tagglelim Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Hello! I feel strange posting on the Logic Stage board - surely we aren't there yet!? I didn't get many responses to my question on the K-8 board, so I'm going to try over here as well. We are wrapping up my DD's 5th grade year, and will have finished Singapore 4B/5A. I want her to be prepared for Pre-Algebra in 7th and wonder which path to take. If we were to continue on with Singapore 5B/6A, will DD be ready?? Or should we go another route? Part of me is tempted to have DD take LiveOnlineMath's Pre-Pre-Algebra class, or to use another curriculum's full 6th-grade year, instead the half-way mark we are at with Singapore. But a PP wisely stated why change curriculum if I don't have to? Especially when we will be changing for Pre-Alg. Anybody have experience with this type of transition? Any advice is much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 If she is doing well with Singapore, then I would recommend sticking with it. IMO a kid who goes thru Singapore 6A will have no problem at all moving into pre-Algebra. Depending on what vendor you go with, you may need to use a placement test because she may actually be ready for Algebra (no pre). I don't necessarily advocate skipping levels- it's just that much of what is covered in Singapore 6A is covered in pre-algebra books by other publishers. As a veteran curriculum hopper (I don't think we ever used the same math publisher two years in a row), I love placement tests and have used them with great success to get DD ( and DS before her) placed appropriately when we jumped to a new book. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 :iagree: Also, if your DD has been doing well with Singapore, I doubt you/she would enjoy LiveOnlineMath's Pre-Pre-Algebra. I looked into it a couple of years ago for my DS and it included LOTS of spiral review in every daily assignment. I can't remember specifically, but it was something like 10 problems over the new material from that day's video lesson, and then at least 10 or 15 problems spiraling in review over the last 4 or 5 days worth of lessons. For a kid who needs that type of review, it would be awesome. But it was not what we needed. And it isn't clear on the website that that's what the program entails. So if she's doing well with Singapore, I'd be inclined to keep using it. Have you looked at the scope and sequence or table of contents of Singapore 6B to see what exactly it covers that you would be missing if you stopped at 6A? I'm not familiar with Singapore, other than it's reputation as a very strong program. We used Math Mammoth and level 6 of MM was largely a repeat of level 5's topics, just in more depth. We stopped using MM halfway through level 6 (level 7 didn't exist then) and went to pre-algebra. Pre-algebra typically includes a review of middle school math anyway. We had no problems with the transition and don't regret the path we took. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tagglelim Posted April 30, 2015 Author Share Posted April 30, 2015 Well, that is encouraging. I hate to have 6B dangling out there, somewhere in outer space, unfinished. But it is very encouraging to hear that it may be enough. I'll need to look at the scope and sequences. Thank you for the heads up re: the spiral format of LiveOnlineMath. I could see that working very well for my youngest DD, but maybe not my soon-to-be-6th grader. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Well, that is encouraging. I hate to have 6B dangling out there, somewhere in outer space, unfinished. But it is very encouraging to hear that it may be enough. I'll need to look at the scope and sequences. Thank you for the heads up re: the spiral format of LiveOnlineMath. I could see that working very well for my youngest DD, but maybe not my soon-to-be-6th grader. I understand about the bolded . . . LOL . . . I'm a compulsive box-checker too. :001_smile: But really, it will be OK. Meet your DD where she is and don't let the curriculum be the boss. If she's ready to move on, when the time comes, its perfectly OK to do so. You have permission. :001_smile: Also keep in mind AK_Mom4's mention of placement tests. It might help you to look at the placement tests for a couple of pre-algebra programs you might want to use. There's a pre-algebra "fence straddlers" thread here on the Logic Stage board that will keep you busy for days if you're in need of curriculum ideas. Pre-alg is still down the road a ways for your DD, but once you can see concretely which skills your DD needs to be firm on to start pre-algebra, I bet you'll feel more confident about it all. ETA: Link to Pre-Algebra Fence Straddlers Master Thread http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/342798-pre-algebra-fence-straddlers-master-thread/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tagglelim Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 LOL - you pegged me there. I am, indeed, a compulsive box checker. :closedeyes: I also think I'm just plain scared....I feel like we are entering big-game homeschool territory, and I can't help but wonder, ARE WE READY? Thank you sooooo much for the link to the pre-algebra thread! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 We are in a similar boat--we plan to use Singapore through 6b next year, and I am planning to weave in Zaccaro's Real World Algebra. https://www.hickorygrovepress.com/products.cfm?ID=1&cat=8 I am not sure what we'll do after that, but I think my son could use a specific connection between basic math and algebra, and the topics seem to go along nicely with Singapore's scope and sequence (we are using US Edition). We also use the IP books extensively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 We are in a similar boat--we plan to use Singapore through 6b next year, and I am planning to weave in Zaccaro's Real World Algebra. https://www.hickorygrovepress.com/products.cfm?ID=1&cat=8 I am not sure what we'll do after that, but I think my son could use a specific connection between basic math and algebra, and the topics seem to go along nicely with Singapore's scope and sequence (we are using US Edition). We also use the IP books extensively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 We went from Singapore 5A to Systematic Mathematics. Their programs will take you through pre-algebra, algebra, and algebra 2. They also include practical geometry. The programs are video-based and complete. I have not felt the need to supplement. I also like the fact that my student goes through them almost completely on his own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tagglelim Posted May 2, 2015 Author Share Posted May 2, 2015 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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