Perry Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 My kids are going back to ps this fall. My rising 7th grader did pretty well with Foerster's Algebra 1 last year. We did a little review last week, and her work was very inconsistent. Some of it she sailed through, and other problems she had no idea how to do. With a little review it came back to her and she could do the problems easily. I'm not 100% convinced she understands it as well as she should. The school gave her a placement test and she did well. They gave us the choice of whether to take Algebra again or go on to Geometry. I'm conflicted. She wants to take Geometry. I think she'll be okay with it, but I don't know if she'll be ready for Algebra 2 next year. That seems like a big jump. OTOH, I don't want her to repeat Algebra 1 if she's going to be thoroughly bored. Anyone BTDT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Could you do a bit of review of algebra 1 throughout the year (concentrating on the parts that were shaky) at home and have her take geometry at school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 Could you do a bit of review of algebra 1 throughout the year (concentrating on the parts that were shaky) at home and have her take geometry at school? Yes, I was planning to have her continue with ALEKS during the year. My biggest worries are that she won't be ready to handle proofs, and she won't be ready for Algebra 2 next year. I was thinking that Algebra 2 was quite a bit more abstract and difficult than Algebra 1, but it's been so long since I took those classes I could be way off. Maybe that's what I'm asking, now that I think about it more. Are Geometry and Algebra 2 substantially harder than Algebra 1, or would a child with a strong Algebra 1 background be expected to continue to do well regardless of their age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 My son started geometry last year at age 12.5 (in the middle of 7th grade). He has some learning disabilities which may have exacerbated his issues, but it was a very rocky start with geometry (and he had just finished Jacobs Algebra with a 98% average). We went from Jacobs Geometry 3rd edition to Jacobs 2nd edition to taking a break for a few months with Jacobs MHE and then starting up with TT Geometry in April. He is doing fine with TT now, though there was a rocky start with that too. He seems to have recently gotten the hang of proofs and the algebra on shapes (is there a name for that?). I think there was a steep learning curve that he is on top of now. So, it's possible that your daughter might have a similar experience, with things finally coming together after a few months. Of course, my son's problem could very well be his teacher (ahem...) and a better teacher would have made the transition easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexfam Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I would go ahead and let her do Geometry. Then doing the Summer you can review Alg. 1 b4 she take alg. 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Geometry proofs are all about logic--how do you know what you know? If she is could at showing her work step by step in Algebra, and also at logic puzzles, she will probably sail right through geometry. When I went to high school, the sequence was: 9th--Algebra 1 10--first semester of Algebra 2, and then the 1st semester of Geometry 1 11--2nd semester of Geometry 1, and then second semester of Algebra 2 12--Analytical geometry for one semester, and then pre-calculus for one semester My recollection is that there was a lot of repetition of Algebra 1 material in the first semester of Algebra 2. A little review over the summer after finishing geometry 1 would probably get her right up to speed for algebra 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenS Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Geometry and Algebra aren't all that closely related .. some schools do Alg 1, then Geo, then Alg 2, and others do the Alg 1 & 2 together and then Geo. FWIW, I took Alg 1 early, and struggled with one chapter (don't even recall what it was now). It did not impact the rest of my math career in the slightest. Geometry proofs about did me in (but then I was that way in college physics too ... I was always "This is the answer, I don't know why, but it is" ... drove the teacher nuts once he realized I really was getting an answer and not cheating. LOL.) Trig was MUCH easier than Geometry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 Trig was MUCH easier than Geometry. For me, too. My husband thinks geometry is easier. But, he can think in 3D, I can't. The only comp-sci thing I'm good at is databases, that is the only area of comp sci that was hard for him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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