So we've got about 7 months and could do any math we wanted. What would you do?

[chiguirre]

T and I have been slowly working our way through Saxon Algebra 1. She's up to lesson 49 out of 120. Next year she'll take the WTM Academy's AOPS Algebra 1 class. So we've got some time to do whatever we like as long as we do some math every day.

 

Our options:

 

Keep trucking with the Saxon. We haven't hit any roadblocks in a while. It's not too hard. It keeps PEMDAS, negative and exponent rules fresh. Next year she'll have a very solid base to tackle the AOPS challenging problems.

 

Go through AOPS Pre-Algebra. I have the book and the videos are online. It's not actually a big step back from where we currently are in Saxon because the problems are challenging and you have to think them through. This is probably the best prep for AOPS Algebra, but that book is still an intimidating brick to me.

 

Hit the highlights of algebra and geometry with Keys to. I have the pdfs. They're very easy but they do cover all of the concepts in a friendly worksheet format. T's starting rehearsals for a musical, so these are handy to pack in her bag and take with her.

 

Word problems from Foersters. I bought a cheap TM and book thinking I'd use them after we finished Saxon to shore up her word problem skills. We could do that, but I haven't even cracked the spine on them and I'd have to fly by the seat of my pants. If you've used Foerster like this, do you have any recommendations or lesson plans you'd like to share?

 

Any other brilliant idea you might have. Seriously, I'm open to off the beaten path suggestions. I thought of just getting the Basic Problem Solving Book and doing competition math prep, but I'm a bit intimidated. I can do regular math, but I'm not really mathy myself. I need some structure or at least good textbook explanations. I can follow someone else's teaching, but I can't come up with good explanations myself.

[Gil]

Well, I'd probably continue in Saxon. Nothing gets done like what is getting done, ya'know?

[Trilliums]

How about AOPS counting or number theory books?

 

I wish DS had done these (mostly because he is interested in computer science) and we have talked recently about him still working through them. 

[quark]

I have ideas listed in my siggy if you'd like to try something different! :thumbup:

The NRich math site and The Virtual Math Club might be fun!

[crazyforlatin]

Just curious, are you taking WTM's algebra class just to make sure there is a solid foundation? We are in chapter 8 of Intro to Algebra, and I'll need to sign up for AOPS online class during the spring/summer. We are also using Intro to Number Theory and will take a class as soon as we are closer to the middle of the book.

 

But in a way it would be more assuring to go through chapters 1-10 with WTM as they seem to require more work than online AOPS class. Unfortunately we will have finished almost all of the text problems by August. I sure wish they would add algebra 2 using AOPS algebra.

 

During short breaks from AOPS, I do use Foerster for its word problems. I just flip to whatever we have covered and assign a few problems for practice.

[chiguirre]

I think T could do well with AOPS with a teacher and a slower pace. I don't think she's up for the blistering pace AOPS' own classes take nor do I feel capable of helping her out if she hits trouble with the challenge problems. I can do the normal stuff through calc, but I was never good at the outside of the box problems.

 

Saxon is a solid program, but it's not a think outside of the box type of curriculum at all. It adds a bit to what you know each day and lets you practice everything that's been covered. It's a good choice for a younger than average student I think. We just stumbled onto it by accident, but it's fit the bill for what we need for this year.

 

If there wasn't any better option, we'd keep going with Saxon. Since there is a better option with the WTM Academy, we'll go that road. We're lucky that it came out when it was still a decent choice for T. I was planning to take at least 12 months to do algebra anyway. My original plan was to do Saxon and finish it up in August or September, then do word problems from Foerster for a couple of months, then start Saxon Alg 2. We're in no hurry, I don't think she'll want to do more than Calc BC and AP Stat in high school and we've got time for that. It would be different if she was going to study math or comp sci, but she's into econ and business. You need a solid base, but you don't need to hit differential equations, well, ever.

[dereksurfs]

I think throwing in some AoPS, even if only a couple days a week, would be good to prepare her for the AoPS style on instruction next year.  We used AoPS Intro to Algebra 1-13 for Algebra 1 and it definitely took some getting used.  But we started the prior year listening to AoPS math videos and using 'some' of their Pre-A book. This was just enough to get a sense of the style of instruction.  One of the biggest growing pain experiences will be learning how to wrestle with very difficult problems which can take sometimes over an hour to solve (one problem).  Most math programs do not have AoPS's level of difficulty.  So that's a learned skill in dealing with frustration and then not giving up.  The program is actually designed for them to 'not' get 100% but rather to wrestle/struggle with some really challenging problems.   Quite a few bright students have never had to struggle with math until they hit AoPS.

 

You could simply find the area she is going through in Saxon like linear equations, then follow with AoPS Pre-A in that same area.  The solution manual, if you have it, should help if you are both stuck.  No matter what there will be certain AoPS problems that you'll both look at and say "Whaaat?"   :tongue_smilie:

[MarkT]

s

1)  Go through AOPS Pre-Algebra. I have the book and the videos are online. It's not actually a big step back from where we currently are in Saxon because the problems are challenging and you have to think them through. This is probably the best prep for AOPS Algebra, but that book is still an intimidating brick to me.

 

 I have heard this is a good place to start with AoPS.  We have only used AoPS Intro Algebra as a supplement.

 

2) Word problems from Foersters. I bought a cheap TM and book thinking I'd use them after we finished Saxon to shore up her word problem skills. We could do that, but I haven't even cracked the spine on them and I'd have to fly by the seat of my pants. If you've used Foerster like this, do you have any recommendations or lesson plans you'd like to share?

 

We are in Algebra 2 now and using that Foersters for its word problems.