What to do before Videotext?

[Dassah]

 

I'm contemplating Videotext Algebra after Singapore 6 for a 6th grader and I'm wondering if we would be best served doing a Pre-Algebra text like BJU 7 before jumping into VT? My dd is solid in math but I'd love to give her some growing time.

 

Any suggestions?

 

I posted this on the Logic Stage board without response so I'm hoping some High School moms will help me out.

[Musicmom]

I have no experience with BJU Pre-Algebra, but this sounds like a very reasonable plan to me. Both my dc did Singapore up through 6B, and then we did another Singapore book called PSLE (it was a prep book for Singapore's Primary School Leaving Exam) and parts of Singapore NEM1 during 6th grade before starting Videotext. Ds started Videotext in the spring of 6th grade, doing Module A, and then he did Modules B & C in 7th. Dd started Videotext in the fall of 7th grade, doing Modules A, B & C that year. (We also did NEM 1-2 on the side as a supplement.)

 

It is good, and important, to have the growing time--my kids needed it. And starting Videotext in 7th (assuming your dc is ready at that point) is plenty early to allow for a nice math sequence through high school. It allows you to get through geometry in 9th, which is very nice for the PSAT, and allows you to go on through calculus, statistics, or beyond by senior year. Ds did not take statistics, but got through university level multi-variable calculus before going to college. Dd has been able to fit in both calculus AB and statistics.

 

(One side note I'll mention for you to consider as you plan--Videotext says if you go all the way through both their algebra and their geometry courses, you've had the equivalent of precalculus. While that may be true, I had both my dc take a separate precalculus course in 10th grade, since they had done algebra so early (and Videotext geometry only had modules A-D out at that time, so we had to switch.) It proved to be a good decision--the precalculus was very valuable to cement and expand their algebra and trig skills before calculus, and Videotext algebra was great prep for success in precalculus.)

[Dassah]

What a great help you've been! I have been very pleased with Singapore but it has gotten more challenging this year and I know we need more time and more review. I will research the PSLE to see if that might be a good overall review. I've also been eyeing Singapore's Discovering Mathematics 7a/b but I don't feel confident teaching beyond that level which is where Videotext comes in. Perhaps that would be another option to delay Videotext until mid-7th.