anissarobert Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Hi Jann, I have only been on the forum for a short while, but I have already discovered that you are the resident math guru. Could you answer a quick question for me? Here is my High School Math plan. My daughter loves Saxon. (I know, no one else does.) 9th-Algebra 2-Saxon Summer -Jacobs Geometry 10th- Advanced Mathmatics-Saxon I'm hoping this will prep her for the PSAT/SAT, but what should come next? At this point I doubt that she will be a math major, but I want her to go as far as she can in math. Thank you so much for your time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 The Advanced Math text was designed as a 1.5-2 year text. Pushing through it in one year can be difficult unless you have a real math-loving student. If you desire to 'slow her down' a bit then you could always work a full-year Geometry course--either this year or next--and then work Advanced Math over 11th and 12th grades. Not every student needs to take Calculus in high school! (And MOST are not mature enough anyways!). What if you worked Geometry in 9th and then started Algebra 2 in the summer of 10th--then when she finished Algebra 2 in 10th grade (sometime mid year) she could work on an SAT review course for the rest of the year and pick up Advanced Math in 11th.... Geometry is a tough program to work in only a summer--it 'sounds' like a good plan because you could 'double up' on lessons---BUT it is such a logic driven course that many times trying to work 2 lessons in one day will be overwhelming (things need time to set in). Just my thoughts for the morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 Jann, Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question. I didn't even know that Advanced Math was meant to take longer than a year. This is my first year homeschooling in High School. I do want to leave her time to take Calculus her senior year if she wants to, although math is not her favorite subject. I already purchased Algebra 2 for this year, so I guess we will work through it and then see how it goes with Geometry. We love Saxon, but their sequence makes it difficult to be ready for the PSAT on time! I was just planning on following the schedule in TWTM, but I realized (mostly from the hive) that she might not get enough geometry that way. Again, thank you for your help. My degree is in Philosophy. Can you tell?:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in MA Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Jann, We love Saxon, but their sequence makes it difficult to be ready for the PSAT on time! I was just planning on following the schedule in TWTM, but I realized (mostly from the hive) that she might not get enough geometry that way. Anissa, Saxon has plenty of Geometry in its Algebra 1 & 2 books for a student to do well on the SAT/PSAT. What is mostly lacking in Saxon is a focus on proofs, and those aren't on the PSAT/SAT anyway. I'm not saying that taking a separate Geometry course isn't worthwhile -- it is, but it won't give your child any extra content towards the PSAT or SAT that she wouldn't get from Saxon's Algebra 1 & 2. In my experience, no matter which math curriculum your child uses, she should spend some time working through PSAT/SAT prep books before taking the PSAT or SAT because although the problems cover basic Algebra and Geometry, they are worded a bit differently than the problems in traditional math books. Familiarity with the type of questions asked on the PSAT/SAT often leads to somewhat better scores. HTH, Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 Thanks for your help, Brenda. I think you hit on my confusion very well. I keep hearing that the Saxon sequence is not enough for the PSAT, and then I hear the opposite from someone else. We are planning on making test-prep a permanant part of our schedule starting next year, so maybe that will tell us if she needs more geometry then Saxon provides. She has done very well in Saxon through Algebra 1, so I am going to stay with that for now. Anissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I agree that Saxon has plenty of Geometry application practice. Some still like to add in a separate year of Geometry to allow the student time to mature--and so they can experience a different curriculum. Since your student is young I would still recommend the extra Geometry course. Jacobs is a very strong course--and you can adapt the problems to challenge your student above what Saxon offered. You have so many choices--and they are all good ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 Thanks again you guys. I'ts nice that we have so many good choices! Not being able to decide between them is actually a blessing. In the early years of homeschooling parents didn't have any access to curriculum at all! Anissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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