Prealgebra

[bfw0729]

I know prealgebra has been brought up many times in terms of seeking out the right program. I have Dolciani The Accelerated Course but want to take a look at other strong prealgebra programs before we start. We will be starting SM 6a and after 6b will start prealgebra. I have looked at AOPS, but not sure if it's the right fit. Open to recommendation of good solid programs. Thanks!

[wendyroo]

Hands on Equations is not prealgebra in the traditional sense of the word, but I do think there is a lot of value in going through the program pre-algebra.

 

My son is doing AOPS prealgebra and the HOE word problem book concurrently, and they are both providing great challenges and preparing him for a rigorous algebra program.

 

Wendy

[Insertcreativenamehere]

We are very happy with Derek Owens' prealgebra. Prior to finding it, we used CLE for years and then tried AOPS and Math Mammoth but none of those three were the right fit for my 7th grader's prealgebra year. 

[mirabillis]

I know prealgebra has been brought up many times in terms of seeking out the right program. I have Dolciani The Accelerated Course but want to take a look at other strong prealgebra programs before we start. We will be starting SM 6a and after 6b will start prealgebra. I have looked at AOPS, but not sure if it's the right fit. Open to recommendation of good solid programs. Thanks!

 

we do SM 5B or 6A then move straight to Dolciani Pre-A. Works great for getting them prepared for Algebra! I'm on my 3rd doing it this way (all with various internal aptitudes for math). We tried Aops for my mathy kid - not a good fit at all. Then we move into Dolciani Algebra - or outsource at that point, depending on the kid.

[bfw0729]

we do SM 5B or 6A then move straight to Dolciani Pre-A. Works great for getting them prepared for Algebra! I'm on my 3rd doing it this way (all with various internal aptitudes for math). We tried Aops for my mathy kid - not a good fit at all. Then we move into Dolciani Algebra - or outsource at that point, depending on the kid.

 

Hmmm...I wonder if we don't have to do 6B? I also have Doliciani Algebra Struture and Method book that I'm hoping to transition into. I have the Teacher Manual for the Algebra book, but only the student text for the Doliciani Pre-Algebra. Were you able to use the Dolciani Pre-A without the Teacher or Solution Manuals?

Edited December 31, 2017 by bfw0729

[mirabillis]

I don't think 6B is necessary at all. One child skipped straight from 5B to Pre-A and it worked fine.

 

I don't have teacher's manuals for either. And we were fine. The lessons are pretty self-explanatory to go over with your dc - then they have multiple examples. I assign all the odd #s (as there are upwards of 50-60 'drill and kill' problems each lesson) so we do half, and then those answers are in the back.

 

Pre-A - I'm on my 3rd dc. It's going well.

Algebra - I only did that at home with my oldest so far. But he's super mathy, and frankly, he rather taught himself from the student text lessons... my next dd is now outsourcing Alg I (after Dolciani Pre-A) with Jann in TX's myhomeschoolmathclass and doing very well with that. My 3rd is currently in Pre-A - so jury's out whether I try Dolciani Alg with him next year or outsource. I like to save the outsourcing for high school as it's pricey, but we'll see. 

[ondreeuh]

We use Math in Focus, and are in 6B now. I'm not sure how exact the TOC lines up with Primary Math 6B, but MiF 6B begins with algebraic equations and inequalities. Then it moves into the coordinate plane, geometry, and statistics. I don't see why you would skip that. MiF has a grade 7 & 8, but I'm pretty sure it won't take us a full year to do each book.

 

I plan to stick with it through 8B because the format works very well for us, it is heavy on word problems and application, and it has worksheets (the "extra practice" book) so I don't have to assign every-other problem out of a whole page in the textbook. I kind of dread moving to to algebra, to be honest, because this works so well.

[ScoutTN]

We are using Dolciani with an online provider, but my student would have been fine with MM 7.

 

I think the Dolciani text is better than MM on the geometry topics. It also has more problems, for students who need more practice.

Edited December 31, 2017 by ScoutTN

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

We stayed with SM. My DD had finished SM 6B and we switched to MM7 but neither of us liked it. We decided to go back to SM with Dimensions. We’re doing 6A and 6B of Dimensions. It covers some things that the US edition didn’t but mostly I thought my DD could just use the review. It’s going well for us. We like the program and layout. Dimensions 6A - 8B is supposed to cover up through Algebra 1 as well as touching on a few Geometry topics.

