MommyThrice Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 I'm not sure what I should be doing with this child. He squeaked out an "A" in Saxon Alg. 1 (my first A math student!) he loves math & science, but he also loves reading and debate, so it may be too early to determine that he's on a STEM track. Isn't it too early to start him in Alg. 2? We could move slowly through it, but could he spend 1-1/2 years on it? I've considered having him work through my Jacobs Geometry until next year, but, not only do I loathe geometry, it seems a little pointless to me, especially since Saxon covers geometry in the Alg. texts. I'm am liberal arts-minded, and so are my first two children, so I'm at a loss here. Is there something I'm overlooking? Should I use something different to reinforce what he's already learned or maybe something to make him look at math from a different angle? I should also add that I'm not comfortable teaching math past Alg. 2 (I still don't know how I passed calculus so long ago), so he'll need to get on a regular school-year schedule after that point to take classes at a local co-op or community college. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 I don't know what others should do of course. I know what my oldest has done. My oldest did Saxon Alg I in 8th Jacobs Geometry in 9th Saxon Alg 2 in 10th (took and passed CLEP college algebra) Saxon Advanced in 11th grade (current) She really liked doing Jacobs even though Saxon has some geometry built into it and all of that. She's been able to learn from Saxon and Jacobs without us teaching it. But we did get the DIVE cd in case she needed it for Saxon. She was fine in Jacobs with out other helps. 12th grade... we're still thinking..... calculus as dual enrollment if possible, or saxon calc for "high school" calculus? hmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 I would suggest Geometry with Jacobs. It provides Algebra review, also. I think Geometry is the math most closely related to reading and debate and rhetoric, at least if you do proofs it is. You could do it in a year and save the extra semester for a later math. If you use a CC then the semester problem won't be:). My first two finished Alg 1 mid way through 9th grade and both took Calculus their senior year second semester at a CC. (1 of these children is a STEM major). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyThrice Posted January 8, 2013 Author Share Posted January 8, 2013 I showed him the geometry and he thought it looked interesting, so we we'll go with that for now. The Algebra review is really too basic, so I need to find something to replace it. If he finishes Alg. 2 mid-way through 10th grade, I'll petition the local CC then to see if they'll let him take trigonometry. Thanks for the suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 You could add one of the really neat programs from Art of Problem Solving to finish out his 8th grade year. Maybe something like Number Theory or Probability and Statistics - subjects he won't get in regular programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in NY Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 :iagree: I hate to sound like a broken record but........ We used Singapore Math in elementary school for all of my kids. It was great. My oldest then did a wasted year using a public school "Pre-Algebra" book, and did jacob's algebra in 8th grade. She did well. It did NOT make her love math. Somehow I heard about AoPS classes.... probably here.... and she agreed to sign up for a number theory class the summer before 9th grade. (I could quote here from her application essay to the school of engineering at cornell --- but to paraphrase, she credits that class with helping her to realize that she wants a career math and science --- she actually quoted the textbook!!) From there she went on to take Geometry, took their Alg 1 voluntarily the next summer so she would be on their page for Algebra 2....yada, yada, yada ... and she leaves in August to begin her life as a Cornell engineering student. Do I give AoPS too much credit? I don't think so. I am a terrible math-phobe. I barely squeaked out of trig. I also love the AoPS books and have learned more in the last three years (joyfully!) than I ever learned in my own math classes. And... I can't keep up with my girls in math anymore. They help me. :) There's so much to love about math that I just don't think comes across in a "regular" textbook. You can sign up for a user name and poke around the Alcumus section of their website for free. You can purchase their textbooks and look through them on your own. You can go whole-hog and sign up for a class. (they move along.... quick!) I know AoPS doesn't float everyone's boat, but for us, it was the perfect fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy58103 Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 You could add one of the really neat programs from Art of Problem Solving to finish out his 8th grade year. Maybe something like Number Theory or Probability and Statistics - subjects he won't get in regular programs. :iagree: Maybe also have him work through the AoPS Introductory Algebra book.. A good bit of this would be a review of the Saxon 1 algebra, but a good bit of it would probably also be more in depth, new information for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyThrice Posted January 8, 2013 Author Share Posted January 8, 2013 Took a brief look today, will try to read more tonight. Number theory & statistics both look interesting, although a little expensive. How much time would you expect to spend on each of those two books? A semester each? