madteaparty Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Or is it early days? DS and I both think so and our "success rate" in alcumus confirms (though sample size is smaller).... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 The first 5 chapters of the AoPS intro to algebra book is review if I did not remember wrongly. Have fun with Alcumus. There is a games forum in AoPS community which includes talk about minecraft :lol: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 I swear I felt the same way. So crazy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 The first 5 chapters of the AoPS intro to algebra book is review if I did not remember wrongly. That totally explains it. I will update circa Chapter 9. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 For some kids it helps that they are older and maybe, just maybe, have learned to be patient with themselves... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 That totally explains it. I will update circa Chapter 9.Kids might find it easier because they are used to the style of the books and they could ask for hints for the book/class/Alcumus problems at the AoPS forums or just feel less alone "suffering". Like my DS9 would tell me about which homework questions more people are stuck at. It is like psychological warfare. After "conquering" the prealgebra book, the next book feels less daunting. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 It is like psychological warfare. After "conquering" the prealgebra book, the next book feels less daunting. That book conquered us rather. You're right, we've been beaten down ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spring Flower Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 I taught both Pre-Algebra and Algebra in PS. Algebra was always easier. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonwood Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 For DD, I think it is, but I attribute it to a bump in maturity. I remember the day it seemed to click. She's barely needed me all year and has self taught herself Saxon Alg 1. While in Pre-A, I posted my woes many times here. lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Algebra is far more focused, and that makes it easier to get your head around it. Pre-algebra is so broad that it can drive you crazy. Plus there are methods in algebra that simplify problems that are much more time consuming in pre-algebra, just like in calculus vs. pre-calculus. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Thank goodness :D Bill 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebunny Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Or is it early days? DS and I both think so and our "success rate" in alcumus confirms (though sample size is smaller).... Yes. IME, AOPS Pre-A is definitely trickier than AOPS Intro to alegbra. One, maybe the AOPS team wanted to make sure the foundations (Arithmetic properties, fractions, ratios, basic geometry et al) are strong before children venture into the unknown (literally) Two, I wonder if the higher (difficulty) level in Pre-A was deliberate- To get children used to struggling with really hard problems... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I am really happy to hear this... Dd just finished AoPS pre-A today. I'm not sure who is feeling more accomplished, her or me. ;) Whew!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I am really happy to hear this... Dd just finished AoPS pre-A today. I'm not sure who is feeling more accomplished, her or me. ;) Whew!! Congratulations to you both! Bill (121 pages down, 445 to go ;) ) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 My brain actually feels like it's been worked over the last few days. Like when you lift weights and you know you're getting stronger, but you hurt like hell :D My poor, poor kid. Bill ;) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Congratulations to you both! Bill (121 pages down, 445 to go ;) ) Thanks, and happy problem-solving to you! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Thanks, and happy problem-solving to you! :) Did you find yourself sometimes just staring into space afterwards? :D I mean really? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 My brain actually feels like it's been worked over the last few days. Like when you lift weights and you know you're getting stronger, but you hurt like hell :D My poor, poor kid. Bill ;) Oh, I know the feeling. Sometimes just reading the problem makes me feel that way! ;) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 My brain actually feels like it's been worked over the last few days. Like when you lift weights and you know you're getting stronger, but you hurt like hell :D My poor, poor kid. Bill ;) You know it's bad when you spend all night dreaming about it. Ugh.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Oh, I know the feeling. Sometimes just reading the problem makes me feel that way! ;) Truth be told I think my son is teaching me math really. Sometimes I say, "Oh that's great that you got that, now can you please explain it to me?" LOL 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 You know it's bad when you spend all night dreaming about it. Ugh.. Who can sleep? ;) Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Truth be told I think my son is teaching me math really. Sometimes I say, "Oh that's great that you got that, now can you please explain it to me?" LOL Yesterday, as we were both starting to fade a little, I started beating the drum hard. The the little man complained "all you have to do is read the questions, imagine how I feel?" So to get him back in the game I challenged him to some races to see who could work problems fastest. It worked out about 50/50. But I notice when I beat him it seemed I beat him by a slight amount. But when he beat me it seems like I'd barely put pencil to paper. Some pretty