Middle school math ideas

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

My oldest DD is in 6th grade and currently doing SM 5b. I know this is "behind" for many 6th graders here but I'm honestly not concerned about that (we started formal math late). It's where she's at and going well at that level.

 

That being said, I'm starting to think ahead to high school and trying to figure out what path to take (for everything but I figured I'd start with math). I'm fine with not getting to Algebra 1 until 9th. If we get there sooner that's great but I'm in no rush. That gives us 2 years to prepare for Algebra 1.

 

Option A: SM 6a&b in 7th, pre-al in 8th (curriculum TBD)

 

Option B: skip SM 6 and go into SM Dimensions 7 and 8 for 7th and 8th and then we'd be ready for AL2 or geometry in 9th?

 

Option C: skip SM 6 and start a pre-al in 7th followed by AL1 in 8th

 

Option D: ?

 

She does fine with math but doesn't really care for it. She understands it and can figure out the word problems most of the time with little to no help from me.

 

Which option would you choose if the main goal was to get an average math student from SM 5b to Algebra 1 in the next 2 years. Something else I haven't thought of? Curriculum recommendations are welcome too.

[Arcadia]

We have done option A and option C just as a younger age due to my quirky kids.

My youngest who did option C would have had a smoother time with option A but he was bored with SM. So prealgebra took longer for him than oldest.

 

We didn't try the dimensions series so I didn't check how the series would correlate to a typical algebra 1, geometry, algebra 2 sequence.

 

I would do SM6A over the summer at less than an hour daily if you have it already. Then do SM6B in fall. You could finish prealgebra in fall next year working an hour or so daily through summer.

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

Thanks! That's what I'm leaning towards. I'm wondering if pre-algebra will be somewhat easy after finishing SM 6. Maybe we could do it in less than a year? I found it very easy as a kid and had it finished by Christmas of my 8th grade year (started at the beginning of 8th). I was thinking of having her do LOF over the summer but maybe I should think about sticking with SM. Something else to think about...

Edited February 15, 2016 by 2ndgenhomeschooler

[redsquirrel]

Many consider SM 6 to be pre-A. There are some kids who go from SM5 right into algebra, without an officially labeled  "pre-A" class.

 

So, if she does well with SM 6 A&B, she might well be ready to move on to Algebra.

 

[Julie of KY]

Many consider SM 6 to be pre-A. There are some kids who go from SM5 right into algebra, without an officially labeled  "pre-A" class.

 

So, if she does well with SM 6 A&B, she might well be ready to move on to Algebra.

 

I agree with the above, but would encourage you not to rush through prealgebra topics if your daughter is struggling. Getting this foundation set is the main thing that causes kids to succeed or not in algebra and higher math. She needs to know fractions, exponents, negative numbers, distributive property well before moving on to algebra.

[redsquirrel]

I agree with the above, but would encourage you not to rush through prealgebra topics if your daughter is struggling. Getting this foundation set is the main thing that causes kids to succeed or not in algebra and higher math. She needs to know fractions, exponents, negative numbers, distributive property well before moving on to algebra.

 

Absolutely, my son did sm 1-6 and then did a full year of AoPS pre-Algebra in 7th, followed by AoPS algebra in 8th

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

Many consider SM 6 to be pre-A. There are some kids who go from SM5 right into algebra, without an officially labeled  "pre-A" class.

 

So, if she does well with SM 6 A&B, she might well be ready to move on to Algebra.

 

 

Thank you! This is good to know!

 

 

I agree with the above, but would encourage you not to rush through prealgebra topics if your daughter is struggling. Getting this foundation set is the main thing that causes kids to succeed or not in algebra and higher math. She needs to know fractions, exponents, negative numbers, distributive property well before moving on to algebra.

We definitely won't be rushing. I'll move things along faster if she's getting it but I think it's very important to have one math concept down solidly before moving to the next. I'd much rather my kids do less math during their school years but have a really solid understanding of it than do more without quite "getting" it.

[Cindyz]

We finished Singapore 5b and went right into AOPS pre-algebra with no problems.  I would plan ahead of time which program you plan to use for algebra, and start with their pre-algebra right after 5b.  

Edited February 17, 2016 by Cindyz

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

We finished Singapore 5b and went right into AOPS pre-algebra with no problems. I would plan ahead of time which program you plan to use for algebra, and start with their pre-algebra right after 5b.

I like this idea too. Choosing an Algebra curriculum scares me though. Using SM was easy - finish a level, start the next.

 

I don't think AOPS would be a good fit for her. It sounds like something better suited for kids who need or want a challenge and like math. As much as I would love to use it, that doesn't describe my DD. The look of Saxon makes me want to stab myself in the eye. I really don't think I could handle it. I've heard from a friend that MUS isn't great.

 

What are some solid options I should look into? I can help/teach her but something written to the student would also be great since I have three others to teach too.

[Ali in OR]

We used Singapore 1-6 then moved on to Dimensions Math (the older version--Dimensions 1,2, part of 3A) for 7th and 8th grade. My goal was to have my girls ready for Geometry when they enter our public high school in 9th grade, so they needed to complete the equivalent of Algebra 1. In Dimensions they also did a fair amount of Geometry, but not proof, so not the equivalent of a high school geometry course.

 

The one option I would eliminate is going from 5b to Dimensions. There's a big conceptual leap and difficulty leap from 6 to Dimensions. I'm also not a fan of skipping 6--there are topics in 6 (like circles) that are not covered in 5. I would use Dimensions for a rigorous, serious college-prep type math course. My kids are not math geniuses, oldest is definitely not headed toward a tech future but science is a possibility. Dimensions gave her a strong background and I credit her strong PSAT math score to that program. But, if I was aiming for Algebra in 9th and a less rigorous, gentler approach, I wouldn't use Dimensions. We liked the Dolciani Pre-Algebra book (our second choice) for a gentler, straight-forward, but still very thorough program. That could work for you after Singapore 6, then in 9th grade look at Dolciani or Foerster's Algebra.

[Ms Brooks]

I want to love Dimensions Math--I think it is just me--but it is mind bending. The jumps in thinking in the problem sets from what was demonstrated in the lesson leave me  :sad: . I used Singapore 6A and 6B with DD, but Dimensions math just doesn't jive with us. I use Dolciani Pre Algebra and Critical Thinking Press "Understanding Algebra" to help us wade through the difficulties. AoPS is too discovery for my DD. It would not work. I've looked at CLE and like Horizons, but we are on this path now.