutors.

[madteaparty]

AoPS has not worked well here, so maybe we are doing it all wrong but I find our experience opposite to what I read here everyday:

--We have time to finish everything, that is the not the issue. But as DS masters a topic, he manages to "unmaster" a previous one. It's like Sisyphus here, very demoralizing. Just today, DS mastered quadrilaterals (after much gnashing of teeth) and I notice percentages (first topic in the class) turned green from blue. I'm now using Khan and Singapore Dimensions to create a little spiral.

--The class is fine if you like that sort of thing. I mean it has been great to keep us on schedule and you do get additional challenging problems. But my DS who takes lots of online classes, never "took" to the the text-only format, so it does nothing for him. We (DH and I) have to be even more hands on with the math than before. I think what WTM academy has planned class wise would have worked better for my DS if that had been available.That has nothing to do with the AoPS class and everything to do with the particular child, because you can see there are many here for whom the classes are a smashing success.

[Mom-ninja.]

I'm wondering how ds would do with text only for a math class. It's a concern because he is dyslexic. He is taking a text only online class for Latin and does not like it, but he's doing well in the class. He could do better, but he doesn't spend as much time as he maybe should. 

 

 

[Targhee]

The Algebra A class does move fast - covering essentially what a typical Algebra 1 class does in a matter of 16 weeks.  Students are given work in the books to do (sections to read and it is assumed you will be doing the problems as well, though they aren't graded), Alcumus topics to complete, and challenge questions (7-10 each week) and these include one that is a full written solution.  My dd really likes the class, but it is a lot of work.  She isn't a fast worker (ADD inattentive) or communicator (undefined LD), so she ends up spending probably 10-15 hours a week for her class.  She's smart, and does well, but it is definitely work.  For a dyslexic I would consider not only the online class portion being text based, but that the book, Alcumus, and challenge problems are all text-based.  Do you have a copy of any of the books? Can he work through them independently?  DD was working independently in AoPS PreA before stepping up to Algebra, and I think that ability is critical.

[Mom-ninja.]

I do not have any books. I was thinking I should get one and see how he likes it. 

 

He works somewhat independently through WWS 1; I do read for him at times because it takes so long for him to read that a large chunk of his time is just reading a passage when he could use that time working. As for his math textbook he's using right now, no he does not read that independently. 

[regentrude]

I have read here that they are fast paced. For those of you who use AoPS but not the online class, why? 

 

Because the online class moves extremely fast: 16 weeks for the algebra 1 portion is breakneck speed.

My kids did Intro to Algebra in 6th and 7th grade, respectively, and I would not have wanted to subject them to this pace.

 

The books are extremely well designed for self study without a teacher, and we have been using the entire sequence independently.

[regentrude]

I'm wondering how ds would do with text only for a math class. It's a concern because he is dyslexic.

 

That would be a serious concern.

The books are fantastic, but they are written to be used without a teacher; consequently, every word a good teacher would say in explaining a concept is written out in the books (which is why some people consider them "wordy".)

 

You should look at the samples on the website to get a clearer idea.

 

[Halcyon]

My ds12 is in the final weeks of AoPS Counting and Probability. It has been a huge amount of work for him, but he loves the online class portion (and he is not a fast reader). The part that has been hardest for him to keep up with is the Alcumus, which surprises me. He probably works 2 hours a day on it and when he doesn't (as in this last week when we went to Disney for break) he gets really, really behind. :(

 

We decided against taking core classes through AoPS online, and will take Algebra 2 at Wilson Hill.

[Mom-ninja.]

That would be a serious concern.

The books are fantastic, but they are written to be used without a teacher; consequently, every word a good teacher would say in explaining a concept is written out in the books (which is why some people consider them "wordy".)

 

You should look at the samples on the website to get a clearer idea.

 

 

Jousting I consider wordy. We did that before moving to Foerster's. He loved Jousting, but he did not read much of it on his own. I read it aloud to him. That is just our reality. 

 

I've looked at the samples and it seems as wordy as Jousting. So I'm thinking I would be reading a lot of it aloud to him. Frankly, that's why I was considering the online class so that I wouldn't need to read as much to him. I'm a bit disappointed that the class is text based. 

