AoPS online, esp. Intermediate Algebra and up

[Matryoshka]

Dd is coming back home, and has asked to go back to AoPS after she's done with Geometry.  I'm trying to decide if that's a good idea.

 

She did AoPS Prealgebra online (both courses) and that went great - that was second half of 5th and half of 6th.  Then we decided to do AoPS Intro Algebra at home and take our time - I wanted to make sure she wasn't rushed though.  That took the rest of 6th and 7th (well, we ended a few chapters short, mostly advanced concepts - we finished through graphing quadratics).  She did about half the challenge problems, but not all.  Then we switched to Wilson Hill for Geometry.  Then, halfway through 8th, she went to school (long story...)  They had her take a placement test for Algebra, and she pretty much flunked it.  She had reviewed briefly, but not really studied.  They put her in slow-boat Algebra (basically half of Alg 1 over a year), and let her retest at the end of the year with the Advanced Algebra (whole thing) at the end.  I had made her do review at a math center (as she isn't particularly motivated to do 'extra' work at home) and I signed her up for the AoPS Algebra I class online (1st half of book; it ironically had most of the topics in the 2nd half school test).  This time the AoPS online class didn't go as well.  She said it was because it was 'review' and she didn't care and it was boring.  Don't know whether the math center or the AoPS review did it, but she did make a 96 on the second placement test, so this year (9th) she's doing Geometry - again.  She does not much like Geometry on principle, but says she's looking forward to getting back to Algebra. 

 

So, I'm trying to figure out if letting her do AoPS online for Intermediate Algebra is a good idea or a bad one.  I know the classes change a bit past Algebra part B or whatever they're calling the second half of Intro Algebra these days.  Correct me if I'm wrong here - there are no more videos (she never watched those anyway), and also no more Alcumus (which she thought was okay but wasn't gung-ho about).  So what are the homework sets like without the Alcumus?  I'm guessing the kids have to self-check their work (I'll probably end up having to do it, sigh...)?

 

And one more question - if your kids did AoPS online successfully (esp past Intro Algebra), how was the flow?  Did they read and work all the example problems before class?  How about the problem sets at the end of each section - were they all done, and before or after class?  How many challenge problems did they do?  What did they do if they got stuck (this is probably going to get over my head fast unless I work through the book with her...)

 

[snowbeltmom]

So, I'm trying to figure out if letting her do AoPS online for Intermediate Algebra is a good idea or a bad one.  I know the classes change a bit past Algebra part B or whatever they're calling the second half of Intro Algebra these days.  Correct me if I'm wrong here - there are no more videos (she never watched those anyway), and also no more Alcumus (which she thought was okay but wasn't gung-ho about).  So what are the homework sets like without the Alcumus?  I'm guessing the kids have to self-check their work (I'll probably end up having to do it, sigh...)?

 

And one more question - if your kids did AoPS online successfully (esp past Intro Algebra), how was the flow?  Did they read and work all the example problems before class?  How about the problem sets at the end of each section - were they all done, and before or after class?  How many challenge problems did they do?  What did they do if they got stuck (this is probably going to get over my head fast unless I work through the book with her...)

With the exception of the pre-algebra classes, the online classes move extremely quickly. I make sure that my kids have worked through the sample problems in the book before they attend the online lecture. In our experience, if the kids didn't have some exposure to the material ahead of time, they quickly became lost in the online discussion. You are correct that there are no videos or Alcumus problems for the next level of textbooks. My kids worked through problems in the book in addition to the challenge sets.

 

Good luck!

 

ETA: The AoPS folks respond quickly to questions posted on the online message board.

Edited January 2, 2016 by snowbeltmom

[Arcadia]

There are no videos and no Alcumus.

 

Did they read and work all the example problems before class?

 

DS11 tries to.

 

How about the problem sets at the end of each section - were they all done, and before or after class?

At your child's time. It is not part of homework so you would still need to buy the solutions manual.

 

How many challenge problems did they do?

DS11 did them after the class ended as review.

 

What did they do if they got stuck (this is probably going to get over my head fast unless I work through the book with her...)

They can post for help online. My kids aren't the most patient kids so I look over if they are stuck.

 

DS11 did their intermediate algebra class concurrent with intro to geometry class. Now he is doing their precalculus class (now) with their intro to python class (starting feb).

[Matryoshka]

Thanks.  I think I'm going to have her do all the Alcumus problems from the second half of the Intro Alg book while she finishes up Geometry.  If she can show me that she's willing to put in that work, I'll consider signing her up for Intermediate Algebra (she's adamant she'd like to start over the summer to end before spring semester next year so she can 'catch up' some of the time she missed by school-switching).  I suppose then if she totally started flailing in AoPS over the summer I could still sign her up for WH Alg 2 for the fall, I'd probably just miss out on the teacher I'd want for that...

 

Anyone else with experience want to chime in, I'm still :bigear:

Edited January 4, 2016 by Matryoshka