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if your dc is doing algebra in grade 7...


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What's your long-term math plan? My dd is strong in math, but doesn't love it. She wants to be a vet, so I've planned for her to take plenty of math to get her through the science that she'll need. The college requirements around here are minimum 3 high school math credits and a suggestion of another math taken during the senior year. So, this is as far as I get:

 

7th algebra

8th geometry

9th algebra 2

10th calc?

11th ?

12th ?

 

Should I do another year of pre-algebra? Or spread out algebra, or do 2 years? help!

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Well, it's typical these days to do an additional year of pre-cal/trig between algebra 2 and calculus, so that gives you another year right there.

 

Ds did:

6th - Algebra 1

7th - Geometry

8th - Algebra 2 (currently)

 

Right now I'm thinking:

9th - Number Theory, Counting, and Probability (Art of Problem Solving)

10th - Pre-Calculus / Trig

11th - AP Calculus BC

12th - probably a college course in linear algebra...

 

A typical high school class for the year after high school calculus would be Statistics. There's an AP exam and several options for home schoolers to take a course to prepare for that.

 

Personally, I wouldn't spread out algebra if a student is thriving. Some kids need that, but many don't. Pull in a year of other math (what we're doing with AoPS) or take more time on calculus if the student needs it or take time for additional statistics or linear algebra at the end of the sequence...

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We started Algebra in 7th. Ds was doing well until life got in the way. We are currently doing a 2nd year of algebra. I'm glad I left it as an option, because he needs it. It still gives us options after algebra II. My current plan is:

 

8th (now) - algebra

9th - geometry

10th - algebra II

11th - precalc, or the AoPS counting and probability

12th - statistics or calculus

 

I do agree, I wouldn't drag one algebra text out over two years in they are doing well.

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For my son considering a STEM career, it will look like this:

 

7th -- Algebra 1

8th -- Geometry

9th -- Algebra 2

10th -- Pre-Calc/Trig

11th -- Calculus (hopefully at CC)

12th -- Advanced math at CC

 

He's also planning to tackle Number Theory and Probability during summers.

 

For my 10yo daughter, who is really good at math, but not yet considering STEM fields:

 

7th -- Algebra 1

8th -- Geometry

9th -- Algebra 2

10th -- Pre-Calc/Trig

11th -- Calculus (hopefully at CC)

12th -- nothing. I will include 8th grade Geometry as a 9th grade course, and allow her the opportunity to take an elective of something else she enjoys/is interested in instead. It's one of those "can/should" decisions. Yes, she has the ability to take more math, but if she has no interest in more...but has strong interests elsewhere, it is to her benefit to spend some more time developing those interests than taking more math just because she "can." On paper, she will still appear to have 4 solid math credits. She (like me) has no interest in Physics, either. She will take a standard Physics course, but I am not going to force her to take AP Physics because she has an "open" slot.

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My son did algebra (Jacobs, Life of Fred, AoPS) in 6th and into 7th.

Then geometry (Jacobs--2 edition) in 7th and 8th.

He will start Algebra 2 (Forester's) next week so it should run through 8th & 9th.

 

I also plan for him to do AoPS Counting & Probability in 9th (so he will have 2 math credits that year).

 

I've read so much about not rushing into Calculus. That point of view has lead me to write this plan down. Who knows what we will ACTUALLY do when the time comes? If he wants to move on into calculus, then I will not stop him.

 

10th: AP Statistics @ PA Homeschoolers

AND AoPS Number Theory (so again, 2 math credits)

 

11th: Precalculus AND 1/2 credit of Sabermetrics (baseball statistics course designed by Northwestern)

 

12th: either AP Calc or dual enrollment at local CC

 

We did spend 1 and 1/2 years on algebra using 3 texts. I wanted him to see the material presented in different ways. This child knows algebra!! LOL!

 

Hope that helps,

Jetta

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DD did algebra 1 in 7th.

She skipped 8th.

Geometry in 9th

Algebra 2 and precalculus in 10th (just finishing)

will do Calc 1 and calc 2 in 11th

Multivariable calc and (perhaps diff eq) in 12th

 

DS did algebra 1 in 6th.

7th: some more algebra, and a semester on counting& probability to "park" him and have him mature before moving to more abstract concepts in 8th.

