Bookworm Mom Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 My 7th grade daughter is about to finish Saxon Algebra 1. Is the Saxon Geometry needed if she plans on going to a brick and mortar high school? I am under the impression that she would have to go through Advanced Math to finish geometry credits if we don't do the geometry book. Is this right? Thanks for any advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omma Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I think you are correct. Another option to doing the separate Saxon Geometry book is to do Jacob's Geometry. MFW is a curriculum company that recommends Jacob's Geometry between Saxon Algebra I and Saxon Algebra II anyway, so you could be 'all set' with this choice, whether or not you eventually decide to switch her out of homeschooling in the future. I might be a bit nuts, but I am hoping to try and do Jacob's Geometry AND Saxon Algebra II with my dd next year, because she loves math (particularly geometry) so much! We'll see...I don't expect we'll go at the same pace with both, but will adjust as we go along. She also happens to be in 7th grade right now, but she probably won't finish Saxon Algebra I until next fall because we just started it two months ago. Best wishes to you! Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookworm Mom Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 Thank you for your response. I had forgotten about Jacob's being recommended. Best of luck to you as well. Lise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 From what I understand it really depends on the edition you have. If you have an older edition of Algebra I,II and Advanced there is no need to do Geometry. If it is a newer edition Geometry is recommended since they reorganized the books. If your child is planning on going to a brick and mortar school I would suggest completing Algebra I and II, when they enter the school they will probably be placed in Geometry and then Trig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 My daughter is planning on attending the local high school and so we stopped our integrated math and moved to Algebra 1 and geometry for middle school. We've been using Foerster for Algebra, but I'm considering Saxon Geometry for next year. I want her to continue to review algebra she's learned and if there's one thing Saxon is good at - it's reviewing old concepts... We'll see how it goes. I'd follow the school's order -- If they do Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, stick to that. If they have integrated math or use a different order, do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stupidusername Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 My 7th grade daughter is about to finish Saxon Algebra 1. Is the Saxon Geometry needed if she plans on going to a brick and mortar high school? I am under the impression that she would have to go through Advanced Math to finish geometry credits if we don't do the geometry book. Is this right? Thanks for any advice. First off, congratulations! Your daughter is young to have come so far. Second, we need to be clear which Saxon Algebra book you're referring to. I assume you are talking about this one: http://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Incremental-Development-Edition-Saxon/dp/1565771346 There is a more recent version of Saxon Algebra, published by Houghton-Mifflin, that is awful. The first thing you should do is contact the chairman of the high school math department and explain the situation. Your daughter may be ready to enroll in a pre-Calculus class her freshman year. Here's how she can do it. Important caveat: In the advice that follows, I assume two things: (1) you are happy with Saxon and (2) your daughter is doing well (85% or higher on her tests). Given those assumptions, I would have her proceed to Saxon Algebra 2 as soon as she finishes Saxon Algebra 1. After she finishes Algebra 2, have her go as far as she can in Saxon Advanced Mathematics. Depending on how far she gets, she may be ready for a pre-Calculus class as a freshman in high school. Between Saxon Algebra 2 and the first half of Saxon Advanced Mathematics, your daughter will cover the equivalent of one year of Geometry. It's solid -- certainly sufficient for standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT. If she needs or wants more proof-based Geometry than is offered in the Saxon books, you can have her tackle Jacobs Geometry after Saxon Algebra 2. My daughter didn't care for the Jacobs book, but many people like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 The first thing you should do is contact the chairman of the high school math department and explain the situation. Your daughter may be ready to enroll in a pre-Calculus class her freshman year. Here's how she can do it. Important caveat: In the advice that follows, I assume two things: (1) you are happy with Saxon and (2) your daughter is doing well (85% or higher on her tests). Given those assumptions, I would have her proceed to Saxon Algebra 2 as soon as she finishes Saxon Algebra 1. After she finishes Algebra 2, have her go as far as she can in Saxon Advanced Mathematics. Depending on how far she gets, she may be ready for a pre-Calculus class as a freshman in high school. Between Saxon Algebra 2 and the first half of Saxon Advanced Mathematics, your daughter will cover the equivalent of one year of Geometry. It's solid -- certainly sufficient for standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT. But why would you want to try to skip a child ahead? Unless she's off-the-charts and skipping her way, bored and unchallenged through algebra, I can't see any reason for it. The disadvantages of missing out on a year of geometry and two years of algebra are that she'll have had less time for algebra 1 and 2 and geometry to sink in, she'll be placed with honors level juniors who are more mature and have taken the traditional three years to cover algebra 1, geometry and algebra 2 (probably using a more rigorous program than Saxon), and if she is successful, she'll have less math available to her for the remainder of high school (and if unsuccessful, may need to repeat both geometry and algebra 1). Besides making you (or your child) feel good, I can't think of any advantage. It's not a race. Better to be the most successful Algebra 2 (or geometry) student with solid skills getting an A than the mediocre freshman in precalculus. I should add - I was that struggling student, failing and unprepared in calculus in 10th grade because of middle school acceleration. That was my last math class ever and I was bitter and hated math for years because of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stupidusername Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 But why would you want to try to skip a child ahead? Unless she's off-the-charts and skipping her way, bored and unchallenged through algebra, I can't see any reason for it. The disadvantages of missing out on a year of geometry and two years of algebra are that she'll have had less time for algebra 1 and 2 and geometry to sink in, she'll be placed with honors level juniors who are more mature and have taken the traditional three years to cover algebra 1, geometry and algebra 2 (probably using a more rigorous program than Saxon), and if she is successful, she'll have less math available to her for the remainder of high school (and if unsuccessful, may need to repeat both geometry and algebra 1). Besides making you (or your child) feel good, I can't think of any advantage. It's not a race. Better to be the most successful Algebra 2 (or geometry) student with solid skills getting an A than the mediocre freshman in precalculus. I should add - I was that struggling student, failing and unprepared in calculus in 10th grade because of middle school acceleration. That was my last math class ever and I was bitter and hated math for years because of it. It's not a race, and there is no skipping ahead. The Saxon series (Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Advanced Mathematics) takes most students 3.5-4 years to complete. It includes the equivalent of at least two years of Algebra and one year of Geometry as well as a semester of trigonometry. Tens of thousands of students have used this sequence over the years, and it has served them well. John Saxon knew what he was doing. These three books plus Saxon Calculus were used until very recently at my daughter's high school. I asked the AP Calculus BC teacher there if the incoming students -- students who used these three books -- were well-prepared for her class. She said yes. Very well-prepared. Unfortunately, the school has now switched to the crappy Houghton-Mifflin version of Saxon Algebra. I doubt the students will continue to be as well prepared. Spending an additional year on Jacobs Geometry is fine if you're into proof-based Geometry but it probably won't help a student in pre-Calculus or Calculus and it probably won't help on the ACT or SAT. From my daughter's experience, I can tell you that not everyone adores Jacobs Geometry. I may have my son spend a month or two on it, but that's it. We're happy with Saxon and don't see any need for diversions. I'd rather him spend extra time on other subjects. I prefaced my advice with the assumption that the OP's student is doing well in math and that the OP is happy with Saxon. If we're talking about a student who is struggling, I would recommend that she repeat Algebra 1 before proceeding to anything else. If the OP doesn't like Saxon, then switching to another text would of course be appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookworm Mom Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 Thanks for all of the input. This is a very mathy kid who loves to learn new concepts and gets things quickly. (I am not mathy whatsoever so Saxon has served us well.) If and when she goes to high school: the sequence for my older daughter was Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calc and then she went for AP Statitics because she is not a math lover. My younger one, the school has said can take higher level classes at a nearby private college during highschool but the logistics of that make me nervous. (They have to get to college and high school classes on time--not sure how preious students have made this work.) I would like for her to enter highschool at no higher than Algebra II so she is not at the college any earlier than Senior year if that is the route she wants to go. I'll see if I can get a copy of Jacob's to look at and see what we think. I do think there is time for Alg.II and at leat 2/3 of Advanced math at the rate she is going but just not sure if that is enough. They do test for math placement so maybe just keeping her moving forward is all I should worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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