[Targhee]

Jousting I consider wordy. We did that before moving to Foerster's. He loved Jousting, but he did not read much of it on his own. I read it aloud to him. That is just our reality.

 

I've looked at the samples and it seems as wordy as Jousting. So I'm thinking I would be reading a lot of it aloud to him. Frankly, that's why I was considering the online class so that I wouldn't need to read as much to him. I'm a bit disappointed that the class is text based.

They have a little explanation on their page about why they chose text only.

 

I think you will find you will be reading MORE with the class, because the students add the class to the book, not replace the book with the class. They expect you to come to class having read and worked through the problems in preparation.

 

We chose the class for a few reasons

- pacing/organization - the schedule is laid out, the correlating Alcumus topics are set, the videos are set, and the forum for asking questions is set all within the "classroom" site. And dd, who could drag things out forever, has to keep up.

- accountability - so now that she is getting older, I want her to be accountable to other teachers, and have her grade reflect whether she is doing what is required

- extra challenge - the time in class, the challenge questions, and especially the written solutions (which have lots of helpful feedback) provide an extra layer of challenge and learning, which she needed to engage

 

I don't consider the class a replacement of the very well-written self-teaching texts, but an addition to them.

 

I hope this helps in determining whether the class is a fit for your student.

[wapiti]

FWIW, the text format of the online classes reminds me of Minecraft, where words scroll up from the bottom of the screen.  Thanks to lots of practice with Minecraft, the text format of the AoPS class does not bother my slow readers at all (they are not dyslexic but nonetheless have slow processing speed, language processing glitches, big visual-spatial skill).  Indeed, I can't think of a better online class format for my one ds, who is much slower with oral instruction/auditory input.  He is three-fourths of the way through Intro to Alg course A and the online weekly class is going great.

 

YMMV; if, on the other hand, oral, auditory instruction is much better than written instruction for your ds, that may be a consideration.

 

Motivation to get the homework done, on the other hand... *sigh*.  At least the class keeps him somewhat on track.  He had been through the book portion and much of the Alcumus last year, so this class is not putting too much on his plate - it's more of a review and wrap-up for him (long story).  The classes are a lot more work when starting the book and the class at the same time.

 

As for the book wordiness, that was not a problem for the manner in which we used the books.  It would be more of an issue for a student working alone.  Much of the learning is in the doing of the lesson problems and often I sat with my kids (or stayed close by) while they worked on a white board.  The bulk of the reading in the book is in the lesson problem solutions, though for us, we covered much of that while doing the lesson problems (if they got stuck, I would check the solution and then ask another question).  After doing the lesson problems, we would take a couple minutes to look through the solutions to see what points hadn't come up, emphasize anything important, etc.  My kids were not reading the solutions word-for-word (nor was I); the solutions are very thorough for times when you need it, but we often did not need it.  HTH

 

Eta, you can drop an online course before the third class for a full refund.

 

 

[SunnyDays]

Would the WTM Academy course be a better fit?  I noticed it is a year long course for Algebra I rather than a semester like the actual AoPS classes. 

 

I don't know the format of the class or how it differs though... anyone else have insight on that??

 

[snowbeltmom]

 

I've looked at the samples and it seems as wordy as Jousting. So I'm thinking I would be reading a lot of it aloud to him. Frankly, that's why I was considering the online class so that I wouldn't need to read as much to him. I'm a bit disappointed that the class is text based. 

 

In my experience with my kids taking the online classes, my kids need to read the section and work through the section problems prior to class in order to understand what is going on in the lecture.  The class did not replace reading the textbook.  The class help to reinforce and expand on the concepts.

 

[Mom-ninja.]

Would the WTM Academy course be a better fit?  I noticed it is a year long course for Algebra I rather than a semester like the actual AoPS classes. 

 

I don't know the format of the class or how it differs though... anyone else have insight on that??

He's finishing a year long algebra 1 course right now. I'm looking at post algebra 1. Doing AoPS intro to alg A would be mainly review but also going a bit deeper than he has with Foerster's. So I wouldn't want him to repeat an entire year when he doesn't need to, but a semester of getting into the AoPS method would benefit him. I'm not interested in the Saxon options on WTM Academy.