Maybe geometry in 8th, maybe alg 2, will see.

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I was told by several friends that if my middle ds was going to need a calculus sequence it would be better to wait and do the entire sequence at the same institution. In other words, if you take calc1 at the community college, you may be setting yourself up in a difficult situation when you attempt calc2 at university.

 

Let's see if I can remember.

Alg1

Geometry

Alg2

Advanced Math (We just used stuff the tutor had, but you could use AoPS Alg3.)

Precalculus (high school Pre-calc with a tutor)

Community College Precalculus Alg (sem1); Precalculus Trig (sem2)

 

My middle ds is a confident math student and never had any trouble, but he is not a child who was chomping at the bit to move forward quickly. Sure, precalculus Alg first semester was an easy A, but it was a confidence boost. This sequence worked fine for him.

 

Mandy

Edited by Mandy in TN
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I was told by several friends that if my middle ds was going to need a calculus sequence it would be better to wait and do the entire sequence at the same institution. In other words, if you take calc1 at the community college, you may be setting yourself up in a difficult situation when you attempt calc2 at university.

 

:iagree:There are some math students who will do fine, but I have heard it recommended (even required at some places) to start with Calculus 1, and even Chemistry 1... simply because what may or may not be covered can vary wildly.

 

The unis my oldest is considering will only let him "skip" Calculus 1, Chemistry or Physics... if he can pass a private exam given by their instructor. They don't accept transfer credits towards major areas of study. They also don't give credits for AP, etc... if you pass the exam, you still have to take X years of math, science, whatever, but you get to start at a higher level.

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[quote name=LisaK in VA;3666078

12th -- nothing. I will include 8th grade Geometry as a 9th grade course' date=' and allow her the opportunity to take an elective of something else she enjoys/is interested in instead. It's one of those "can/should" decisions. Yes, she has the ability to take more math, but if she has no interest in more...but has strong interests elsewhere, it is to her benefit to spend some more time developing those interests than taking more math just because she "can."[/quote]

 

I just have to comment on this:

Taking a full year off math is NOT such a good idea because it will make it very hard to do math in college. Skills that are not used get rusty, and a year without math will result in a deterioration of her algebra skills.

I see frequently how much college students struggle with Jr high math.

 

If you do not want to cover more math, you might want to consider stretching one of the math courses out over two years. But I would not recommend planning for a math free senior year.

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I just have to comment on this:

Taking a full year off math is NOT such a good idea because it will make it very hard to do math in college. Skills that are not used get rusty, and a year without math will result in a deterioration of her algebra skills.

I see frequently how much college students struggle with Jr high math.

 

If you do not want to cover more math, you might want to consider stretching one of the math courses out over two years. But I would not recommend planning for a math free senior year.

 

I see what you're saying... I didn't take math myself my senior year. I didn't have any issues in college (granted, I only needed one semester...hind-sight I probably could have CLEPed it...I just had really, really good recall, tested out of History, English, Literature, Foreign Language, Art/Drama/Music, and Science requirements... if they had a test for my Bible/Theology, I probably would have CLEPed that, too ;)).

 

I'm planning on her taking Calculus at a CC... I have LoF Calculus and will have (by that time) AoPS Calculus... I could see planning a light load, but I don't see any reason for her to take a formal math class, unless she decides she wants to go into a STEM career, or the college she wants to attend won't accept CLEP/AP. This dd is a LOT like me, and I could see her CLEPing or testing through a LOT of core requirements...but that will depend on what the college she attends accepts.

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What's nice about math acceleration is that it gives you time. My son started algebra in 5th grade and did half of the book. I then decided when he got to 6th grade that starting over would be beneficial. So he did and finished the book that year. We then mucked about for a year, going through a few geometry programs and then taking a break and using a liberal arts math book and finally got back to geometry. He finished geometry in 8th grade and started Algebra II. Partway into 9th grade we realized that the Algebra II book wasn't a good fit (after doing half of it) and switched (and started over) with another book. He did the first half of precalculus in 10th grade. But then we decided that he needed to start school in the second semester of 10th grade. He is now in an IB school that uses an integrated math approach and is in 10th grade math there. Much of it is review and that's ok.

