Those finishing AoPS Prealgebra, what are you doing next?

[melmichigan]

I know there are others working with the Prealgebra book, as well as a few others with DC in the Prealgebra 1/Prealgebra 2 classes so spill, what are you planning next?

 

I continue to waiver. Currently I'm waiting on RR's recommendation for DD and her grade once it is released. DD is over the moon with the online class interaction so I am still seriously considering letting her do the online Algebra 1 class later this year. I saw how many of the videos currently up for Intro to Algebra are overlap from the Prealgebra ones so I will definately be keeping my eye on those as they finish them up this summer and I ponder this choice. My only hang up, Geometry, :glare: she still hasn't finished circles with alcumus, 84 problems later and she is still working on circles...

 

I have finally convinced DD that she needs to take a break and prepare herself for the pace in case we choose AoPS. The immediate plan is reviewing with EPGY, finishing the Prealgebra alcumus levels (hopefully :lol:), and working on review of some of the Challenge Problems. All in all, and especially given my DD's circumstances going into AoPS I am extremely pleased with the progress she has made. Oh, and I am definately not doing all the problems in the Algebra 1 book. :D

Edited May 16, 2012 by melmichigan

[Matryoshka]

My dd is currently finishing up her first class, Prealgebra 1, and I've already signed her up (at her request) for Prealgebra 2 over the summer. She is gung-ho to start AoPS Algebra in the fall. I'm currently thinking of bagging the classes and doing the Algebra book at home with her - she'll still only be 11yo, Algebra in 16 weeks at that age (and tough Algebra at that!) seems a bit nuts.

 

I'm curious what to expect at the end of the first class - tell me more about the feedback you get about grades and placement going forward. She loves the class and the interaction, and loves Alcumus and the Challenge Problems. However, she doesn't seem to feel any great need to check her work before entering the Challenge answers, and it often takes her 2-3 times to get some of the questions right - I wonder how that will affect her grade? But this has been getting a bit better recently.

 

I'm wondering if we do the text at home, if I can give her the corresponding Alcumus topic to work though, like the course does, rather than the ones in the book - I have a feeling she'd prefer that - and pick a nice selection of Challenge problems from each chapter in the book. (They seem to give her 8-9 per week with the online class - is that also true in the Algebra class?)

 

Sorry, I think I asked more questions rather than helping you with an answer... musing the next step right along with you! :)

[melmichigan]

musing the next step right along with you! :)

 

It's nice to know I'm not alone!

 

The online challenge problems have been new this class so I'm wondering how that will work with the grade too. I know my DD is consistantly told that she knows more than she thinks and needs to just spend more time on things-so for her at least it is a confidence and maturity issue.

[wapiti]

.

[Matryoshka]

It's nice to know I'm not alone!

 

The online challenge problems have been new this class so I'm wondering how that will work with the grade too. I know my DD is consistantly told that she knows more than she thinks and needs to just spend more time on things-so for her at least it is a confidence and maturity issue.

 

How are you getting the feedback? Are you asking them, or her? I honestly admit I've been pretty hands-off. I know she's keeping up with the Alcumus topics, does the work in the book, and completes the Challenge problems all in time for class, and I know she gets all excited when she has one of her answers posted during class time, but I have no idea what, if anything, she has gotten for feedback from them. Is she getting feedback during class, or where? Do they send you (or her?) a grade automatically at the end of the class?

 

I've been wanting some feedback on how they think she's doing - I was thinking of emailing someone and asking if I didn't hear anything by the end of class...

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I know there are others working with the Prealgebra book, as well as a few others with DC in the Prealgebra 1/Prealgebra 2 classes so spill, what are you planning next?

 

I continue to waiver. Currently I'm waiting on RR's recommendation for DD and her grade once it is released. DD is over the moon with the online class interaction so I am still seriously considering letting her do the online Algebra 1 class later this year. I saw how many of the videos currently up for Intro to Algebra are overlap from the Prealgebra ones so I will definately be keeping my eye on those as they finish them up this summer and I ponder this choice. My only hang up, Geometry, :glare: she still hasn't finished circles with alcumus, 84 problems later and she is still working on circles...

 

I have finally convinced DD that she needs to take a break and prepare herself for the pace in case we choose AoPS. The immediate plan is reviewing with EPGY, finishing the Prealgebra alcumus levels (hopefully :lol:), and working on review of some of the Challenge Problems. All in all, and especially given my DD's circumstances going into AoPS I am extremely pleased with the progress she has made. Oh, and I am definately not doing all the problems in the Algebra 1 book. :D

 

FWIW, The AoPS Introduction to Algebra book is used for both Algebra 1 and Algebra 2.

 

If you match up the topics listed for the online courses with the chapters in the book, it looks like Algebra 1 goes up to chapter 13. Algebra 2 is most of the rest of the book, excluding a few chapters of "contest math".

 

We've done AoPS for algebra 1 this year, just using the book and working through the problems. I felt that the pace of the online courses was more than I was looking for.

 

I'm not sure what you mean with your comment about geometry. It seems that algebra has little to no geometry in it. (And is it at all possible that the settings were changed such that she's set to stay on one Alcumus topic rather than moving along through the book?)

[melmichigan]

I'm not sure what you mean with your comment about geometry. It seems that algebra has little to no geometry in it. (And is it at all possible that the settings were changed such that she's set to stay on one Alcumus topic rather than moving along through the book?)