 

 

I'm thinking I might just use the books on our own or stick with Foerster's for algebra 2. I can always use the AoPS videos and alcumus independently. We could also give Number Theory or Probability a try. Another option is to just wait another 6 months and he can take math classes at the local college. ;)  

[SunnyDays]

Gotcha.  I didn't see what level you were looking for.  :)

 

[wapiti]

If he did well with Foerster, I would not bother with Intro to Alg course A (unless you think he really *needs* a big review, in which case he probably wouldn't need much work with the book itself as he's probably seen nearly all the lessons before except perhaps for a handful).  Have you checked the post-test?  Even some of course B would be review, though at least in the case of course B, there may be some alg 2 that he hasn't seen.

 

Note that the videos only go through course A.

 

I'd probably try Intro to C&P (there are videos) or NT, or even the Mathcounts class or just move on to geometry.

[Targhee]

If he did well with Foerster, I would not bother with Intro to Alg course A (unless you think he really *needs* a big review, in which case he probably wouldn't need much work with the book itself as he's probably seen nearly all the lessons before except perhaps for a handful).  Have you checked the post-test?  Even some of course B would be review, though at least in the case of course B, there may be some alg 2 that he hasn't seen.

 

Note that the videos only go through course A.

 

I'd probably try Intro to C&P (there are videos) or NT, or even the Mathcounts class or just move on to geometry.  FWIW, my dd14 (who attends a B&M school and the school required that the course be accredited) recently took the online geometry course, which was *fantastic* but very challenging, and in retrospect I think she'd have been better off just using the book, as she sometimes buckled under the pressure to get the online classwork done at the expense of getting the book portion done and she really needed to do that work in the book first (poor time management, etc. *sigh*).

momentary hijack - did your B&M school accept the AoPS geometry course as is, or did your dd have to take an end of course exam from the school?

[wapiti]

momentary hijack - did your B&M school accept the AoPS geometry course as is, or did your dd have to take an end of course exam from the school?

 

Her private middle school accepted the AoPS course as-is.  However, she will have to take a placement test for the private high school she will be attending this fall (which is not connected to her middle school); it will amount to a full geometry final exam.  (She has already taken the algebra 1 test.)  Different schools do things differently, but most high schools will at least insist on some sort of placement test(s) for a student not coming directly from the feeder middle school.  What it has come down to:  I need to teach her two-column proofs.

[daijobu]

My kids didn't use online AoPS for "core" classes, but took the MathCounts/AMC prep, counting, and python classes online.  The pace is too quick for us, and I want them to be really solid on topics in PreA, Alg, and Geometry.  I don't want to have them relearn them later, so we go through these courses at our own pace.  

 

Some people think because the books are written to the student, that the student alone works through the problems and exercises.  That isn't how we do it at home.  I work with through the problems with dd's socratically, then they do the exercises on their own, and we review any problems they can't solve.  

[madteaparty]

 

 

Some people think because the books are written to the student, that the student alone works through the problems and exercises.  That isn't how we do it at home.  I work with through the problems with dd's socratically, then they do the exercises on their own, and we review any problems they can't solve.  

 

I'm so glad you wrote this because all the AoPS indipendence talk had us feeling so deficient. It's not how it plays out here at all.

[Spy Car]

The "speed" of the AoPS Prealgebra online class was more about the pace of the sessions themselves. The chat format made my kid feel like he was in a race to answer questions and bothered when his didn't show up in the chat line. There was no real "personal" interaction between either the instructor or students in our brief trial. We dropped it for not being a good fit.

 

I wish they had a (live) video based class, with more personal interaction. The one we tried could have been generated by a spam-bot.

 

Bill

[Arcadia]

My kids haven't tried the online class yet. Their class start next month. However my youngest would need me to help type else he goes into panic mode.

 

I'm so glad you wrote this because all the AoPS indipendence talk had us feeling so deficient. It's not how it plays out here at all.

:grouphug: modify any curriculum to suit your child. I think I am guilty of never using anything as written because I never read the instructions or teachers guide.

My kids use the books independently because oldest doesn't want me to help while youngest wants to be spoon-fed.

