Math Scheduling Question

[MamaAkins]

We have used MUS since 3rd grade. My daughter is not super mathematically-inclined, but does well with MUS. She maintains a high A average and will finish Algebra I this spring (8th grade). I am not interested in switching curriculum, but am trying to plan out her high school math courses.

 

Over the course of the next 4 years, we plan to cover Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus. We also want to have our dd work through the MUS Stewardship level (kind of like Consumer Math).

 

Which course of action would you recommend? (Poll will be up in a minute).

 

edited to add that our state requires Alg. 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, plus one additional math credit. I just don't think that "Stewardship" is advanced enough to be counted for that 4th credit for college application purposes.

Edited January 25, 2011 by MamaAkins

[regentrude]

would you please explain what "stewardship" is and why you consider it necessary?

thanks

[MamaAkins]

would you please explain what "stewardship" is and why you consider it necessary?

thanks

 

I would liken it to "Consumer Math" and feel that it covers many necessary skills that children are not being taught today. I don't think it's a "rigorous" course, but covers things that we want our children to have covered before living on their own. Since it isn't a rigorous math, I was leaning toward doing it simultaneously while covering a "regular" math course....but then I wasn't sure if that would be "over-kill."

 

The scope includes:

Personal Finance

Lesson 1 Earning Money

Lesson 2 Percent

Lesson 3 Taxes

Lesson 4 Banking

Lesson 5 Checking

Lesson 6 Interest

Lesson 7 Investing

Lesson 8 Budgeting

Lesson 9 Percents at the Store

Lesson 10 Credit Cards

Lesson 11 Comparison Shopping

Lesson 12 Phone Plans

LessoN 13 Best Value

Automotive

Lesson 14 Automobile — Purchase

Lesson 15 Automobile—Operate

Lesson 16 Mechanical

Lesson 17 Insurance

Buying AND Maintaining a Home

Lesson 18 Real Estate

Lesson 19 Contracting and Painting

Lesson 20 Rent, Fabric, and Carpet

Lesson 21 Concrete and Stone

Lesson 22 Plumbing and Electrical

Lesson 23 Humble Pie and Lumber

Lesson 24 Haggling and Insulation

Miscellaneous

Lesson 25 On the Road

Lesson 26 Keeping Score

Lesson 27 Printing

Lesson 28 GPA and Wind Chill

Lesson 29 Air, Train, Bus, or Car

Lesson 30 USPS or UPS

[regentrude]

I voted "other".

I do not think this consumer math is a rigorous math course, and I do not consider it wise to have a year without a rigorous math because that will make resuming math very difficult.

 

I agree that the skills you listed are useful to have and I plan to cover this with my children - but on an ongoing basis, throughout the high school years, through involving my children in our finance management and not by using a textbook.

(Most of the math behind it is simply algebra 1 - if they really understood percentages and interest, they have learned the basics there and then. I do not plan to teach my kids anything specifically about buying a house- seeing that this will be 10+ years into the future it strikes me as rather theoretical.)

 

So, I would cover this material alongside the regular math courses, making sure that there are no math-free gaps. Particularly not the no-math-during-senior-year option - that would be deadly for any college class that involves math, even if it is only algebra.

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

Stewardship is very easy in my opinion. Our state requires half credit for personal finance and the stewardship will fit the bill for us.

 

Stewarship has 4 worksheets plus a test. Each worksheet takes about 10 minutes. My 10th grader has started the Stewarship book and is doing it along with MUS geometry.

 

You could begin the Stewardship book at any time, do one sheet per day, and do it alongside other school work. That would give you a 12th grade year for a higher math or dual enrollment or math review or another elective.

 

I plan on giving him a half credit for personal finance and a half credit for Biblical Studies.

[MamaAkins]

Stewardship is very easy in my opinion. Our state requires half credit for personal finance and the stewardship will fit the bill for us.

 

Stewarship has 4 worksheets plus a test. Each worksheet takes about 10 minutes. My 10th grader has started the Stewarship book and is doing it along with MUS geometry.

 

You could begin the Stewardship book at any time, do one sheet per day, and do it alongside other school work. That would give you a 12th grade year for a higher math or dual enrollment or math review or another elective.

 

I plan on giving him a half credit for personal finance and a half credit for Biblical Studies.

 

I like that idea, Pam! I think we will just start it and do it a little bit at a time throughout her high school years to make sure we cover all the topics. If I award a 1/2 credit for it, it can just count as an elective.

