I just checked the courses for the Indian and Chinese students in 2MM. It only lists Math every year.

My FIL took Alg1 in 6th grade back in England and he thinks he went up to Differential Equations in high school. DE wasn't even offered in my high school. That wasn't available until college. I should also add that my friend's area is a university town I do believe so lots of engineers, scientists, PH.D.s.....a very different demographic than a more mixed, poor urban center. Anyhow, my main thoughts were that I hear HSers looking for a gap year in math b/c DC isn't mature enough for Alg1 in 7th/8th grade. My friend stated in her blog entry that in Finland, there is an extra teacher in the classroom to help the students who are struggling w/ Alg1. I just wonder if they students wouldn't be struggling as much if they had another year or two in problem solving. It seems that there isn't much new material in grades 6,7,8 so if the elementary foundation is solid, there is no reason students couldn't move into a rigorous alg1 program in 7th/8th grade? That it really has nothing to do w/ maturity but rather the math foundation?

Are all students expected to take Calc AB etc? I'm not talking about kids who are science/math bound. I'm talking about your avg-below avg urban kid in a poor environment. Do ALL kids in other countries take alg1 in 8th grade and go on through Calculus in high school?

:iagree: I didn't mean to imply a correlation between age and later performance in alg1, just that our math instruction is so weak at the elementary level compared to other countries, that I don't know that it's w/in most kids grasp to take Alg1 in 8th grade. I know in my district, the middle school spends the time repairing the damage of Everyday Math at the elementary level. And if all kids are taking alg1 in 7th/8th, what does that leave them taking in high school? Geometry/trig, algII (unless algII is in 8th), pre-calc, calculus, business math? I've not fully thought about high school math so everyone please correct if I'm wrong. But kids that I know of around here, I just don't see them excelling in that math sequence. I'm not wedded to my ideas, just looking for information. At the RS website, Dr. Cotter says that if a child does Rightstart B-E, he is ready for alg1 mid-way through grade 5 w/ Videotext Alg1. I think the beginning chapters are pre-alg1 concepts however so I'm not sure if it's the same as going to Foerster's, etc. It just seems to me that they are trying to fix the math issue from the top down when it would be better to start from the bottom up....w/ the Kers. Oh, I just remembered. On the 2Million Minutes DVDs, there are pdfs with the full course of study of each of the 6 students profiled. I'll take a look at that.

I think the norm now is alg1 in 7th for the accelerated track and alg1 in 8th for all others. I know my cousin had it in 8th grade down south. My Aunt is teaching at a Community College. She is teaching remedial math to kids who supposedly passed Alg1 at their high schools. These kids can't add or subtract fractions, division is problematic, and pre-alg skills are weak to nonexistent.

I had a conversation with a friend earlier. She is far alg1 for all in 8th grade. Her thoughts are that since other countries teach alg1 successfully in 8th grade, the US can as well. Does anyone have a handy link of when Alg1 is first taught in other countries or know when it is taught in their home country or places they have lived? The major issue in this country is the poor elementary school math instruction that many students receive. However, even in the homeschool community, I thought that folks feel there is a level of maturity required for alg1, that even many kids that have had individual instruction are not ready for alg1 in 8th grade due to maturity issues. Capt Uhura

No accidents. I was thrown off a bridge once. I survived it. And b/c I survived it, I was stupid enough to do it several more times. ONly after a drought, did we see all the hazards down below that could have easily broken a neck or legs. I would get on my bike in the AM and be gone until dusk - swimming holes, friend's homes, ice cream stand....and there were no cell phones so no way to notify my mom where I was.

:grouphug: I too know your pain. My Aunt (she's only 4yrs older) and I were pregnant at the same time and due only a month apart. It's been 12 years but whenever she calls and talks about her DD, I wonder what my Matthew would have been doing. It's amazing how much these little ones touch our lives before they are even born.

I thought of it b/c I think there was just an article in Science or NYT about genetics and dog breeding. I'll see if I can locate a link for you. Ask and you shall receive...... http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/science/26obdogs.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

We are listening to A Short History of Nearly Everything as a family. My boys are 10 and 7. The 10yr old definitely gets more of the science than the 7yr old but the 7yr old is definitely very engaged with it. There are a few "colorful" references in it which I think went over my boys head. One was one of the scientist after meeting up w/ 2 under 18yr old girls from a local village, could not be coaxed to finish the expedition but ran off w/ the girls. Another was the rather prominent affairs of some chemist which prevented her?? from being accepted into the Chemical Society Hall of Fame (not the real name but I can't recall the actual name).

