lollie010 Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I need a little advice on how to proceed. I know there have been threads in the past, so I've been trying to pull those up. Here is the situation. I have a 5th grader finishing up Singapore 5a/5b. He did the placement test for aops prealgebra and had no problem except that he has not covered addition and subtraction of negative numbers. It doesn't look like that is covered in 6a/b either. I wouldn't necessarily consider him a gifted math student, but he does catch on easily and gets bored with a lot of practice. I would love to place him in the Welltrained Mind Academy aops prealgebra. I think he would excel with some good instruction. But, I certainly don't want him to be overwhelmed. Any thoughts on whether an above average math student, who sometimes gets frustrated, could go from Singapore 5a/5b to aops prealgebra? If so, is there a quick resource for introducing negative numbers? Or should we wait a year before starting the welltrained mind academy class? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Key to Algebra book one is perfect for negative numbers. Some one wiser than I will have to answer the Singapore to AOPS PreAlg. question. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollie010 Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 Key to Algebra book one is perfect for negative numbers. Some one wiser than I will have to answer the Singapore to AOPS PreAlg. question. Perfect. He could do that over the summer! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 You won't know until you try. My above average math loving kid is thriving with aops. I think the key to aops success is passion for math. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Negative numbers section from MEP (PDF) http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book7/bk7_15.pdf The negative numbers covered in MEP would be enough for starting the AoPS PreAlgebra book. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosieCotton Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 6th level math in Singapore is a review year, so other than reinforcement of previously learned topics, there is nothing new and we won't be using it. I don't know why you couldn't do the work you need to do now on topics you need to cover before starting the next thing. If he did well on the Ptest just work on what he didn't know. To wait a year doesn't make sense to me, and I would go for it! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollie010 Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 Thanks for the feedback. I Think we are going to try the class. The pre-registration period is ending soon so I have to decide. This will be his first online class, but I think he will enjoy it and he will not have to wait for me to get it done. I just hope the pace works for him. 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 You can get him an account on Alcumus for him to try out the Prealgebra problems. My 4th and 5ty grader have their own accounts. I just need to sign the parent consent form, snap a photo of the form and email to the stated email address. http://artofproblemsolving.com/alcumus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Sounds like a good plan to me! My dd went from Singapore 5b to AoPS Pre-A. I think if The Well-Trained Mind Academy had been around when she started AoPS Pre-A, she would have taken the class. The fast, text only classes AoPS offers wouldn't have been a good fit for her. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I'm trying to make this decision too. One thing that has been helpful for me it to take a look at the syllabus to get a feel for the speed of the class. I think ds may need more than a week of continued work on percents, for example. It looks to me from the syllabus that more of the work is from the AoPS text and less from Singapore 6. I'm really wishing for a solid, online Singapore 6 course. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollie010 Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 I'm trying to make this decision too. One thing that has been helpful for me it to take a look at the syllabus to get a feel for the speed of the class. I think ds may need more than a week of continued work on percents, for example. It looks to me from the syllabus that more of the work is from the AoPS text and less from Singapore 6. I'm really wishing for a solid, online Singapore 6 course. This was my primary concern with the online class. If the pacing turns out to be too much then he is going to be disappointed. I'm very comfortable with teaching math, I just run out of time. I can definitely supprt him with instruction if he runs into issues. Decisions, decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 This was my primary concern with the online class. If the pacing turns out to be too much then he is going to be disappointed. I'm very comfortable with teaching math, I just run out of time. I can definitely supprt him with instruction if he runs into issues. Decisions, decisions. Pacing of the preA class isn't a problem. In fact for us it is moving rather slowly. The pacing of the actual class (solve problems quickly and post) is a different thing. I am glad my kid is an excellent typer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Pacing of the preA class isn't a problem. In fact for us it is moving rather slowly. The pacing of the actual class (solve problems quickly and post) is a different thing. I am glad my kid is an excellent typer. See and this would be a HUGE issue, as in deal-breaker for us. My ds is actually keeping up (middle of the pack) with his current online classes but he could never race others for an answer in an online class situation. It is so helpful to know these kinds of things before selecting classes to get a better fit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Fwiw, if it helps anyone, my kids haven't really felt race-to-post pressure in the online classes at aops (right now they are in geometry, Intro to Alg A, and prealg). For one thing, only a handful of responses are selected by the instructor for the rest to see. For another, my kids do not respond to every single teacher question (as much as I might like them to lol) much like an in-person class. The very first class of algebra, my ds got a little nervous about the text going too fast, but it really hasn't been a problem since; I think they are having class 5 or 6 tonight. Sometimes it just seems fast because the teacher's question or statement had been typed beforehand and appears suddenly