Aops Intermediate Algebra

[Roadrunner]

If your child completed this text, how long did it take and was there a big jump in difficulty from Intro Geometry and Algebra books?

It's the next book in line for us. It took DS one full year to work through Intro to Algebra book and is on track to finish geo in one academic year (8 months) If that helps.

Edited February 6, 2017 by Roadrunner

[Mike in SA]

We haven't finished, but are still right on pace to finish it in 8-9 months.  Jump in difficulty is hard to assess - that's such an individual thing.

 

We have found it not as hard as PreAlegbra, but harder than Intro to Algebra.  It's a different kind of work, as it gets into proofs by induction, etc, which are commonly found in precalculus texts.

 

 

[regentrude]

We did not find it harder than the other books, just in some way more tedious. Honestly, there is only so much I care to know about polynomials.

We took about a school year, but omitted some material.

[8filltheheart]

My ds took the online class and it finished the book in about 5-6 months IIRC.

[Roadrunner]

My ds took the online class and it finished the book in about 5-6 months IIRC.

Did he do every single problem in addition to class problems or did he just work through sections and online problems in place of challenging problems at the end?

Edited February 6, 2017 by Roadrunner

[Julie of KY]

Completed it in one schoolyear. By the way we found AoPS precalculus "easier".

 

My son found it harder because he was not yet able to write out solutions due to severe dysgraphia. He's a better writer now, but still does most math in his head.

[8filltheheart]

Did he do every single problem in addition to class problems or did he just work through sections and online problems in place of challenging problems at the end?

I think AoPS has changed the format of their online classes bc when he took the class, I don't think there were any online problems. That was 8 yrs ago, so I might not be remembering correctly. (I know when Dd took the online alg class that its structure with online problems was nothing like the format of his classes.)

 

I know he spent hours writing proofs for the problem sets and problem sets normally had 15 problems.

 

Id have to ask him for any other details.

Edited February 6, 2017 by 8FillTheHeart

[Roadrunner]

Completed it in one schoolyear. By the way we found AoPS precalculus "easier".

 

My son found it harder because he was not yet able to write out solutions due to severe dysgraphia. He's a better writer now, but still does most math in his head.

This doing problems in his head is killing me! He will sit there for 15 minutes staring and mumbling at a proof problem and then scream "done!" Hmmmmm, nope, you aren't, because you need to prove to me in writing. It's a fight and I get him to do some on the board and let others slide "orally," but this is the reason he will take aops class in addition, so somebody else can compel him to actually write those solutions out!

[Arcadia]

This doing problems in his head is killing me! He will sit there for 15 minutes staring and mumbling at a proof problem and then scream "done!"

...

It's a fight and I get him to do some on the board and let others slide "orally," but this is the reason he will take aops class in addition, so somebody else can compel him to actually write those solutions out!

There is only 1 or 2 writing problems per week for the online class so it doesn't solve that issue of writing those solutions out. My oldest can write complete solutions and score full marks for his calculus graded written problems but he doesn't do that for the not graded for written solutions ones.

My oldest has a weaker writing hand compare to age peers. Being able to type for language arts and for math has made it easier for him to cope with the volume of writing. He types in Latex for aops online class homework.

My oldest spent 18 months doing both intro to geometry and intermediate algebra concurrently. He was flat out bored with just algebra so doing concurrently helps. It is hard to calculate how much time he spend though because he spends 1-4 hrs daily and then zero math on some days when he is worst hit with allergies and also during summer. We have days in January and April when no academics was done because he is feeling too sick. This year he had 5 sick days last month when all he did was sleep and stay hydrated, no appetite at all.

 

My younger boy will take an academic year for the online class and finishing the book. His attention span is at most 1hr for any subject. SAT subject tests will suit him just fine. He probably spend at most 290hrs on math (or any other subject) in any given year from prealgebra onwards. Our academic year goes mid Aug-end May as I just conveniently follow my local district calendar.

Edited February 6, 2017 by Arcadia

[Roadrunner]

I am glad for writing problems in the online classes. He does great for those. He just won't write for me, but he writes when his class assigns it. He thinks I am wasting his time by having him prove something on paper which he already obviously proved in his head. 😤🤕

[8filltheheart]

Arcadia's post definitely confirms the shift of the upper level classes to the similar format Dd had when she took alg 1. That is not the way the classes used to be structured.

[Lilaclady]

This was the first online class my dd did. It was great because she learnt to write proofs correctly. It was about 6 months which the school counselor did not appreciate when she registered at the school as she expected it to last 9 months or so.

The challenge problems were different from the ones in the book and were usually about 8 or so with 1 or 2 written problem. She had Deven Ware as her instructor and he was great. She enjoyed the class immensely but it was also challenging.