prim*rose Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 My 11.5 yr old is nearing the end of Chalkdust's pre-algebra course, and I'm struggling with where to put her for algebra. I've heard great things about AoPS & Thinkwell, but I'm not sure what the best fit is. Since math is the one subject we spend a considerable portion of our hs budget on, I hate to make the wrong decision. Dd has done well with Chalkdust, but she often gets bored of exercise after exercise being the same. We also supplement with LOF and Challenging Word Problems. She'd likes the idea of entering a math competition, so we might do AoPS Mathcounts class, too. Her previous math was all RightStart. We have some friends who use Ask Dr. Callahan, and love it, and I've looked at the dvds. They seem great, but I'm not sure how it compares with the other programs we're considering. She's really interested in physics right now, and she'd like to eventually get to AP-physics, fwiw. Any feedback to help with this (expensive) decision? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I do not know any of the other programs, but we have been using AoPS from Intro to Algebra through calculus.. AoPS is fabulous for kids who love math and are good at it, thrive with a discovery approach, and are willing to work harder on a program with a wider scope and more in depth concepts than they would have to work with any other, more traditional, math program. It is great for those students - and not a good fit for many others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 There was a sale on Thinkwell last month at Homeschool Buyers Co-Op. They usually have another one in the summer. You can do a 2-week free trial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kohlby Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 AoPS is a great fit for my oldest, but I agree that it's not for all. Go to the AoPS website and sign up for Alcumus. It's free. Your child can try out the Pre-Algebra level of Alcumus to she can see if she likes those types of questions before purchasing the Intro to Algebra book. My oldest was bored in math. We did MUS from the start and it worked very well for him until we got to Alg I. Then he was bored. I was bored. And he started making more careless errors and really fighting math. Switching to a more challenging program actually made for less mistakes! And it made for an amazing amount of learning. After a couple weeks of AoPS, he said to me, "I'm so glad I'm homeschooled. Otherwise I wouldn't be challenged in math." This is a kid who usually likes to take the easiest way out. He usually likes to finish his work with as little effort as possible. But he was finally getting a true sense of accompishment. I'm not sure if AoPS will be the right fit for my second child once she's older though. She's a perfectionist who can get a lot of anxiety if she can't do everything perfectly the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 FWIW, my dd11 just finished the Mathcounts/AMC8 Basics class at AOPS and had a lot of fun with it. We use the AOPS Prealgebra book at home, but don't use their class. (I think it might be too fast-paced for us.) Having said that, she's signed up for the AOPS Algebra online class which starts next week, because one of her AOPS friends is signed up for it. For a text-only class, it's actually been a nice social outlet for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prim*rose Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 Thanks for all the feedback! There's a lot to think about, and I'm going to try some of the samples with dd to see what she thinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Fwiw, If you decide to go with AoPS, I would consider beginning with the AoPS pre-algebra book instead of their Introduction to Algebra, even though your child has already had exposure to pre-algebra. Imo, the pre-algebra book is excellent and will give your child exposure to the topics contained in all of their intro level books, not just algebra. The pre-algebra book was not available when my two oldest started in AoPS, but fortunately, it was available for my dd. It was a great transition from Singapore 6B to AoPS pre-algebra. Also, do not base your decision on AoPS's placement tests. Imo, the placement tests are way too easy and not a good indicator at what level a child should be placed. Good luck with your decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Having said that, she's signed up for the AOPS Algebra online class which starts next week, because one of her AOPS friends is signed up for it. For a text-only class, it's actually been a nice social outlet for her. Sorry to hijack, but this made me smile. AoPS was a great social outlet for my daughter at that age, too. In fact, the first friend she made on the AoPS boards in middle school just got married last weekend, and they're still close buddies. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Fwiw, If you decide to go with AoPS, I would consider beginning with the AoPS pre-algebra book instead of their Introduction to Algebra, even though your child has already had exposure to pre-algebra. Would you say the same for a student who has easily gotten through algebra? Should that student repeat algebra if beginning AOPS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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