how would you sequence these math books for 5th grader?

[greenmamato3]

for various reasons, my husband and i have decided we want to use the following books to begin and then fill out our sons 5th grade year; i just need help with advice on which order might work .....

Life of Fred:

kidneys, liver, mineshaft, fractions, decimals & percents.

AoPS Pre Alg

RS E (second half).

 

i was originally thinking we will do

LoF Kidneys

then, for a month we will split our math time between Rightstart E and LoF Liver, continuing with that pattern until we complete Mineshaft.

then, take time to nearly finish RS E but before we end completely, start into AoPS and split our math time again each week between the two.

then, take a break to dabble in LoF Fractions.

return to AoPS solely, supplementing with LoF Decimals and Percents as we feel the need to split our time between those two.

 

 

does that sound like a good sequence. by the end of all that, we will enter RS level G, and he will be 11. He loves math. he is mathy and creative. he loves RS, he loves LoF, and he loves the AoPS vids we have watched. he's really quite agreeable and aggressive when it comes to math, so we want to feed that. (he's already also completed nearly all of HandsOn Equations level 3, having worked through level 1 and 2 with EASE during 4th grade this year, along side RS E (first half).

 

so i'm really just wanting thoughts on the sequencing of the books i listed --

does anyone have familiarity with these enough to give advice?

{yes, i've called RS, asked Horrible Ray .... based on what they've said, this is what i ascertained would work .... i just want some "advice from the field" if anyone has some! }

[kiana]

I'd finish RS and the fred decimals and percents before starting AOPS. If you want to continue fred I would do the pre-algebra courses alongside aops instead.

[greenmamato3]

is that because the content of the pre-alg AoPS is virtually the same as the LoF pre-alg? would it do just as well to do the AoPS without any continued study of Fred?

so based on what you're saying, RS-E & LoF Dec/Per *need* to be finished before AoPS, or just it's a nice flow and a break? (our books won't all arrive until the late part of this week)

[wapiti]

I agree w/Kiana that RS and Fred decimals and percents would come before AoPS Prealgebra.

[wapiti]

is that because the content of the pre-alg AoPS is virtually the same as the LoF pre-alg? would it do just as well to do the AoPS without any continued study of Fred?

so based on what you're saying, RS-E & LoF Dec/Per *need* to be finished before AoPS, or just it's a nice flow and a break? (our books won't all arrive until the late part of this week)

 

I don't know what's in RS E. I don't remember what's in LOF (I have it but have never used it). I'd want the main instruction on decimals (and probably percents) to occur prior to starting AoPS Prealgebra. While there is a chapter on each in AoPS, arithmetic with decimals is a prerequisite to starting AoPS (see the pre-test) and the percent chapter will still stretch your student further.

 

AoPS is pretty full by itself; no need for fred alongside unless your student needs a break or something.

[greenmamato3]

RS E covers decimals and percents pretty thoroughly. (and DS's brain just naturally works that way! :) ) *but* having said that, it's great to hear specfically the type of topics he needs to be completely familiar with before diving into AoPS :) so it sounds like LoF decimals and percents will be a great way to brush up right before we do AoPS. :)

 

any others with thoughts, i'm just going to record all these thoughts into my notes. :hurray:

[wapiti]

Having a good understanding of arithmetic with negative numbers is important. It doesn't necessarily have to take long for your accelerated student to learn; just make sure you teach it before starting AoPS.

[kiana]

It's not that it's virtually the same -- aops is considerably more extensive. But doing fractions/decimals/percents would be a step down, and he should be already very good with all of the above if he's ready for aops pre-algebra. The aops pre-algebra assumes )(iirc) competence in linear equations but the hands on equations should suffice for that.

[Luckymama]

AoPS PreAlgebra doesn't really assume competence in linear equations-----it just moves swiftly from manipulating expressions (5.1) to solving linear equations 1 (5.2) :) Whatever you use, end with AoPS. The problems are just that much more challenging.

[boscopup]

I'm planning to do LoF Fractions and Decimals & Percents before starting AoPS. He's almost done with Fractions (we've taken a long break, but I think he can jump back in and finish as we near the end of Singapore 5B next week), and then he'll do D&P the rest of this school year as his math every day. We plan to start AoPS at the end of June or beginning of July (whenever we start school back up).

 

Fractions and D&P are meant to be done before "prealgebra", so yeah, doing them after doing AoPS would be a step back. I think they'll be a good preparation for AoPS (I'm in the middle of chapter 7 myself :D).

[Dmmetler]

We haven't done AOPS, since LoF is a better fit for her right now, but I will say that you NEED the content in Fractions/Decimals and Percents to do Fred Pre-Algebra (or the equivalent skills). Unless AOPS is different than LoF (and based on what I've seen, it's worse on this regard than Fred) there really is no review of those precursor skills built in-you're simply dumped in the deep end and expected to swim and pick up the new skills as you go, so those operations need to be SOLID.

[Lilaclady]

I will do Lof before doing Aops. My dd did that and it helped her with Aops which is more challenging than Fred. Se actually did Lof prealgebra with biology before aops. We haven't used RSVP so can comment on that.

[daijobu]

I'd finish RS and the fred decimals and percents before starting AOPS. If you want to continue fred I would do the pre-algebra courses alongside aops instead.