 

I'm probably a lot more deficient than you, I outsource the teaching of my heritage/native language since my kids learn faster from others.

[madteaparty]

I'm probably a lot more deficient than you, I outsource the teaching of my heritage/native language since my kids learn faster from others.

Not at all. I am not teaching my native language at all. He is learning two others, but not mine.

[snowbeltmom]

The "speed" of the AoPS Prealgebra online class was more about the pace of the sessions themselves. The chat format made my kids feel like he was in a race to answer questions and bothered when his didn't show up in the chat line. There was no real "personal" interaction between either the instructor or students in our brief trial. We dropped it for not being a good fit.

 

I wish they had a (live) video based class, with more personal interaction. The one we tried could have been generated by a spam-bot.

 

Bill

 

The bolded has not been my kids' experiences.  During most sessions, my kids would have a "whisper" conversation going on with one of the TA's during the class. 

 

A whisper is a private conversation between a student and an instructor.  You can tell that it is a private conversation because the font is in a different color.

 

[madteaparty]

The "speed" of the AoPS Prealgebra online class was more about the pace of the sessions themselves. The chat format made my kids feel like he was in a race to answer questions and bothered when his didn't show up in the chat line. There was no real "personal" interaction between either the instructor or students in our brief trial. We dropped it for not being a good fit.

 

I wish they had a (live) video based class, with more personal interaction. The one we tried could have been generated by a spam-bot.

 

Bill

This is our experience exactly, except we did not drop it. And DS takes a number of online classes so I have some basis for comparison.

[Halcyon]

The "speed" of the AoPS Prealgebra online class was more about the pace of the sessions themselves. The chat format made my kids feel like he was in a race to answer questions and bothered when his didn't show up in the chat line. There was no real "personal" interaction between either the instructor or students in our brief trial. We dropped it for not being a good fit.

 

I wish they had a (live) video based class, with more personal interaction. The one we tried could have been generated by a spam-bot.

 

Bill

 

 

This is how my son felt for the first 2-3 weeks. Then he caught on and began to really enjoy it, and was chosen quite a few times by the teacher. He interacted with other students on the message boards quite a bit, and met up with them in the classroom to go over problems (although he said the other kids spent more time chatting than actually working on the problem, which annoyed him LOL)

[JoJosMom]

The bolded has not been my kids' experiences.  During most sessions, my kids would have a "whisper" conversation going on with one of the TA's during the class. 

 

A whisper is a private conversation between a student and an instructor.  You can tell that it is a private conversation because the font is in a different color.

 

 

:iagree:

 

We have been very impressed by the amount of individual support that is available.  But, OH, the pace.

[snowbeltmom]

:iagree:

 

We have been very impressed by the amount of individual support that is available.  But, OH, the pace.

 

Yeah, the pace is a killer.  

 

I wish they would offer the option of meeting once every two weeks and double the duration of weeks in a session.  The pace of the pre-algebra classes was perfect. 

 

[Halcyon]

Yeah, the pace is a killer.  

 

I wish they would offer the option of meeting once every two weeks and double the duration of weeks in a session.  The pace of the pre-algebra classes was perfect. 

 

 

 

Yep. This. My son absolutely would have taken Algebra 2 through them if the pace was slower. 

[Spy Car]

The bolded has not been my kids' experiences.  During most sessions, my kids would have a "whisper" conversation going on with one of the TA's during the class. 

 

A whisper is a private conversation between a student and an instructor.  You can tell that it is a private conversation because the font is in a different color.

 

 

The problem we had with a "whisper" conversation (which you're right, can happen) if that while they happen the chatline keeps flying by.

 

For my son (and me, to be frank) the format caused too much stress. Perhaps we are in the minority.

 

Bill

[daijobu]

I'm so glad you wrote this because all the AoPS indipendence talk had us feeling so deficient. It's not how it plays out here at all.

 

I never studied independently until college.  Even in my challenging high school math classes we used a similar approach of socratic introduction to new concepts followed by exercises as homework.  And a practice AHSME every month to keep us grounded, lol.  

