Can we do Teaching Textbooks 7 and Pre-algebra at the same time?

[Misty]

My daughter told me today she wants to do both grade 7 and pre-algebra this year so she can get ahead and take her SAT sooner. Is this possible or do the concepts in 7 build up to pre-algebra?

 

She is not a math whiz.. She only works at grade level in math right now. She does have a gifted IQ though and works many years ahead in other areas. So it wouldn't be a problem at all to drop some of the courses she is ahead in to make room for more math. At least for a while.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Misty

[kiana]

Don't do them at the same time.

 

If she wants to complete them in the same year, have her do one, then the other. Figure out how fast she needs to move to get through both, and let her give it a shot. If she starts to flounder, have her slow down.

[mereminerals]

Have you looked at the material in both levels? I was trying to decide which one to use for my ds this year. The customer service rep at TT said that it wasn't necessary to do both as both TT 7 and Pre-Algebra covered mostly the same topics.

[alisonslp]

We don't use TT but going by most other programs, there will be repetition between the two texts. I would take a closer look at the skills learned in each and see if you can compact or even skip some lessons if she has clear understanding of the concepts.

 

alison

[katilac]

The only reason to do pre-algebra is if the student is not ready for algebra; it is more of a review and 'placeholder' than anything else. Oh, sure, they slowly introduce some algebraic topics, but all of this is included in algrebra itself.

 

So, no need for the 2 programs. If she completes grade 7 successfully, she will either be ready for algebra next year or not (ready meaning having the attention span and developmental skills for more abstract concepts).

[Misty]

Thanks, this was all very helpful.. I think I'm going to have her zip through grade 7, and then spend a couple of months in pre-algebra before moving her on to algebra.. After thinking about it more (and talking with dh who has a big math brain), I think she needs to move into algebra slowly.. We'll play it by ear after doing grade 7.

 

Thanks again for the input!

[Guest Crttrlvr]

Hi,

 

I just started using TT with my daughter this year. I had her complete the placement test on the TT website and she easily tested into TT7. I didn't have her take the pre-algebra test because I knew she hadn't been exposed to a few of the concepts on the test. After extensive searching online, I learned that pre-algebra is, for the most part, a review of level 7 with some additional content. So, based on her score on the level 7 placement test and my knowledge of her abilities, I decided to go ahead and have her start pre-algebra. I don't regret my decision at all and even wonder if I should have just had her go into algebra because so far pre-algebra is very basic although there are some great "tricks" included in the curriculum I'm glad she's been taught. We're only on Chapter 3 so the level of difficulty may increase, but I've looked ahead and it doesn't look overly challenging to me.

 

I would suggest giving her the placement test and use that to determine the appropriate level for your daughter.

 

Jill