if you know what I mean. This is my kiddo with the single digit percentile for coding, who also has a language processing glitch. The online class is going super well for him; seriously the text format of minecraft has prepared him well. ( more later, on phone) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Fwiw, if it helps anyone, my kids haven't really felt race-to-post pressure in the online classes at aops (right now they are in geometry, Intro to Alg A, and prealg). For one thing, only a handful of responses are selected by the instructor for the rest to see. For another, my kids do not respond to every single teacher question (as much as I might like them to lol) much like an in-person class. The very first class of algebra, my ds got a little nervous about the text going too fast, but it really hasn't been a problem since; I think they are having class 5 or 6 tonight. Sometimes it just seems fast because the teacher's question or statement had been typed beforehand and appears suddenly if you know what I mean. This is my kiddo with the single digit percentile for coding, who also has a language processing glitch. The online class is going super well for him; seriously the text format of minecraft has prepared him well. ( more later, on phone) This speaks to the personality of kids. My kid solves every problem and he paces to submit it before answers appear. He is convinced he stands a better chance that his answer will be displayed that way. :) I can't convince him otherwise. He would have been extremely frustrated if the typing skills hindered his ability to answer quickly. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Fwiw, if it helps anyone, my kids haven't really felt race-to-post pressure in the online classes at aops (right now they are in geometry, Intro to Alg A, and prealg). For one thing, only a handful of responses are selected by the instructor for the rest to see. For another, my kids do not respond to every single teacher question (as much as I might like them to lol) much like an in-person class. The very first class of algebra, my ds got a little nervous about the text going too fast, but it really hasn't been a problem since; I think they are having class 5 or 6 tonight. Sometimes it just seems fast because the teacher's question or statement had been typed beforehand and appears suddenly if you know what I mean. This is my kiddo with the single digit percentile for coding, who also has a language processing glitch. The online class is going super well for him; seriously the text format of minecraft has prepared him well. ( more later, on phone) Can you elaborate on how Minecraft helped? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Can you elaborate on how Minecraft helped? As a practical matter, the format of reading and typing responses in the class is familiar. From what I have seen of the conversations among players in Minecraft, the text comes up from the bottom of the screen and moves upward. He reads the messages and manages to type quick responses. (Let's just say he's played a lot of Minecraft over the past few years.) Likewise, the text in the class comes at the bottom and moves up. So, he's pretty comfortable with the text format. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 As a practical matter, the format of reading and typing responses in the class is familiar. From what I have seen of the conversations among players in Minecraft, the text comes up from the bottom of the screen and moves upward. He reads the messages and manages to type quick responses. (Let's just say he's played a lot of Minecraft over the past few years.) Likewise, the text in the class comes at the bottom and moves up. So, he's pretty comfortable with the text format. I agree. I thought ds would struggle much more than he has with the typing in his class. He was so used to typing text for Minecraft and seeing it scroll that it was not even an issue. I was pleasantly surprised that the time in Minecraft paid off like that. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Maybe I've gotten the wrong impression about the classes. Interesting to hear some say they aren't fast paced....I've always heard otherwise...hmm.... Fwiw, the typing wouldn't be a concern here. It's just my dd wouldn't like the speed responding to math problems, which may or may not be happening...I'm hearing conflicting reports... It's not that she can't read and respond Minecraft style. That's not the issue at all. It's the preference of seeing and hearing the teacher speaking vs simply reading text. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Maybe I've gotten the wrong impression about the classes. Interesting to hear some say they aren't fast paced....I've always heard otherwise...hmm.... The fast pace is the pace through the material, e.g. Intro to Alg class A is 13 chapters in 16 weeks. There are book problems, Alcumus and a weekly online challenge set as homework for the class. Above I was referring to something different altogether, the ability for a slow-processing-speed kiddo to read and respond within the in-class text format. Am I making sense? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarabellesmom Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The fast pace is the pace through the material, e.g. Intro to Alg class A is 13 chapters in 16 weeks. There are book problems, Alcumus and a weekly online challenge set as homework for the class. Above I was referring to something different altogether, the ability for a slow-processing-speed kiddo to read and respond within the in-class text format. Am I making sense? This is very good to know thank you. I have an excellent math student who is a slow processor. This class isn't in our radar for next year as she will only be a fifth grader but I have it in mind for the year after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I think it depends on personality. My daughter (an extreme VSL kid with all the assorted 2E side diagnoses) found the AoPS online classes OK from age 12 up. She's not as fast a processor as her older sibling was, but the text-based AoPS online classes worked out for her. Since wrong answers are never highlighted on screen, she felt very safe in guessing answers and occasionally being correct. You can also chat privately with the TA if you have questions or get stuck...no one else knows. Text format worked better for her, too, like it does for wapiti's ds. She'd had experience IM'ing online and was comfortable with typing quick responses. If it had been video or speech based, she would have been more timid about