Spetzi Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I'm interested in Art of Problem Solving books. They look good. We've used Zacarro's books, Life of Fred as well as Horizons and Teaching Textbooks (not all at once, but we use a lot of math resources!) Tell me more about it and whether it worked for your child. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Simply? They're the best math textbooks I've seen. Dd really wanted to use Fred for algebra, so we did that, but Fred, as you know, isn't big on standard algorithms. And while it would work for another kid... this is my kid that just loves math so very much. Fred literally was not *enough* for her. AoPS finally is making her THINK. She's basically bulldozed her way through math, just grasping it, and oh, finally, finally she's having to stop and think and make new connections in her mind. Frankly, I wish we'd never wasted any time w/ Fred, but at least she enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 We LOVE AoPS. We have first used Intro to Algebra for DD in 7th grade, now DS is working on it. DD has just finished Geometry and is working on Intermediate Algebra. We are just using the books, not the online classes. The approach is discovery based. First, the student is given problems and has to try to solve them; then the solution is explained and the new concepts are discussed. There are enough practice problems for each section to achieve mastery, but they are all a little bit different, so the student has to THINK and not just turn the crank. Some of the challenge problems are really challenging. Intro to Algebra covers a lot more material than other traditional algebra texts; the algebra 1 material is in the first 13 or so chapters. What we love especially, and what distinguishes it form many other texts, is that the author clearly is excited about math and thinks this is so much fun. This joy radiates from every page. It is a world from the "math is good and useful for you" approach of some other curricula. This is "Hey, math is the coolest thing!" For a student who is good at, and interested in, math, this is a fantastic textbook! You need to decide whether your student belongs in that category. I would not recommend AoPS for a student who is struggling in math, or is only doing math grudgingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 We discovered AoPS when looking for something to supplement Italian texts with and to keep the middle kid busy, yet challenged. I was pleasantly surprised and decided they were excellent as stand-alones too (mind you, the kid still has to get tested on different stuff in a different language, but formalities aside, I like her doing AoPS as her main text). We have semi-used Intro to Algebra / Geometry this way (and the older DD "inherited" the texts now too) and I am putting the middle DD on Intermediate Algebra now. DH gave his approval too (he is generally responsible for math and sciences). I found that both kids "clicked" with the text very well, but only the middle one will be using the full texts as her main texts, for the eldest they are more of the "enrichment" thing, for now at least, though she might as well switch to that when she finishes the regular school progression (she is in non-mathy-heavy track). I guess we will see. Anyhow, yes, thumbs up. A good program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Sorry to hijack, but I was wondering if these books are usable for parents that aren't as strong at Maths as there dc. I have been flirting with the idea of AOPS for my second ds. He uses SM. We began using SM when he was in 3nd, starting with the year 2 and using CWP as well as IP. He will be finishing up SM6 this year for 5th (3 years later). Even with MEP and anything else I try to add on for him, he just barrels through math. Math is not my strong suit, so I am a bit intimidated. Please be gentle.:D Also, I know there is an online component, but I worry for his maturity/age (10) it may move too quickly. Especially since all other subjects will be making a leap in difficulty this year. Thanks again. Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Sorry to hijack, but I was wondering if these books are usable for parents that aren't as strong at Maths as there dc. Also, I know there is an online component, but I worry for his maturity/age (10) it may move too quickly. The books are written to the student and are intended for use without a teacher. If you just use the books, you can go at whatever speed is working for your student. The online classes move very fast, and we have opted not to use them for either of our kids. It is definitely challenging, and 10 y/o would be on the young side. If you decide to get the books, you should absolutely get the solution manual as well - some problems are rather difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 The books are written to the student and are intended for use without a teacher. If you just use the books, you can go at whatever speed is working for your student. The online classes move very fast, and we have opted not to use them for either of our kids. It is definitely challenging, and 10 y/o would be on the young side. If you decide to get the books, you should absolutely get the solution manual as well - some problems are rather difficult. Thank you so much. You are always so helpful. Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I just want to reinforce what everyone else has told you. We jumped on board the AoPS ship way back in 2003 when they opened for business. Over the years, my kids took *lots* of their classes and worked through several of their books. The AoPS materials made them think hard in a very happy way. I'm a mathematician, so I could have taught them a lot of this material myself, but the joy of doing math with AoPS was just that good! The kids caught the excitement and were willing to work hard because it wasn't just busy work. Both the breadth of topic coverage and the depth/ challenge level exceed any other curriculum I've ever seen. AoPS was founded by Richard Rusczyk, a guy who went to public schools in Alabama & who made it to the top levels of the US math olympiad when he was in high school. He had a wonderful math coach there who encouraged him and provided him with resources, and he thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie and learning when he was teamed up with other smart & motivated kids. He founded AoPS to try to bring the joy of that experience to other motivated young students who might not have the same level of mentoring available to them. I'd encourage you to look at the online forums, also. Check them out even if you don't take the online classes (and I wouldn't recommend online classes for very young children unless they're comfortable with an extremely fast pace - kids type in the answers to the teacher's questions using Latex language, and it could be difficult or frustrating for a young child to be speedy enough to make a contribution). The online community is very friendly and encouraging to one another. My daughter made some very good friends through her online AoPS buddies & met them in real life later when they formed math teams in high school. For now, though, with an accelerated & motivated 10-year-old, I'd use the textbook & solutions manual at home, taking my time to make sure that it was thoroughly absorbed. It's an ideal curriculum for kids starting algebra early, because you have lots of choices for branching out throught the years with their number theory, counting and probability, and other assorted courses. Have you seen the article on the website about the Calculus Trap? If not, go read it - it's right on IMHO. Speaking as a math person, there is SO much more to math studies than algebra, geometry, trig, and calculus. AoPS does a great job of trying to show kids a glimpse into real mathematics and how the parts are all interconnected. That alone makes it worthwhile in my book. Anyway, AoPS was one of the best homeschooling decisions I ever made, and it served us more than well over the years.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Also, I know there is an online component, but I worry for his maturity/age (10) it may move too quickly. Especially since all other subjects will be making a leap in difficulty this year. Dd is 10. She's taking Counting/Probability through the online course right now. My advice would be to work through algebra at his pace; the Counting/Probability book is the shortest of all the intro-level books (and it's also relatively high interest for dd), so it's been a good first online course for math for her. It moves at the rate of a chapter a week, so some weeks she has more work to do than others. She really enjoys the class component but again, I'm glad it was C/P and not algebra. We'll see how she does with geometry in the autumn. (And no, I have no idea what to do with this child for math when she hits high school. Sigh. She's 2E and no way she'll be ready for college early emotionally or in any other way but possibly intellectually. Agh!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spetzi Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 Thanks for your response. I am going to pull the trigger! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Per AoPS's suggestion, DS is doing Intro to Counting next year. I've very nervous about it for several reasons. Based on the Table of Contents, most of it should be new for me. DS is very young. I'm not sure how well the discovery method will work for him or me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Per AoPS's suggestion, DS is doing Intro to Counting next year. I've very nervous about it for several reasons. Based on the Table of Contents, most of it should be new for me. DS is very young. I'm not sure how well the discovery method will work for him or me. Did your son, is it the DS9, take the Intro to Counting pre-test? That pre-test looks more difficult than the one for AoPS Intro to Alg1 pre-test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 My son, 13, is taking the online class too for Intro to Counting, and he's having problems. It's the type of math where he struggles, and the online class is moving too fast for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 The beauty of working with a young child (or any child) is that we can be flexible in our homeschooling. It's not unusual for us to only tackle two or three problems in AoPS in a day and then move on to something else - we work on NEM as an easier break from AoPS when needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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