teachingmomster Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 My son has been placed in HS Algebra I as a 7th grader due to his test scores and grades. While he loves math, jumping from 6th grade regular math (they didn't have differentiated courses in elementary school) to a high school course has been tough. So many things were skipped! We are helping him each night and it is getting better, but we are wondering if there are any supplemental programs out there that might be helpful to fill the gaps. Thanks for any suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 You might look for a prealgebra text and run through the review exercises at the end of each chapter. Another great resource is AoPS, which has free online videos for prealgebra and algebra. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 For free supplemental program, try Khan Academy. My local school is using that for the 6th graders and they take Algebra 1 in 7th. For workbook supplement, try the Key to series https://www.mheonline.com/program/view/1/16/2646/0WORKBOOKS/2654/KEYTOALGEB/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 A topically oriented arithmetic/pre-algebra text would let you pull up the precise topic needed when you need it. Any edition of any book with the title "Basic College Mathematics" (Lial, Larson, Martin-Gay, Bittinger, etc. -- just choose the cheapest) would do. Young students can find these visually overwhelming so it will probably work better for you to pull problems out for him. You can find these for pennies on amazon. For the "why do we need this" you may consider some supplements aimed at middle school students such as Keller's Advanced Math for Young People or Zaccaro's Real World Algebra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I always recommend Harold Jacobs' Elementary Algebra, but it is hard to find and pricey now. Still a library may have it. https://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=010026&subject=Mathematics/10&category=Elementary+Algebra+%28Jacobs%29/2235 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I always recommend Harold Jacobs' Elementary Algebra, but it is hard to find and pricey now. Still a library may have it. https://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=010026&subject=Mathematics/10&category=Elementary+Algebra+%28Jacobs%29/2235 This is a good choice for a young student who may have some PreA holes, as the first ~5-ish chapters review key "PreA" concepts they will need to be solid on to succeed with Algebra. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathwonk Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 still kicking myself for giving away my copies of jacobs' books when i moved, but a lot of things just had to go. somewhat foolishly i kept mostly the advanced books (for my own learning), whereas now it is the elementary ones i need for teaching. moving is traumatic. I was thinking of posting something like this too: "maybe this seems nuts, and probably is nuts, but the algebra book Elements of Algebra, by the great mathematician Euler actually covers more bases than almost any book you can find and does so in a supremely masterful way. The obstacle is that he uses advanced language, i.e. "big words" like enumeration, diminution,....,as opposed to "counting, getting smaller",..., but he explains absolutely everything, from the meaning of mathematics to addition and subtraction and logarithms and fractions, etc etc...." But when I looked at it, I did find a couple small mistakes (claiming that sqrt(a).sqrt(b) = sqrt(ab), in all cases, when this fails for complex numbers, i.e. there is no getting around the fact that sqrts have two possibilities and there is no consistent way to choose just one and still make that formula true) and so I thought you would have to hand - hold a lot through this book to explain the meaning of the words. But if you want to do that, it would be a fantastic experience. He wrote it for his butler it seems, who knew no mathematics. But Jacobs needs very little supplementation and your "plate" is probably quite full as it is. And Jacobs is not so much work as fun. It is apparently proven scientifically that the "sesame street" approach, of making it all fun, actually increases learning. Although not exactly fun, Euler is at least charming, with problems about milk maids selling cheeses and so on, at least for us second generation farm children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VANURSEPRAC Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 A topically oriented arithmetic/pre-algebra text would let you pull up the precise topic needed when you need it. Any edition of any book with the title "Basic College Mathematics" (Lial, Larson, Martin-Gay, Bittinger, etc. -- just choose the cheapest) would do. Young students can find these visually overwhelming so it will probably work better for you to pull problems out for him. You can find these for pennies on amazon. For the "why do we need this" you may consider some supplements aimed at middle school students such as Keller's Advanced Math for Young People or Zaccaro's Real World Algebra. My 7th grader in Pre AP Algebra I in public school just finished Keller's Advanced Math for Young students and found it to be very helpful!!!! I highly recommend it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkT Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Plan on doing after-schooling to fill in Prealgebra gaps. My son went through the almost the exact same thing. Nowadays in the age of Common Core Algebra 1 this is a much harder proposition. Are you in a Common Core state? What text book are they using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dauphin Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Can you elaborate on how Common Core makes this harder, please? I have learned some about the early elementary issues but not upper math level... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkT Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Can you elaborate on how Common Core makes this harder, please? I have learned some about the early elementary issues but not upper math level... Common Core moved some traditional Algebra 1 topics to the Prealgebra class ( called 8th Grade math) so more knowledge is expected on the first day of Common Core Algebra 1. It is harder to skip Math grade levels. Google "Eureka Math" or "EngageNY Math" to see a true Common Core Math implementation. Look at the Common Core New York State Regents Algebra 1 exams. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 How about the Jousting Armadillos books? I have not used them, but I've read that they are similar to Jacobs (which might be fun for him if you're using this as a supplement). The first part of Jacobs (like the first five chapters) is a good foundation in what is typically the algebra part of prealgebra, and Jousting Armadillos might have a similar approach. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Common Core moved some traditional Algebra 1 topics to the Prealgebra class ( called 8th Grade math) so more knowledge is expected on the first day of Common Core Algebra 1. It is harder to skip Math grade levels. Google "Eureka Math" or "EngageNY Math" to see a true Common Core Math implementation. Look at the Common Core New York State Regents Algebra 1 exams. This is definitely true. The Florida Virtual School Algebra 1 class starts WAY ahead- like halfway through the Dolciani book. It's also one of the most failed classes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dauphin Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Common Core moved some traditional Algebra 1 topics to the Prealgebra class ( called 8th Grade math) so more knowledge is expected on the first day of Common Core Algebra 1. It is harder to skip Math grade levels. Google "Eureka Math" or "EngageNY Math" to see a true Common Core Math implementation. Look at the Common Core New York State Regents Algebra 1 exams. It sure sounds like it! If you have an AL, at what point can/do you accelerate? Like, does it have to happen by 1st-2nd grade or not at all? Also makes it harder to move in and out of the school systems, I would imagine. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkT Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 It sure sounds like it! If you have an AL, at what point can/do you accelerate? Like, does it have to happen by 1st-2nd grade or not at all? Also makes it harder to move in and out of the school systems, I would imagine. Sigh. If you are home-schooling then just start PreAlgebra in 6th grade or 7th grade. If you are in public school then math acceleration should start by 6th or 7th grade to take Common Core Algebra 1 in 8th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slackermom Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 At my daughter's public middle school, the top math students skip sixth grade math, taking an accelerated combined seventh/eighth grade pre-algebra in sixth, geometry in seventh, and then algebra in eighth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slackermom Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I was wrong. Dd says she'll do algebra in grade 7, then geometry in grade 8. Anyway, I like that they do the intensive pre-algebra in grade 6, to get this group of advanced learners in a good place to move forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.