Genetics of dog breeding?

bump

For clarification, I meant that I have issues w/ passive voice in my own writing not that I have issues w/ it in other's writing. But now that I'm trying to write along w/ my DS10, I'm starting to notice it more. Isn't writing tough? And it's soooo much easier to critique someone else's DC's writing! :001_smile:

How about a social group? Each person w/ something to sell, start a thread with a list and prices. Then if folks want to buy it, they reply. That way it will be easier to keep track of. I think we had started a social group for discussion, let me see and I'll post back w/ the title of the social group. Here's the title of the social group: RFWP Valley Forge Conference Capt Uhura

Also, the very first sentence is in passive voice. I always have issues with that. IT would be stronger if she wrote, "Velasquez painted "Joseph's Tunic" in 1630. Or "Velasquez, a famous painter of religious pieces, painted "Joseph's Tunic" in 1630. (then tell more about Velasquez). I don't know if this point was clear so I'll type it out below: His brothers, in a jealous rage, sold him as a slave to a passing Egyptian caravan. Taking the coat for their own, the brothers coated it with the blood of a wild animal and presented it to their father. That would make a nice opening participial phrase. Can you tell we've been doing Killgallon? :lol: I like how she used "in a jealous rage" as a subject-verb split.

I'm doing my best, 8filltheheart, doing my best!!! I may have to make a spreadsheet. :lol: DS did RS and did well with it and made the leaps and filled in the details all on his own. I will look at the AoPS pre-alg1 text coming out the end of summer and see if we will do that after MM6A/6B or instead of....depending on the overlap. Thanks for all your info! Is the baby down off the coffee table? :lol: capt uhura

Hello Hive, I figure I would never find the thread regarding the curriculum swap/sale at the RFWP mini-conference in Valley Forge, PA. Was there any details worked out? Will it just be informal? Capt Uhura

Where is your DS getting the real life application from now? So, let's see if I have this straight. Your oldest, who is now graduating from college w/ a degree in chemical engineering, did Foerster's and had no issues. Your next son, did Foerster's Alg1-2, but then did AoPS Alg3 (Isn't that intermediate AoPS?), Intro to counting and Probability, pre-Cal. He has a much deeper understanding of math theory from switching over to AoPS but also has the real-world application since he did Foerster's Alg1-2. Your DD will do AoPS alg1 but you think she might need more details. You wouldn't repeat AoPS after having done Foerster's. How about supplementing AoPS w/ real-world problems from Foerster's? I think my DS is a give me the big picture and let me figure out the details.

8FilltheHeart - THANK YOu! THat absolutely clarifies things for me. I've seen folks do Foerster's first then do AoPS, especially for kids on the younger side. Is this something you'd recommend or would you choose one over the other depending on the kid's personality/learning style/love of math?

Karis, That is a great idea! Thanks!

I'm not an expert at this but I'll give my 2cents if you want it. :001_smile: I enjoyed reading her narration. She had sentence variety. I'm not sure if there is a standard form for narrations of paintings.

Has anyone taken a class through http://www.latinandclassics online class? http://www.latinandclassics.com/OnlineClasses.html Thanks, Capt Uhura

I think it depends on how you outline and my friend agrees. If you take the theme of the page as your Roman Numeral and then each paragraph topic as the A,B,C etc, and then the details in that paragraph as your numbers 1,2,3 then I think you can do a 3-level outline. But if you try to have each paragraph topic being a Roman numeral, and then A,B,C being details, for many of the paragraphs I don't think there is enough there to have 1,2,3. Hopefully, someone else will chime in here. We have not extensively outlined K12HO, we're just starting. Probably something like World in Ancient TImes would work better for a 3-level outline where the topic is your Roman Numeral, and your A,B,C are the details and then 1,2,3 are the micro-details.

It went fine. We are only doing 1 level and 2 level outlines.

Yes you can choose your own submission dates. I just use the ones the district uses to make life simple.