 

So my point with that long and convoluted story is that things don't necessarily follow a linear progression (even in math). I'd place her where she needs to be now and go according to the pace that suits her. You never know what the future is going to bring and she may need the time that you save now by starting algebra early later on.

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I just have to comment on this:

Taking a full year off math is NOT such a good idea because it will make it very hard to do math in college. Skills that are not used get rusty, and a year without math will result in a deterioration of her algebra skills.

I see frequently how much college students struggle with Jr high math.

 

If you do not want to cover more math, you might want to consider stretching one of the math courses out over two years. But I would not recommend planning for a math free senior year.

 

While I agree with this, there are other ways to get math than to have a direct math course. If you have gone through Calculus by then end of 11th and you'd rather not continue into other maths, you can get math through Calculus-based Physics or other math intensive science. Advanced statistics courses can keep a student from getting rusty especially if they are not heading into a math-heavy field.

 

Heather

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So my point with that long and convoluted story is that things don't necessarily follow a linear progression (even in math). I'd place her where she needs to be now and go according to the pace that suits her. You never know what the future is going to bring and she may need the time that you save now by starting algebra early later on.

:iagree:Well said.

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I'm planning on her taking Calculus at a CC... I have LoF Calculus and will have (by that time) AoPS Calculus... I could see planning a light load, but I don't see any reason for her to take a formal math class, unless she decides she wants to go into a STEM career, or the college she wants to attend won't accept CLEP/AP. This dd is a LOT like me, and I could see her CLEPing or testing through a LOT of core requirements...but that will depend on what the college she attends accepts.

If she doesn't go into a STEM field, her community college calc credit may satisfy her math requirements. My oldest took college alg at the community college and does not need any more math for his degree.

 

Mandy

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My dd12 is doing algebra now. She hates math but has a solid foundation of skills. I was really hoping to help her boost her confidence by doing algebra now rather than another year of pre-algebra review work. That hasn't happened but she's doing fine.

 

We are taking a leisurely pace through the algebra program and it will probably take her almost two years to complete.

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7th grade - algebra I

8th grade - more algebra I

9th grade - geometry

10th grade - intermediate algebra

11th grade - precalc

12th grade - calculus

 

 

My daughter is planning to be an engineer, and I hear a lot of people say that engineers who wash out in college tend to have problems because of a lack of basic algebra skills, so we're spending two years on that foundational algebra to make sure it is rock-solid before we move on. This current year is our second year of pre-algebra, last year with Saxon and this year with AoPS, and I can tell doing it twice has really given her a depth of understanding that I don't think she would have had. I haven't quite decided if I want to do Saxon Algebra next year and AoPS Algebra for the next year, or if I want to just do AoPS Algebra and stretch it out over two years with supplements and Alcumus.

 

Now, some of this slowdown too is due to definite signs of Puberty Brain in my daughter!! :D If she doesn't need to go this slow, and we can get to a solid understanding of algebra that first year, we may throw in a year of number theory or statistics, too. She's also made some noises about wanting to do TWO math classes at a time in high school, so that would mean hitting some number theory or some such too.

 

But my plan is always to finish with calculus that senior year. The schools she is looking at all have three semesters of calculus, so I want her to have that fresh in her mind to make the transition easier.

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I was told by several friends that if my middle ds was going to need a calculus sequence it would be better to wait and do the entire sequence at the same institution. In other words, if you take calc1 at the community college, you may be setting yourself up in a difficult situation when you attempt calc2 at university.

 

 

Our oldest took cal 1 at a local university and had no trouble taking cal 2 at another university. I think the quality of courses at CCs are definitely an issue, but if students can dual enroll at a local uni, it might be another option.

 

OP, in addition to courses like counting and probability, AoPS also offers an alg 3 course which ds took prior to their pre-cal class.

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My 5th grader is wrapping up AoPS pre-algebra. He's already done SM through 6B and could have gone directly into AoPS algebra, but we held off. I'm not worried about accelerating his math sequence. I know we won't have trouble finding math to do all through high school. Math doesn't end at calculus! :)

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Our oldest took cal 1 at a local university and had no trouble taking cal 2 at another university. I think the quality of courses at CCs are definitely an issue, but if students can dual enroll at a local uni, it might be another option.

