Math help for "mathy" kid stuck in Saxon

[lamolina]

Hi- I am just looking for thoughts and opinions on what i might do for my 9 year old. He is currently in 4th grade and attends a homeschool hybrid school once a week. He does math there and they use Saxon, the school version not the 5/6, 6/7 books. His is called Intermediate 5. He did Math Mammoth for K-3 and finished that in about 2 years.

 

My question is... he gets very few questions wrong, I help him very little, and he has a high A in the class. He does not need the spiral review.  I am wondering if anyone has thoughts on what I could do for him. 

 

We could work over the summer to skip Course 1 and he could start Course 2 in the fall which would put him in Algebra in 7th grade. Or I could completely switch him to a different curriculum in which case he wouldn't be able to take math at his hybrid school anymore and after a certain point I would have to outsource math as it is not my strong point. I see this kid as headed towards some type of STEM career. 

 

Please give me some input on what you recommend or have done in this situation. Thanks!

[Targhee]

I would switch him. There are many options for outsourcing the higher maths, when he gets there. Saxon does teach math, and is especially helpful for those who like a step-by-step approach. But if by "mathy" you mean he grasps concepts well, then maybe Singapore or Beast Academy would be more challenging conceptually for him.

 

Getting a high A is commendable, but I can see your concern. I like that the founder of AOPS said that he expects people who are doing well to be getting something like 70% of questions right (I may have the % wrong), and if you're getting more than that right the material is not teaching you anything.

[justasque]

 

I would see if there are alternative outsourcing options that would take a more in-depth approach where the student is challenged with a wide variety of problem-solving exercises, looking at the concepts from a different perspectives. As an option, consider finding a teacher/tutor who would be comfortable with this approach. You can then see if you know any other kids who would be a good fit for a class with your son, and split the cost of the teacher. You could even see if the hybrid school would let you use a classroom for the class, to keep scheduling issues at a minimum. Or talk to the school and see if they would be up for offering another section of math, for kids who need this kind of approach. (In talking to them, make it clear that their existing class is great, just not a good fit for your particular kid. Don't criticize or burn bridges if you don't have to.)

 

Your child is not being challenged, which means he is missing opportunities for a more complex learning experience.

[lamolina]

Thanks. I think that is exactly what I am thinking. He usually only misses a couple problems on each lesson and usually even those are silly mistakes.

 

It doesn't seem like switching to Singapore after finishing 5th grade math is probably the best option? I am looking into an online AOPS class and am having him take the placement test for it tomorrow. I am sure there are other kids at the school in his situation, that is a great idea to see if they have thought about any other math options. It is a small school but worth a try. I did ask the math director if she had found Saxon to be a poor fit for high achieving math students and she said no.

 

Any other ideas I should look at? If i pull him out of Saxon now I think we are committing to a different math for the rest of his schooling, as his school uses Saxon all the way through. I just can't imagine he needs 3 more years of math before starting algebra!

Edited March 11, 2016 by lamolina

[Targhee]

Singapore is not just Primary Maths - they have a couple middle school integrated algebra-geometry programs.

 

Even if he's completing Saxon 5th grade (though I admit I am not familiar with their public school versions) I would still look into Beast Academy 4. And 5 (A is out, B should be in a couple months, and if you're lucky C and D will be done by the time you need them!). It's not just about knowing how to do calculations - it's a whole different way of thinking.

 

Before jumping into an AOPS class try some work on Alcumus. You'll get a better feel for the approach. IMO the pretests are minimum requirements for the class - they are in no way representative of the rigor of the books and classes. My DD completed an online preAlgebra (ALEKS) in about two months time when she was just turned 11 and passed the PreA test for AOPS, but she did AOPS preA anyway and it was significantly more rigorous and challenging for her.

 

Even doing Singapore 5 or 6 might provide enough of a difference in approach, especially doing challenging word problems and developing mental math strategie, to stretch his learning.

 

Having a breadth and depth of learning, even if you already covered the materials once, can significantly add to your understanding and math ability.

 

Other thoughts are the Key To... series for decimals, precents, ratios, exponents, etc.

[Targhee]

One other option would be to look at the eIMACS Elements of Mathematics Foundations courses.

[SarahW]

If he's breezing through Saxon now, he'll likely breeze through Saxon later, even if he is skipped ahead.

 

You can certainly look into moving into AOPS Pre-A in the Fall. Maybe do some Key to... books over the summer if there's things he's unsure of. The first half or so of the Key to Algebra books are generally considered good prep for a depth PreA like aops. I would also prep for aops by doing some competition math problems or problem solving books. People here have lots of different suggestions for titles and sites for those.

 

If you stay in Saxon, I would add on competition math problems as an extra. Something like MOEMS or something.