 

So I don't expect my own middle school kids to study independently, though other students are certainly capable, and I admire them for it.  But now my older daughter is in 8th grade and just beginning the AoPS Intermediate Algebra book, which she does with much more independence from me than in the past, so it's all working out according to whenever they are developmentally ready.  Which is sad for me because I sure could use a review of imaginary and complex numbers.  

 

I also like the PP's idea of ignoring the teacher's manual, lol, and doing it your own way.  

[daijobu]

Yeah, the pace is a killer.  

 

I wish they would offer the option of meeting once every two weeks and double the duration of weeks in a session.  The pace of the pre-algebra classes was perfect. 

 

 

Don't feel too bad about the pace.  Many of the students taking the class are taking it for the 2nd time, after having taken a standard version of the course at their schools.

[Targhee]

Don't feel too bad about the pace. Many of the students taking the class are taking it for the 2nd time, after having taken a standard version of the course at their schools.

I had heard this suggested before. I don't know if it is necessarily the case or not, but even if it is there is still a lot of work to do at a fast pace.

 

My dd really likes her class. She talks about how their teacher has been doing all sorts of "guess how many___" or "guess how old___" kind of questions with the kids about himself, and giving them mathematical hints. She doesn't say much about other kids or spend much time chatting on the chat boards, but that's never been her personality to do so. She has been able to get the concepts and problem solve independently, prefers the class format to one of her other online classes, and even enjoys spending time learning more latex to make her written solutions look polished. Our struggle lies more in the area of time management and effective study skills. This is where I see my role in her online AOPS class. I am helping her break down her week and plan her study times and goals for each time.

 

Perhaps those math-y kids who do not like the AOPS format would like the self-paced EMF? I don't think it has any interactive component (teacher/tutor/peers) though.

[rdj2027]

My son took pre-algebra.  It is very fast paced; he always lost points on the writing (he got the math correct but his presentation was not the best) and we both loved the class.  The biggest draw back for us was that it is at 7:30 at night (if you are on the East Coast) and that it was 1hr 15 min long.  It was hard for him to focus that late at night on something that really needed focusing.  The late classes are overall my biggest complaint complaint. Generally speaking I wish there were shorter online classes because all my kiddos find it hard to focus for an hour (and actually so do I).

[Mozwo]

DS 10 ( Just turned 10) is finishing Pre Algebra 1 this week. We found the pace just right and he has been able to do well both in the class work and assignments almost independently. It might be because he was comfortable typing before the class having done some programming and other online courses before. The pace in the class comes down to being able to do the math fast and of course type it fast as well which is not easy at this age. We were not sure how he would do in the course before signing him but are glad that we signed up. He is very happy with course and attributes AOPS for helping him in math contests like Math league where he had the highest score in the school. 

 

In our experience, it gets harder after Pre-algebra as the pace of the courses after pre-algebra is faster. DS 12 just finished his fourth AOPS course with C&P  this week. We found that course challenging at times as some weeks had two chapters assigned as required reading. Hopefully that prepares us for Geometry which DS12 will be starting shortly as that is considered hardest of the Introductory classes.

[Targhee]

DS 10 ( Just turned 10) is finishing Pre Algebra 1 this week. We found the pace just right and he has been able to do well both in the class work and assignments almost independently. It might be because he was comfortable typing before the class having done some programming and other online courses before. The pace in the class comes down to being able to do the math fast and of course type it fast as well which is not easy at this age. We were not sure how he would do in the course before signing him but are glad that we signed up. He is very happy with course and attributes AOPS for helping him in math contests like Math league where he had the highest score in the school. 

 

In our experience, it gets harder after Pre-algebra as the pace of the courses after pre-algebra is faster. DS 12 just finished his fourth AOPS course with C&P  this week. We found that course challenging at times as some weeks had two chapters assigned as required reading. Hopefully that prepares us for Geometry which DS12 will be starting shortly as that is considered hardest of the Introductory classes.

Hijack - will your DS12 have taken Intro Alg B before Geometry?  Just curious - I kind of want dd to do Geometry in the fall, but they recommended Intro Alg B before that and I didn't know if that was a prerequisite or just a suggestion.  She's just finishing Intro Alg A, and I really didn't want to have her take any course through the month of July.  I wish they had some classes start in August.