tough problems that I thought "no way" could be done that fast. Smoked me. Creating a monster. Bill 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 But when he beat me it seems like I'd barely put pencil to paper. Some pretty tough problems that I thought "no way" could be done that fast. Smoked me.:lol:Kids brains have less "junk" in them. It is a cleaner slate. Reminds me of Emmet's brain in the Lego Movie. My coffee maker was on double duty when my kids did their math or science. I am not counting how many cans of Starbucks double espresso I drank at the library marking/grading their work. I think I'll like the AoPS calculus book more than their precalc one after reading through library copies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 :lol: Kids brains have less "junk" in them. It is a cleaner slate. Reminds me of Emmet's brain in the Lego Movie. My coffee maker was on double duty when my kids did their math or science. I am not counting how many cans of Starbucks double espresso I drank at the library marking/grading their work. I think I'll like the AoPS calculus book more than their precalc one after reading through library copies. My kid is not at the level of yours but I know what you and Spycar mean, it's either he gets (a really hard problem that I have no clue how to attack) intuitively and his brain jumps 3 places ahead of mine, while I am saying "hold on, i need to work through this"...or...he does not get it at all and refuses to "engage" the problem in which case I see there is a role for me in this mess ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Who does Pre-A on Father's Day? ;) Bill P 146 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEC Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Who does Pre-A on Father's Day? ;) Bill P 146 we did in my house, as well. DD11 learned of the existence of math competitions 2 weeks ago, while reading the intro pages of AoPS PreAlg. She was floored. (It's a RACE....for Math? :001_tt1: ) I told her she couldn't take AMC8 in Nov because she's just starting preAlg and you have to know that...to which she replied 'how much to I have to do, each day, to be finished in time?'.....and that's how you end up doing PreA on Father's Day. p76, so far. We'll see. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Who does Pre-A on Father's Day? ;) Bill Both my boys were doing their AoPS classes homework after we went out and have a yummy Japanese lunch. I was looking for conveyor belt sushi but couldn't find any, maybe the next time we drive by LA's Little Tokyo. I told her she couldn't take AMC8 in Nov because she's just starting preAlg and you have to know that...to which she replied 'how much to I have to do, each day, to be finished in time?'.....and that's how you end up doing PreA on Father's Day. One of mine has been on Alcumus since 8am :lol: You can always tell your daughter that she has to be at it from sunrise to sunset :) Link to 2000-2011 AMC8 problems and solutions http://amc.byu.edu/AMC8exams/AMC%20Exams.html ETA; My other boy is having fun with the make electronics kit. He did clock in 4hrs of AoPS. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Both my boys were doing their AoPS classes homework after we went out and have a yummy Japanese lunch. I was looking for conveyor belt sushi but couldn't find any, maybe the next time we drive by LA's Little Tokyo. One of mine has been on Alcumus since 8am :lol: You can always tell your daughter that she has to be at it from sunrise to sunset :) Link to 2000-2011 AMC8 problems and solutions http://amc.byu.edu/AMC8exams/AMC%20Exams.html Started at 9am (slugs). Had a few short breaks. Boy just went next door to swim (hot day). We are "on track" at a very unreasonable ( ;)) pace to finish by Aug 17th at the moment. Sunrise, sunset. Bill (just this side of the breaking point) P 156 3:44 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEC Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 We are "on track" at a very unreasonable ( ;)) pace to finish by Aug 17th at the moment. Sunrise, sunset. P 156 3:44 PM yeash - that does seem kind of insane....very dedicated, but kind of insane. I set a pace for DD to finish the book, along w/ Alcumus for all the sections, by Oct 15th...giving her about a month for review and test prep. Four months is quick, but totally do-able. I can't imagine covering it all in 2. major props to the boy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 we did in my house, as well. DD11 learned of the existence of math competitions 2 weeks ago, while reading the intro pages of AoPS PreAlg. She was floored. (It's a RACE....for Math? :001_tt1: ) I told her she couldn't take AMC8 in Nov because she's just starting preAlg and you have to know that...to which she replied 'how much to I have to do, each day, to be finished in time?'.....and that's how you end up doing PreA on Father's Day. p76, so far. We'll see. My 10 y/o took the AMC8 last November ~ no prealgebra on board. My 11 y/o took it at the same time, about 5 chapters into the AoPS P/A book. They both scored respectively. My 11 y/o even got an award for being a high-scoring 6th grader. First time for both of them. Anyway, if she's up for the challenge & won't be daunted by problems she doesn't know how to do....she can take it!!! She might be totally proud of the problems she DOES know how to do!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 yeash - that does seem kind of insane....very dedicated, but kind of insane. I set a pace for DD to finish the book, along w/ Alcumus for all the sections, by Oct 15th...giving her about a month for review and test prep. Four months is quick, but totally do-able. I can't imagine covering it all in 2. major props to the boy. Whew! Done for today. 