answering. (This kiddo is now an AoPS employee and teacher and finds lots of similar souls in her classes) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollie010 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 it might be a bit much for his first online live course. He has done self paced courses before, but not live interaction. Hmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The fast pace is the pace through the material, e.g. Intro to Alg class A is 13 chapters in 16 weeks. There are book problems, Alcumus and a weekly online challenge set as homework for the class. Above I was referring to something different altogether, the ability for a slow-processing-speed kiddo to read and respond within the in-class text format. Am I making sense? Totally. I was actually referring to a different comment in which someone mentioned the pace of the class wasn't fast for her child. That was just something I hadn't heard before, or at least not often. I've also heard various reports about the actual classes. I was just sort of thinking aloud.... I agree that personalities have lots to do with responding to a class. I'm thrilled The Well-Trained Mind Academy offers an alternative for students who aren't a good fit for the AoPS classes, but might thrive with the books in a different setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Maybe I've gotten the wrong impression about the classes. Interesting to hear some say they aren't fast paced....I've always heard otherwise...hmm.... PreAlgebra is slow paced. The rest of the classes move fast. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I think it depends on personality. My daughter (an extreme VSL kid with all the assorted 2E side diagnoses) found the AoPS online classes OK from age 12 up. She's not as fast a processor as her older sibling was, but the text-based AoPS online classes worked out for her. Since wrong answers are never highlighted on screen, she felt very safe in guessing answers and occasionally being correct. You can also chat privately with the TA if you have questions or get stuck...no one else knows. Text format worked better for her, too, like it does for wapiti's ds. She'd had experience IM'ing online and was comfortable with typing quick responses. If it had been video or speech based, she would have been more timid about answering. (This kiddo is now an AoPS employee and teacher and finds lots of similar souls in her classes) Do you know if they ever considered offering at least one section of the Algebra class at a slightly slower pace? I would love a full book paced out over 9 months (three sections instead of just two they currently offer). I know they are probably getting lots of kids who already had Algebra at PS, but I bet lots of people would be interested in a slightly slower progression. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Do you know if they ever considered offering at least one section of the Algebra class at a slightly slower pace? I would love a full book paced out over 9 months (three sections instead of just two they currently offer). I know they are probably getting lots of kids who already had Algebra at PS, but I bet lots of people would be interested in a slightly slower progression. I haven't heard anything, but I'll ask dd. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenDaisies Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Is everyone referring to the WTMA PreA class or are some referring to the AOPS PreA class? Is the WTM class new or does anyone have experience with it? Is the WTM class slower paced? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollie010 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 Is everyone referring to the WTMA PreA class or are some referring to the AOPS PreA class? Is the WTM class new or does anyone have experience with it? Is the WTM class slower paced? I think the WTM class is new. That is the one I am considering for my 6th grader. There is a syllabus up. The materials list also includes the practice books from singapore 6a/6b. I think a lot of the discussion in this thread seems to be about classes through AOP. Im glad for the discussion either way, because it really helps to know what is available. I think I will call WTM academy today and get the specifics on the course. I'll post what I find out. I heard that there was a delayed viewing option for their live courses, so that might help my guy who may be a bit slow on the typing and responding. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rzberrymom Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I considered AoPS pre-algebra when my DD finished Singapore 5, but I was swayed by the many folks on here that suggested going deeper with math before speeding on to pre-algebra. I went back and did Beast Academy with her before AoPS, and I'm sooooo glad I did!! It sounds nuts to go back to 3rd and 4th grade books, but we just skipped the sections that she knew very solidly from Singapore, and we were left with some of the most fantastic critical thinking math problems I've seen! We're doing the pre-algebra book now and feel like she was exceptionally well prepared by Beast Academy. Just another idea... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The AoPS online Prealgebra class (unfortunately) proved to be a poor fit for my son. The "chat line" format didn't appeal. He felt like it was a "race" to post, and he was frustrated when his answers were not selected to show up. It was not the the pace of the concept coverage was "too fast," it was the pace of the postings. I wish it had worked. A video based class would have been better for him, I believe. We're just plugging away at home. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 One word of praise for AoPS (in addition to the great books and resources they provide) is that they are very generous in allowing students to try the classes to see if they are a good fit. If they are not, AoPS refunds the cost of the classes. This policy does relieve some of the stress if the format of the class isn't for your child. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Is everyone referring to the WTMA PreA class or are some referring to the AOPS PreA class? Is the WTM class new or does anyone have experience with it? Is the WTM class slower paced? Sorry, I was referring to the AoPS PreA, not the Academy one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Sorry, I was referring to the AoPS PreA, not the Academy one. Me too. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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