[SeaConquest]

We are using Dolciani with an online provider, but my student would have been fine with MM 7.

 

I think the Dolciani text is better than MM on the geometry topics. It also has more problems, for students who need more practice.

Which provider uses Dolciani for PA?

[Mrs Twain]

We have used Dolciani Pre-A with two kids so far. Dh and I love it. It is a tough program but very thorough and good. We use the TE, but you could do without it. I like the TE because it has different schedules depending on what level you would like to teach the course at, and because it has answers for all the problems.

 

After Dolciani pre-A, both my kids took Algebra in a school program, and they have been A+ students with solid understanding of the material.

[ScoutTN]

Which provider uses Dolciani for PA?

Wilson Hill

We are very happy with the class.

[bfw0729]

We have used Dolciani Pre-A with two kids so far. Dh and I love it. It is a tough program but very thorough and good. We use the TE, but you could do without it. I like the TE because it has different schedules depending on what level you would like to teach the course at, and because it has answers for all the problems.

 

After Dolciani pre-A, both my kids took Algebra in a school program, and they have been A+ students with solid understanding of the material.

That is awesome. My kids are in fifth grade and are currently working through 5B. I will gauge their progress when we hit 6A. Mentally, I would like them in Pre-A no later than 7th grade. They have done well with SM - not too much trouble going through the program. As a family, we value math. I have some personal expectations for my kids when it comes to math. They generally do well in math so they seem to be on track for Pre-A in 6th or 7th grade. If we transition into Pre-A after 6A, then they would be working on Pre-A in 6th grade. 

 

What are your experiences with Pre-A in 6th grade? My kids aren't gifted in math, but do well. 

[mirabillis]

That is awesome. My kids are in fifth grade and are currently working through 5B. I will gauge their progress when we hit 6A. Mentally, I would like them in Pre-A no later than 7th grade. They have done well with SM - not too much trouble going through the program. As a family, we value math. I have some personal expectations for my kids when it comes to math. They generally do well in math so they seem to be on track for Pre-A in 6th or 7th grade. If we transition into Pre-A after 6A, then they would be working on Pre-A in 6th grade. 

 

What are your experiences with Pre-A in 6th grade? My kids aren't gifted in math, but do well. 

 

6A can go really fast. My eldest (mathy kid) zoomed through the workbook in a few weeks. My younger ds took 3 1/2 months, at a steady clip. And in December jumped into Dolciani Pre-A (1/2way through 6th grade). In my experience, Dolciani Pre-A can easily be done in 1/2 year, doing 1 lesson per day. So he'll be ready for Algebra start of 7th grade. That's been my experience for 3 kids so far with Pre-A, all differing levels of math (2 in 6th grade; 1 in 7th). Dolciani starts off really slow, very much review - so 6A prepares your dc well for it.

[Mrs Twain]

That is awesome. My kids are in fifth grade and are currently working through 5B. I will gauge their progress when we hit 6A. Mentally, I would like them in Pre-A no later than 7th grade. They have done well with SM - not too much trouble going through the program. As a family, we value math. I have some personal expectations for my kids when it comes to math. They generally do well in math so they seem to be on track for Pre-A in 6th or 7th grade. If we transition into Pre-A after 6A, then they would be working on Pre-A in 6th grade.

 

What are your experiences with Pre-A in 6th grade? My kids aren't gifted in math, but do well.

One of my kids did Pre-A in 7th, and the other did it in 6th. Personally we think 7th is preferable because kids’ abstract understanding is better developed at that age. Most kids will learn and retain more if they take algebra in 8th (or 9th). Algebra is extremely important as a foundation for most subsequent math courses as well as for many science courses. If kids take Algebra too early and don’t really understand and remember it, then their future science and math education as well as their confidence in their STEM abilities may be irreparably damaged.

 

However, one of my kids did Pre-A in 6th and Algebra in 7th because she needed to in order to have a strong application for a magnet high school she would like to attend in the future. She has always learned math and science concepts very easily and quickly, and she is is doing well. So we think she will be fine.

 

If your children are advanced in math and the concepts come very easily to them, it is okay to do Pre-A in 6th. Otherwise, I would recommend waiting until 7th.