pre-algebra and Khan Academy

[Aura]

For my 7th grader this year, his schooling is almost exclusively through our co-op. (I LOVE my co-op!) However, the pre-algebra class that I signed him up for might not make. I may have to teach him myself (not a good option with everything else I've got going on) or there's a slight possibility that dh could teach him. But I'm wondering if he completed Khan Academy pre-algebra, would he be prepared to go into a more traditional Algebra 1 curriculum next year? I really like Khan Academy, it is the only video-based material that I've good results with... but I've only used it as supplemental, not primary. Anyone used Khan Academy as their primary math curriculum? Yay or nay?

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I think KA removed thier Pre-Algebra mission this year.  I think you have to take 7th grade math, and parts of 8th grade math, to get all of what would be considered Pre-Alg.  

 

I just had a thread on this over at K-8 and the consensus is pretty much, that everyone is afraid to use it full-time because they/we are really concerned that there is a lack of practice.  

 

I talked about the Los Altos school district (one of hte best school districts and most affluent neighborhoods in the entire country)...they have been using it exclusively for 3 grades for four years now, after a pilot year, and the results have been nothing but excellent...only huge improvements.

 

But my WTM peeps pointed out that with the Los Altos demographic you can assume that tons of afterschooling is going on, and so therefore that is not a good test-case.  They point out that the children would do well no matter what, because the parents literally force the children to do extra schoolwork (particularly in math and music) from dawn till bedtime. 

 

So...in the end...you may just be one of the few here at the hive to try it full-time for an entire year.  

 

I do have one IRL friend that used it full-time for two entire school years and her son did great at first and then got totally lost somewhere in Algebra.  I was not surprised...KA doesn't have enough practice, and seems to allow the kids to move along too quickly.  Things don't sink in, and then they get lost.  This could also be why Los Altos is only using it for the middle grades.