3 lessons. Yikes! Worst part about the 2 month schedule is the boy leaves for 2 weeks starting Wednesday. So we have 40 work days. Bill Pg 162 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEC Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 My 10 y/o took the AMC8 last November ~ no prealgebra on board. My 11 y/o took it at the same time, about 5 chapters into the AoPS P/A book. They both scored respectively. My 11 y/o even got an award for being a high-scoring 6th grader. First time for both of them. Anyway, if she's up for the challenge & won't be daunted by problems she doesn't know how to do....she can take it!!! She might be totally proud of the problems she DOES know how to do!! oh - I know she CAN take it, but I also know she's capable of learning the math and that competition motivates her. Telling her she had to finish PreA first was, in part, a calculated risk on my part to see if she'd take the bait and set an ambitious goal for herself. We'll see if she can keep it up - she's full of excitement and big plans, but sustained effort is not always her strong suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 Oh, I misunderstood. Enjoy your pre-algebra summer. My now 12 y/o just finished about a week ago & he's looking forward to a low-key-Alcumus-only summer :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leav97 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 So how is everyone pre-algebra summer going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 So how is everyone pre-algebra summer going? Our summer is over, the kid is back in school. We got about 80-85% through Pre-A at a break-neck pace. I pulled back a bit at the end when last-days-of-summer-fun opprotunities arose, and I didn't want the boy to "crack." Fortunately, he is very happy we put in the work. He just entered an accellerated math program in Middle School (6th Grade) that will essentially be his "Prealgebra year" (they cover CC 6/7 in one year, with Algebra next year). His math teacher seems to be excellent. He is happy to have hit the topics first (with greater depth) at home via AoPS first. He has 3 thick textbooks, ones I've barely had a chance to skim, that seems OK, but AoPS is something truly special. We all know that. My plan is to only sneak the home program into the gaps. Which with the expected homework load, probably means during breaks. I'd like to finish the last few topics in Pre-A, then hopefully start AoPS Algebra at Christmas. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I believe Pre Algebra iwas harder for DD than Algebra 1 will be. I am virtually certain that we could have gotten permission for DD to skip Pre Algebra, but we did not want to request that. It was not just a refresher course. There was new material. I think DD got an 86 on the Final examination (25% of the semester grade) and that brought her grade for the semester down to about a 95 as I recall. And, she spent 2 1/2 hours on that Final exam. (They permit up to 3 hours for the Final examinations) Pre Calculus may be similar that it covers a lot of material and I suspect after Pre Calc that Calculus may seem easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Deleted: Triple post. Our Internet connection went down as I was posting. Sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Deleted: Triple post. Our Internet connection went down as I was posting. Sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEC Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 DD11 is still chugging through - just finished Ch 8. She's about 4 days ahead of the schedule we setup at the start of summer. She's needed a bit of prodding and encouragement here and there but I told her I won't force her to do the work and she's stepped up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 DD said that there was a LOT of NEW material in the 8th grade Math course, which I consider to be Pre Algebra. The first semester, a lot of review, and the 2nd semester, a lot of new things to learn. I'm glad she took that before Algebra 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 So. I am thinking. Maybe we should do Pre-Algebra after Algebra. ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slackermom Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 My dd11 is headed back to try school again next week, and has also been placed in a grade 6 pre-algebra class, feeding into grade 7 algebra. We recenty finished up AOPS pre-algebra, going at half-speed. I feel really good about her foundation in AOPS, and dd is pleased with the placement plan. After immersing herself in AOPS math, I am not sure she could have stepped back to regular grade 6 math, but she seems content to spend a bit more time at the pre-a level. At parent night, about half the parents of the kids in her math class seemed distressed to find out about this accelerated placement, especially in terms of how to support with homework (there is no textbook!), but I am thinking I can always review the AOPS pre-algebra videos if we hit a road block. So, after 2.5 years of intense pre-a, I really HOPE Algebra goes smoothly when dd gets there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 ITA about the psychological aspect!! My son was interested but concerned and maybe a tad worried about AOPS.pre Alg...algebra came in the mail yesterday and he is so excited and even feeling calm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest qwertyuiopjones Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Pre-algebra is definitely harder than algebra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 I keep coming back to this. Deeper we get in, more I think Algebra book is harder. So many AMC12 problems. Prealgebra had MOEMS and AMC8 problems, a piece of cake compared to what we are seeing in the challenges section. We went from DS being able to solve the vast majority of challenges on his own to being really challenged (in the Challenges sections). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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