MUS or Chalkdust pre-algebra

[bethben]

My ds will be finishing singapore 6a and is on the younger side (10 years old). Just wondering what would be a good pre-algebra for a younger student in higher math? I already plan on 2 years of algebra (using chalkdust? and Aops) to slow him down a bit if that makes a difference.

 

Beth

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

My ds will be finishing singapore 6a and is on the younger side (10 years old). Just wondering what would be a good pre-algebra for a younger student in higher math? I already plan on 2 years of algebra (using chalkdust? and Aops) to slow him down a bit if that makes a difference.

 

Beth

What I would use for Pre-Algebra would depend on what I was going to use for Algebra 1. For Algebra, I would be inclined to do MUS one year and then a more rigorous program like ChalkDust or AoPS the next. Which program I chose to follow would depend on the child's learning style. Since AoPS is so different I'd get one of their other books like Intro to Counting & Probability or Into to Number Theory (each is a semester) to see if the style was a match before using their Intro to Algebra. Also keep in mind that their Intro to Algebra covers more than Algebra 1 (they use the text for both their Algebra 1 & Algebra 2 courses).

[bethben]

He likes word problems. Those are his favorites in Singapore...go figure...I'm not sure what I'm using for Algebra. I'm good in math, but will have two others to teach (which wants me like DVD programs). I'm concerned that long lessons will discourage him (right now, he spends 20-30 minutes doing math - 3 lessons in Singapore a day with no problems). I need to ease him into upper level math time frames slowly.

 

Beth

Edited November 13, 2010 by bethben
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[melmichigan]

I have MUS prealgebra on my self, the DVD still in plastic. My DD begged not to use it after doing a review with Epsilon over the summer. We are doing "Chalkdust" Prealgebra 5th edition that I bought through the publisher with the DVD's. My DD only does one objective a day. So instead of watching the DVD for all of 3.1 as the CD site would suggest, she watches the DVD for 3.1 Objective A, then does all the odd problems for that objective, usually about 30-35 problems. This breaks it up more for a younger student and allows her more coverage of the material. It is a challenging program but I also like the online student materials that accompany this text, the ACE the test questions have been a big help with order of operations. We had some trouble with the end of Chapter 2 and the online activites were a big help. Just an FYI, you can buy the DVD's from the publisher, or you can now access them as part of the ebook access. Good luck finding what works for your child.:)

 

(I am actually throwing around the idea of using the Aufmann text over the Larson text now that Dana Mosley also makes a DVD for their Algebra text as well. I like the way their textbooks are set up.)

[bethben]

anybody else?

[8filltheheart]

My ds will be finishing singapore 6a and is on the younger side (10 years old). Just wondering what would be a good pre-algebra for a younger student in higher math? I already plan on 2 years of algebra (using chalkdust? and Aops) to slow him down a bit if that makes a difference.

 

Beth

 

I would not put a child finishing SM into MUS pre-alg. I would suspect that they would be ready for MUS alg. I am on my 5th child using MUS alg as a pre-alg program after finishing Horizons 6 and prior to using Foerster's for alg.

 

I don't know anything about CD pre-alg, so I can't help you there. However, MUS is an excellent transition book for younger kids which is why I use it. My 14 yos used it when he was in 9 or 10 (he was in 5th grade, whatever age that was.)

[hose]

Personally, I would not put a 10 year old in Chalkdust Prealgebra. It was written for college students; it has small print, little white space, and tons of problems per lesson (sometimes close to 100 if I remember correctly). I've not seen MUS so I can't comment on that, but I personally like the looks of BJU and Rod and Staff.

 

Hope that helps.

[Corraleno]

I would not put a child finishing SM into MUS pre-alg. I would suspect that they would be ready for MUS alg.

:iagree:

IMHO, MUS Prealgebra is really only useful for students who have done the previous MUS levels. It's kind of a grab-bag of topics that don't get covered in the one-topic-per-year Alpha to Epsilon sequence. For example, out of 30 lessons, 2 entire lessons are devoted to converting from celsius to fahrenheit! I bought MUS Prealgebra while waiting for Math Mammoth to release 6b, and I ended up exchanging it for MUS Algebra because DS had already covered virtually all the material in MUS Prelagebra by MM6a.

 

I plan to follow 8FilltheHeart's suggestion of using MUS Algebra as a prealgebra bridge to Foerster's; I don't think a child would have any trouble at all going from Singapore 6b to MUS Algebra.

 

Jackie