Pacing for AoPS PreAlgebra?

[ikuradesuka]

Dd (10) is about to start AoPS PreAlgebra.  I've scanned through the topics on the sample excerpts and think that she won't have much of a problem with anything.  I do understand that the point is to learn to think deeply while learning the mathematics, and I don't want her to just do the problems and be done.  I want that time to really get it.  I'm not sure what the line is between getting it and being able to do it, though I suspect one doesn't necessarily equal the other.

 

Anyway, I digress.  I'm trying to map out a basic school plan, and was curious how I should anticipate the pacing?  How long for a chapter?  Two weeks?  Three?  I see some are longer than others, but I'm going for roughly.

 

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Arcadia]

DS10 who did SM2-6 before that spent about 9mths on the prealgebra. DS9 who did SM2-5 spent slightly over a year.

 

Chapter review problems took about a day. Challenge problems average out to two days per chapter.

[wapiti]

You might find some food for thought on pacing in this recent thread:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/566818-need-pre-algebra-recommendation/

[regentrude]

I have not seen AoPS prealgebra, but have used all the other AoPS texts. In my experience, pacing is unpredictable, because different sections have different degrees of difficulty, and unless you work every problem ahead of your student, you won't know what will take longer and what won't. Actually, not even working it all out in advance will, because your student may have difficulties where you don't envision any and may breeze through material you had estimated would be difficult.

 

I found it best with AoPS to demand a certain amount of time on task and then simply take however long it will take to finish the book.

[ikuradesuka]

Wonderful! Thank you!

[Targhee]

I think my dd, who did it at 11, hit her stride with one section every two days: Day 1 problems and solutions, Day 2 video and exercises. Review sections were 2-3 days. This is working roughly 60-90 minutes a day. If she was done early she worked on alcumus until 60 min was up. She has slow (2 standard deviations lower than her IQ) processing speed, so she tends to take longer on every task, so it may take others more like 45 minutes. But because of that, and her ADD, it was important to set a non-time goal each day.

[ikuradesuka]

Thanks for the non-time viewpoint.  I try to shoot for about an hour of mathy things a day, but we have six kids and sometimes the distraction level is pretty high and much less gets done in an hour than should.  I am loving our new house because it allows me to separate the kids better as they work.

[daijobu]

In all the AoPS books we shoot for 1 day on problems and exercises, taking about an hour.  Some sections are (much!) longer than others.  If it's egregiously long (rarely) or we're short on time, I give them a break and have them do problems on day 1 and exercises on day 2.  Then they spend 2-3 days each on review problems and challenge problems.  

[Julie Smith]

My plan for Eldest is to see how long it takes him to do the first half of the book, then I'll have a clue of when he will finish the book - so I can have time to order the next one, have it delivered and look it over before he starts it.  I think we are done about the first 100 pages. But right now he attends a math circle at the university once a week - so we are only using the AOPS book three times a week so progress is slow.

[Julie of KY]

I aim for doing one section per day, but usually max it at an hour. I suspect I'll have to increase this time limit with my third however, as she is slow but persistent. (Mostly, give yourself permission to stop after so long as to not get frustrated with the math). For the review sections (review plus challenge), my kids usually spend 2-5 days on them. Oftentimes for the review sections, I set a goal of try to get to this point, but stop at this time.

 

When we want a break from teaching, we use Alcumus to review chapters already done.

 

 and I don't want her to just do the problems and be done.  I want that time to really get it.  I'm not sure what the line is between getting it and being able to do it, though I suspect one doesn't necessarily equal the other.

 

 

I wouldn't worry about her being able to do the problems by rote and not "really getting it". You cannot progress through AoPS unless you understand the material. Also, don't worry if she struggles with more problems than in a typical program. Especially the challenge problems are hard -- some kids skip the challenge problems altogether and do fine, but I'd recommend doing as much as possible (but I think it's okay to skip some of the challenge if it's too frustrating). I've had kids who work every challenge problem and others that skip most of the challenge and are just fine (working with my kids as well as those I tutor).