 

They completed some Prealgebra/Introductory Geometry with the Prealgebra 2 class spanning 3 chapters in the prealgebra book and 4 or 5 class sessions. The videos and alcumus problems that fall into the prealgebra portion refer to sections of up to about chapter 6 of the actual Geometry book in the crossover if I remember right. DD still struggles with Circles and Special Right Triangles, she gets so close to finishing the topic (in the prealgebra portion) and then gets a problem wrong and gets moved back, this has been a recurring cycle. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but frustrating for her. On the bright side, it means there are plenty of geometry problems in alcumus. ;)

[HappyCamper]

DD is finishing her last AoPS Prealgebra 1 classs right now. I wonder how many students in that class have parents who are on this forum? We skipped many review sections that were not in the class syllabus, so our next step is to go back and complete those sections at a more relaxed pace. Next year is a brick and morter middle school that uses an Integrated Math Curriculum. Since she didn't even start Pre-Algebra 2, I am hoping that she will place in their equivalent of pre-algebra next year. Since it is a different pre-algebra curriculum, I assume she will be even better prepared for Algebra.:001_smile:

[Matryoshka]

DD is finishing her last AoPS Prealgebra 1 classs right now. I wonder how many students in that class have parents who are on this forum? We skipped many review sections that were not in the class syllabus, so our next step is to go back and complete those sections at a more relaxed pace. Next year is a brick and morter middle school that uses an Integrated Math Curriculum. Since she didn't even start Pre-Algebra 2, I am hoping that she will place in their equivalent of pre-algebra next year. Since it is a different pre-algebra curriculum, I assume she will be even better prepared for Algebra.:001_smile:

 

Hey, my dd was in the same class! She was flyingsquirrel - they probably chatted. :)

 

Your dd isn't taking the Prealgebra 2 class over the summer? I have a feeling that will be a much smaller class. :tongue_smilie:

[snowbeltmom]

I know there are others working with the Prealgebra book, as well as a few others with DC in the Prealgebra 1/Prealgebra 2 classes so spill, what are you planning next?

 

Fwiw, in case it might help others in making a decision, these have been my experiences with my three kids. AoPS continues evolve, so all of my kids' experiences have been different even though only 4 years separates the oldest and youngest.

 

My oldest started taking the online classes shortly after turning 12 years old, and he has taken all of the online classes through pre-calc (just finished pre-calc. earlier this spring). Prior to me discovering AoPS, he had completed Saxon Alg. I and 1/2 of Saxon Alg. II.

 

At the time my oldest took the introductory classes, the online videos did not exist, and Alcumus only had problems for the Counting & Probability book.

 

My oldest has had no trouble with the pace of the online classes, but he had a background in the algebra "mechanics" before he started AoPS. He is also a strong math student (but doesn't love math). He qualified for AIME this year, and had the highest score for his grade on the AMC 12 in our entire state - all thanks to the AoPS program.

 

My middle completed the Singapore series and I signed him up for the online Alg. I. class shortly after turning 12 (last year 6th grade). At this time, the pre-algebra book had not been released.

 

The pace of the class was too much for him, he was struggling to get the Challenge Sets completed by the end of the course, and the topics were not "sticking". I then went back and had him complete the Keys to Algebra series and then he completed the entire Introduction to Algebra book and the Alcumus topics in Algebra. He completed everything last month.

 

He hasn't started taking the AMCs yet, but he scored in the high 600s on the SAT when he took it for Talent Search - again, I attribute this to AoPS and the critical thinking skills the program develops.

 

When middle son began AoPS, the pre-algebra book had not been released.

 

 

My dd took the first pre-algebra online class that ended in January. We were able to work ahead in the book so that she was prepared for the online classes. She was able to complete all of the problems in the textbook, complete the Alcumus topics and the Challenge Sets. She really enjoyed the class.

 

I did not sign her up for the first pre-algebra 2 class because I did not feel that she was proficient enough in the topics (especially geometry) to be able to keep up with the pace of the class. She has been working through the topics in the 2nd half of the book. She has a couple more topics to complete in the pre-algebra Alcumus (all of them the geometry topics - which she finds more difficult.)

 

She is on pace to complete all of the problems in the 2nd half of the pre-algebra book and the topics in Alcumus my mid-summer. (We do math and reading year-round) She will take the pre-algebra 2 class in the fall. For dd, I think she gets way more out of the online weekly chats when she already has a strong background in the topic.

 

So the plan for dd is to take the pre-algebra 2 class in the fall while beginning to work with me in the Introduction to Algebra book. Once we finish the first 13 chapters, I will sign her up for the online class and then continue to simultaneously work through the second half of the Introduction to Algebra book while she is taking the online class for the Alg. I.

[melmichigan]

So the plan for dd is to take the pre-algebra 2 class in the fall while beginning to work with me in the Introduction to Algebra book. Once we finish the first 13 chapters, I will sign her up for the online class and then continue to simultaneously work through the second half of the Introduction to Algebra book while she is taking the online class for the Alg. I.

 

I like your plan. :)

[Kathy in Richmond]

So the plan for dd is to take the pre-algebra 2 class in the fall while beginning to work with me in the Introduction to Algebra book. Once we finish the first 13 chapters, I will sign her up for the online class and then continue to simultaneously work through the second half of the Introduction to Algebra book while she is taking the online class for the Alg. I.

 

FWIW, this is how we approached AoPS over the years.

 

Apart from their 2 volume classic problem solving texts, my kids only used the AoPS online classes. The AoPS textbooks, Alcumus, etc, weren't around back then, just the once-a-week online class, challenge sets, and discussion forums.

 

AoPS classes provide great extension/challenge after the basics are already mastered. So, for instance, my daughter took intermediate algebra online with AoPS while studying precalculus at home with me. It worked beautifully, gave her confidence in class, and was definitely not a simple repeat of what she'd already learned. The pace & challenge set problems were appropriate at that point. Without having to scramble to keep up, she could spend her time mastering the hardest stuff.

 

[This applies to the standard school track classes. We also did a bunch of AoPS classes in number theory, adv. geometry, contest math, etc, and for those the kids just jumped in w/o previous work at home.]