[Mozwo]

Hijack - will your DS12 have taken Intro Alg B before Geometry?  Just curious - I kind of want dd to do Geometry in the fall, but they recommended Intro Alg B before that and I didn't know if that was a prerequisite or just a suggestion.  She's just finishing Intro Alg A, and I really didn't want to have her take any course through the month of July.  I wish they had some classes start in August.

 

Yes, he will be taking Geometry before Algebra B. AOPS does recommend Algebra B before Geometry but looking at the Geometry book, we felt that we should be fine as we can always refer to the Algebra book as required. In checking with others, we were told that there were only a few places in the course where Algebra B concepts would be required. Moreover DD 12 has taken AMC 8 advanced course with AOPS as well where they had problems from the last couple chapters of Algebra book ( covered in Algebra B course) and we did not have much difficult with those. 

[Targhee]

Well, what do you know? 

 

http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/school/course/stretch-algebra-a

 

22 week Intro Alg A

[Mozwo]

Well, what do you know? 

 

http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/school/course/stretch-algebra-a

 

22 week Intro Alg A

 

Thanks! That is great for DS 10 as he finishes Pre Algebra 2 beginning of October. It is a 2 hour class!! Hopefully he would have built the stamina to sit through a 2 hour class. 

[Arcadia]

After two weeks of geometry class, DS10 said he is bored so he signed up for the intermediate algebra class that has already started. He caught up with two weeks worth of homework in one day so all is good.

DS9 is doing the geometry class with the algebra B class and liking both so far. Text base was a non issue for them. Having no audio was great since they don't need to put on headsets and everything is in the text transcript. Both kids will print the transcripts to read through and see if they miss anything. They also like the class forums.

 

I sign them up for the June start date as the rest of their outside classes will start back up in mid September. So it is better for them to be used to the AoPS class workload first and work ahead while free.

 

Hopefully he would have built the stamina to sit through a 2 hour class.

His water bottle filled with orange juice and a small bowl of snacks next to his laptop helped my always hungry DS10 survive any long classes.

[texasmama]

Pardon the bump, but this seems like the thread for me.  :)

 

Ds12 has been working independently through Intro to Algebra and has bogged down in Ch. 8 with graphing.  He was very successful until that point.  We have tried several approaches to getting him unstuck, and this has not been successful.  No one here can teach algebra.  I would like to put him in one of the Intro to Algebra classes offered online in the spring, probably some time in March after basketball season finishes up.  

 

It would be fine for the first half to be review while he gets his feet under him with a new format.  He cannot start an online class prior to March because of his basketball schedule.  What should I have him doing in the meantime to retain skills and prepare for the online Intro to Algebra class? 

[Arcadia]

What should I have him doing in the meantime to retain skills and prepare for the online Intro to Algebra class?

Do the algebra topics in Alcumus. They assign Alcumus as part of the homework for the online class.

[JoJosMom]

Pardon the bump, but this seems like the thread for me.   :)

 

Ds12 has been working independently through Intro to Algebra and has bogged down in Ch. 8 with graphing.  He was very successful until that point.  We have tried several approaches to getting him unstuck, and this has not been successful.  No one here can teach algebra.  I would like to put him in one of the Intro to Algebra classes offered online in the spring, probably some time in March after basketball season finishes up.  

 

It would be fine for the first half to be review while he gets his feet under him with a new format.  He cannot start an online class prior to March because of his basketball schedule.  What should I have him doing in the meantime to retain skills and prepare for the online Intro to Algebra class? 

 

Alcumus, definitely.

 

ETA:  We did almost the same thing last year.  DD and I worked through the first 7 chapters in the fall semester, and then DD took the online Intro A class in the spring.  Having the first part to be review I think helped transition her to the speed of the online class-which took some serious adjustment.  She took a Math Counts class over the summer and is taking Intro to Counting and Probability now; she's become more comfortable with the pacing.  HTH.

Edited November 20, 2015 by JoJosMom

[texasmama]

Thanks!  I will have him do this.  Mostly, I don't want him in the habit of doing nothing and also, I don't want him rusty when he starts the class.  He is not a fan of this entire decision, but I pulled rank.