Too true. Ds was going to be at the local CC and as it turned out the little campus closest to us wasn't offering calculus this year anyway. Although, unless he dual enrolled at one state college and then attended another state college, I would still be wary of S&S differences.

 

Mandy

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

For my 10yo daughter, who is really good at math, but not yet considering STEM fields:

 

7th -- Algebra 1

8th -- Geometry

9th -- Algebra 2

10th -- Pre-Calc/Trig

11th -- Calculus (hopefully at CC)

12th -- nothing. I will include 8th grade Geometry as a 9th grade course, and allow her the opportunity to take an elective of something else she enjoys/is interested in instead. It's one of those "can/should" decisions. Yes, she has the ability to take more math, but if she has no interest in more...but has strong interests elsewhere, it is to her benefit to spend some more time developing those interests than taking more math just because she "can." On paper, she will still appear to have 4 solid math credits. She (like me) has no interest in Physics, either. She will take a standard Physics course, but I am not going to force her to take AP Physics because she has an "open" slot.

 

Just to show that things change...my dd has announced that she really wants to study Marine Biology. That's going to change what she takes, and when she takes it! We adjusted her math sequence to include Statistics and Algebra III. Of course, nothing is set in stone! She literally woke up one morning and declared this was what she was going to do, and proceeded to read every book we had related to the field, including our encyclopedias...internet sites. UGH.

Edited by LisaK in VA
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Long term plan around here differs based on my three children. Understanding that two of mine may or may not ultimately pursue a program where higher math is essential, I have laid it out as though they will. I have a daughter who is outstanding in math and "likes" it; a son who thinks mathematically and loves it; and a daughter who is proficient but cannot stand it. :tongue_smilie:

 

What follows is based on our mutual agreement, which is subject to change based on their continued interest/acumen in working at these levels.

 

Daughter 1

7th Geometry

8th Intermediate Algebra

9th AoPs or PreCalc depending on interest and other commitments

10th Calc

11th/12th University studies

 

Son: likely early enrollment at university

5th Algebra

6th Geometry

7th Intermediate Algebra

8th AoPS or PreCalc depending on interest/readiness

9th AoPS/Calc

 

Daughter 2:

6th Algebra (will likely let her do this over two years)

8th Geometry

9th Intermediate Algebra

10th AoPS or PreCalc depending on interest

11th/12th Calculus

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My oldest took Algebra I in ps in 7th grade, but didn't actually learn any algebra that year. All she learned was how to use a graphing calculator. When she returned to hs the next year for 8th grade, I had her work through Jacobs Algebra, so her path was:

7th - how to use a graphing calculator

8th - Jacobs Algebra

9th - Jacobs Geometry

10th - Kinetic Books Algebra II beta tester

11th - Larson's Precalculus

12th - one semester of statistics at cc and one semester of trigonometry at cc (because she forgot her trig when she took the placement test)

 

My middle dd also started Algebra I in 7th grade, but I planned for her to spend two years on it.

7th - starting working through both Kinetic Books Algebra I as a beta tester and Jacobs Algebra

8th - abandoned Jacobs and finished up with just Kinetic Books Algebra I

9th - Jacobs Geometry

10th - Kinetic Books Algebra II

11th - Lial's Precalculus

12th - calculus done either at home or at the cc, probably take Calc AB test if we do it at home

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What's your long-term math plan? My dd is strong in math, but doesn't love it. She wants to be a vet, so I've planned for her to take plenty of math to get her through the science that she'll need. The college requirements around here are minimum 3 high school math credits and a suggestion of another math taken during the senior year. So, this is as far as I get:

 

7th algebra

8th geometry

9th algebra 2

10th calc?

11th ?

12th ?

 

Should I do another year of pre-algebra? Or spread out algebra, or do 2 years? help!

 

I think it's important to really understand Algebra. I taught college math for several years, and weaknesses in Algebra make basic college-level math a difficult experience for many students. I would make sure she is strong in Algebra.

 

In our situation, my daughter (6th grade), is finishing up her second Algebra, AOPS Algebra, and she wants to jump into AOPS Geometry in 7th. But I am considering having her instead go though AOPS Counting and Probability and Number Theory courses first.

 

As far as a long-term math plan, I'm taking it one year at a time. :)

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