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 You could add one of the really neat programs from Art of Problem Solving to finish out his 8th grade year. Maybe something like Number Theory or Probability and Statistics - subjects he won't get in regular programs. I think these are great ideas and have considered them myself-may yet use them. I will have an 8th grader in the same boat next year if all goes according to plan. I figure that we will go straight to Algebra II (just like my 9th grader did) and this will either lead to finishing some math early or buying extra time for more difficult math later or allowing him to persue other math topics later in high school as Miss Marple discusses above. The plan for these two kids has been: 7th Pre-Algebra 8th Algebra I 9th Algebra II 10th Geometry 11th Trig/Pre-Calc 12th Calc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in NY Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 lead to finishing some math early or buying extra time for more difficult math later or allowing him to persue other math topics later in high school as Miss Marple discusses above. The plan for these two kids has been: 7th Pre-Algebra 8th Algebra I 9th Algebra II 10th Geometry 11th Trig/Pre-Calc 12th Calc One other benefit of AoPS is that the classes do not take an entire year, so if your student is ready and willing (s)he can move on or explore additional topics (AMC Test prep, prob.stats, num. theory, programming....etc.). For instance, my middle dd is a sophmore and will finish up Algebra III in April. She plans to move along to Precalc right away, and then begin calc in October of Junior year. This is completely her choice: I wouldn't recommend it for a kid that wasn't completely into doing math all summer ... but it gives him/her that option if desired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I showed him the geometry and he thought it looked interesting, so we we'll go with that for now. The Algebra review is really too basic, so I need to find something to replace it. If he finishes Alg. 2 mid-way through 10th grade, I'll petition the local CC then to see if they'll let him take trigonometry. Thanks for the suggestions. Did you look at the algebra reviews at the end of each chapter of Jacobs? I'm not sure what you mean by basic, but I didn't think they were simple. So far they seem thorough. You could also use the chapter reviews or tests in a traditional algebra book. I guess it depends on whether you are looking for algebra for maintenance so that he doesn't lose any algebra he learned or looking for challenge if you are sure he won't lose the skills and you want to push him. AoPS sounds good for challenge. I wish I had the money to add it to my collection of math texts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I'll second/third/whatever AoPS. I'm going through their prealgebra book with DS currently. Love the book. It is so much more in depth than any other math book I've ever seen. We enjoy doing math together first thing in the morning. Sometimes I help him get unstuck. Sometimes he helps me. We are learning tons even though we've already done prealgebra and algebra through MUS. We really needed to go back to prealgebra, though, to learn AoPS's method of teaching. Plus there are things in there that we haven't seen. We'll be sticking with AoPS through graduation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I think these are great ideas and have considered them myself-may yet use them. I will have an 8th grader in the same boat next year if all goes according to plan. I figure that we will go straight to Algebra II (just like my 9th grader did) and this will either lead to finishing some math early or buying extra time for more difficult math later or allowing him to persue other math topics later in high school as Miss Marple discusses above. The plan for these two kids has been: 7th Pre-Algebra 8th Algebra I 9th Algebra II 10th Geometry 11th Trig/Pre-Calc 12th Calc Will you be using a geometry curriculum that will review Algebra 2? If so, will it be with AoPS or something else? I'm curious because most Geometry courses I've seen only use Algebra 1. Pre-Calculus will require a lot from Algebra 2 and that would mean a whole year without using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Will you be using a geometry curriculum that will review Algebra 2? If so, will it be with AoPS or something else? I'm curious because most Geometry courses I've seen only use Algebra 1. Pre-Calculus will require a lot from Algebra 2 and that would mean a whole year without using it. I've been planning on using AoPS for our base text for Geometry. I've had success with using AoPS in combination with older editions of Dolciani for Algebra so I may end up with a similar idea for Geometry. If it seems that there isn't enough Algebra and there is a need for review my initial inclination would be to have the kids spend some time in Alcumus reviewing topics every week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clover11 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 If Saxon is working for you then I would stick with it. My 8th grader is doing Algebra 1 this year and we will do Algebra 2 in 9th grade. I have used a lot of supplements and by far love the Art Reed teaching discs. I am not math minded and my son has done very well with Mr. Reed :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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