 

 

Our AOPS PreAlgebra book does a pretty thorough job with percents (chapters 6 and 8). Dd thought it was redundant ("boring!) with the % stuff she learned in Singapore Math.

[SnegurochkaL]

We are moving to AOPS Pre-Algebra in May and will be doing only 4-5 chapters from it. We are planning to skip Fractions/Decimals/ Percents because we already learned it in SM5. I was debating on getting pre-Algebra book and decided to purchase it. Also, We are going to do SM6 and IP6 to be sure we get all their challenging problems right. My daugher did Fraction book over the summer and she had a lot of fun with it.

[Luckymama]

We are moving to AOPS Pre-Algebra in May and will be doing only 4-5 chapters from it. We are planning to skip Fractions/Decimals/ Percents because we already learned it in SM5. I was debating on getting pre-Algebra book and decided to purchase it. Also, We are going to do SM6 and IP6 to be sure we get all their challenging problems right. My daugher did Fraction book over the summer and she had a lot of fun with it.

 

 

I recommend if you skip the fractions/decimals/percents chapters of AoPS PreAlgebra to do the Challenge Problems for those chapters. Those are the fun problems :D

[SnegurochkaL]

I recommend if you skip the fractions/decimals/percents chapters of AoPS PreAlgebra to do the Challenge Problems for those chapters. Those are the fun problems :D

Thanks for your suggestion. I was planning on doing it anyway. I want to encourage my daughter to compete in math Olympiads without feeling a lot of pressure. Her fear is her our enemy, especially when she sees a word "Challenge". :)

[greenmamato3]

i don't know much about the math olympiad world.

i just know that i really appreciate everyone helping me see that i should have him complete the LOF we have before we go to the AoPS. :)

[wapiti]

i don't know much about the math olympiad world.

i just know that i really appreciate everyone helping me see that i should have him complete the LOF we have before we go to the AoPS. :)

 

I'd think of it more as completing the topics. They're covered in RS E, right? If he learns them well there, you may not need fred before aops prealgebra.

[SnegurochkaL]

i don't know much about the math olympiad world.

i just know that i really appreciate everyone helping me see that i should have him complete the LOF we have before we go to the AoPS. :)

 

If your son gets a solid foundation from SM, you would not really need LOF Fractions and Decimals as a bridge to AOPS pre-algebra book. My daughter read Fractions book as a fun reading before she started working on Fractions in SM. If she did it again, it would be just a review and nothing else. Just my 2 cents:)

[kiana]

Well, I actually don't think you would need to do lof frac/dec. But if you do do them, I would do them before aops. I think that they'd be a step down if you did them during.

 

I was reading your original post as 'we really are determined to use all of these resources'. :p

[greenmamato3]

 

If your son gets a solid foundation from SM, you would not really need LOF Fractions and Decimals as a bridge to AOPS pre-algebra book. My daughter read Fractions book as a fun reading before she started working on Fractions in SM. If she did it again, it would be just a review and nothing else. Just my 2 cents:)

 

 

we don't use SM. we use RS. i think DS will be well-set for using LoF Fract/Dec in much the same way as your DD did, but just doing it as a review of what he's done in RS instead of as a preview. he's always loved fractions and naturally gets them. RS teaches them from 2nd grade on.

[greenmamato3]

I recommend if you skip the fractions/decimals/percents chapters of AoPS PreAlgebra to do the Challenge Problems for those chapters. Those are the fun problems :D

 

 

why would one skip chapters in AoPS? i don't have our book just yet .... only a few more days for them to arrive! i was thinking we wouldn't skip anything at all in AoPS. do some people find it necessary or helpful to do so?

[Luckymama]

 

 

why would one skip chapters in AoPS? i don't have our book just yet .... only a few more days for them to arrive! i was thinking we wouldn't skip anything at all in AoPS. do some people find it necessary or helpful to do so?

 

I was replying to a different poster (SneguochkaL) who said they were going to skip the fractions/decimals/percents chapters as she felt the foundation from SM5 would be enough for her child.

 

I personally wouldn't skip anything in an AoPS book! Dd did the PreAlgebra book after using part of a schooly PreAlgebra text. I still had her do every end-of-section problem plus all the review and challenge problems for those topics she has prior knowledge (I let her skip the in-text problems for only those particular topics).

[boscopup]

AoPS goes further than SM5. We're finishing SM5B next week, and I'll absolutely be having my son do those chapters in AoPS.

[greenmamato3]

just posting to say this: "EEEEEE!!!!!! our books just arrived on the front porch!!!!" :)

[SnegurochkaL]

Hi, the only reason I said we would be skipping chapters on Fractions/ Decimals/Percents because we had covered them in SM and Russian based Peterson math which goes deeper than Pre-Algebra from AOPS. We still do all challenging problems from pre-Algebra chapters which we skip. We need only few chapters from pre-Algebra before we go to Intro to the Algebra. I agree that SM5 doesn't cover all manipulations with fraction and decimals, but we already covered multiplication/division of fractions and compound percents in Russian math.

My books arrived 2 weeks ago, so we will be using them in May. Now, we are working on SM6 books including IP, CWP and few others.

[boscopup]

Hi, the only reason I said we would be skipping chapters on Fractions/ Decimals/Percents because we had covered them in SM and Russian based Peterson math which goes deeper than Pre-Algebra from AOPS.

 

 

Ah, that makes more sense! :lol: Your first post sounded like you had only done F/D/P in Singapore 5. :)