 

Now my dilemma is: if we do Geometry in 9th, Algebra 2 in 10th, Precalculus in 11th....what would you do for 12th? I have no intention of covering Calculus with this particular child. I just see no need for it since she does not plan to enter a science or math field. But, I know she needs math all 4 years and don't want her to have a gap during her senior year.

[AngelBee]

Review Alg and Stewardship in 9th

Geometry 10

Alg II 11th

PreCalc 12th

[MamaAkins]

Review Alg and Stewardship in 9th

Geometry 10

Alg II 11th

PreCalc 12th

 

AngelBee, this is what I feel would be the best bet for her (and me!). We could work our way through LoF Beginning Algebra and do stewardship alongside it. Even though she covered MUS Algebra I in 8th grade, I was not planning on carrying over courses from middle school onto her high school transcript. So, if we cover all of LoF Beginning Algebra in 9th, would you award a full credit or a 1/2 credit?

[regentrude]

Now my dilemma is: if we do Geometry in 9th, Algebra 2 in 10th, Precalculus in 11th....what would you do for 12th? I have no intention of covering Calculus with this particular child. I just see no need for it since she does not plan to enter a science or math field. But, I know she needs math all 4 years and don't want her to have a gap during her senior year.

 

One possibility is statistics which seems to be a popular choice for many students who don't want to go into a math heavy field.

Then of course you can do Algebra 3 and trigonometry (is that included in your precalc, or in your alg 2?), or do discrete math, or "Special topics in geometry". Math does not really come in little packages that are neatly labeled "algebra2" and "precalculus". There is a lot of math that is not traditionally wrapped up into these units.

[Mom22ns]

Does she need to review Algebra I? If so, I would do the review + Stewardship next year, then Geo, Alg II, Pre-Calc. If she is solid on her Algebra I (you said he had an A), then I would move onto Geometry and I would add Stewardship on top of whichever year you want her to do it. That's what we plan to do although, I haven't decided if we'll use Stewardship or Dave Ramsey course yet.

 

Either way if you are sticking with MUS I would do Geometry before Algebra II. The reviews in Algebra II will assume you have had Geo. and the reviews in Geometry will be Algebra I. You can go against that, but I think it would weaken the program and make it harder for your dd.

[MamaAkins]

Does she need to review Algebra I? If so, I would do the review + Stewardship next year, then Geo, Alg II, Pre-Calc. If she is solid on her Algebra I (you said he had an A), then I would move onto Geometry and I would add Stewardship on top of whichever year you want her to do it. That's what we plan to do although, I haven't decided if we'll use Stewardship or Dave Ramsey course yet.

 

Either way if you are sticking with MUS I would do Geometry before Algebra II. The reviews in Algebra II will assume you have had Geo. and the reviews in Geometry will be Algebra I. You can go against that, but I think it would weaken the program and make it harder for your dd.

 

 

Thanks, Debbie! She has done really well with Algebra I (using MUS), so I don't think she "needs" the review. I think she'll finish the MUS book before the end of our school year, so maybe we'll do some supplemental algebra from LoF over the summer and then move on to Geometry in 9th.

[kiana]

I'd do the stewardship throughout (as others said) and choose statistics for a senior year course. If she's doing well in math by then, she could choose AP/CC which might satisfy a gen ed requirement. Otherwise, a high school course would be a good introduction and quite useful.

[AngelBee]

AngelBee, this is what I feel would be the best bet for her (and me!). We could work our way through LoF Beginning Algebra and do stewardship alongside it. Even though she covered MUS Algebra I in 8th grade, I was not planning on carrying over courses from middle school onto her high school transcript. So, if we cover all of LoF Beginning Algebra in 9th, would you award a full credit or a 1/2 credit?

I am not sure credit wise. ???

 

I haven't used LOF Algebra yet.

[Sunshine State Sue]

Review Alg and Stewardship in 9th

Geometry 10

Alg II 11th

PreCalc 12th

:iagree:

 

One possibility is statistics which seems to be a popular choice for many students who don't want to go into a math heavy field.

 

:iagree:

 

I like math, so I'd add the Statistics. But AngelBee's suggestion is also fine. Award 1 HS credit for Algebra and 1/2 credit for Personal Finance. LoF will be a challenge after MUS.

 

ETA: I've used both MUS Algebra 1 and LoF Algebra 1.