Math/Keeping options open for high school

[73349]

Okay, here's where we are.

DS is in Singapore Math 5 and doing fine. He did Beast Academy 3 and 4 (not independently) and liked the series. However, he needs more work on the basics than BA was providing even with some extra practice with me, and his ITBS calculation scores went down.

We will continue homeschooling at least through 8th grade. For high school, we might

• continue homeschooling,
• send him to either our zoned PS or a charter school (which both use integrated math I, II, III and then calculus or whatever from there). The charter is smaller, with narrower range of students, and I'm not sure how they do with college admissions; our zoned school is large, typical, and has a big range of students and abilities.
• or send him to a high-expectations private school. (There are two we'd consider. Both send 97% to college. One does the integrated math pathway with a range of ability-level options and the other more like a traditional sequence with lots of flexibility.)

Continuing to homeschool is what he says right now he would prefer. Note that only homeschool and the zoned PS will definitely admit him.

He is a mostly a social science guy but likes the sciences as well. He's not a language person, but enjoys word problems. If we were 100% sure of homeschooling all the way through, I'd probably buy AOPS stuff to try out for middle school and go at whatever pace works. But is there something made by SM to consider as well? Or somebody else?

Please suggest 6th-8th grade math that is

• attractive to look at,
• likely to get him finished with the equivalent of at least Math I and Algebra 1, and
• a good mix of conceptual and skills practice?

 

I'm fairly mathy and don't need a lot of support to teach, so open to whatever will be good for DS.

Thanks!

Edited December 13, 2018 by whitehawk

[EKS]

How about Math in Focus?

[73349]

1 hour ago, EKS said:

How about Math in Focus?

Can you tell me more about it?

Also interested in the idea of trying Derek Owens at some point, if anyone wants to comment on that.

This would be easier if I could let go of the idea of the amazing (but inconvenient) private school and the charter school, or at least one of them.

[SebastianCat]

Check out Mr. D. Math at www.mrdmath.com.   We have used Mr. D. from pre-Algebra through Algebra 2, and the only reason my older child switched after Algebra 2 was so he could start going through math faster at the community college.  My kids have done in-person co-ops and online classes.

My son is currently using Derek Owens for physics, and while we haven't used his courses for math, DS really enjoys the physics class.

[EKS]

22 minutes ago, whitehawk said:

Can you tell me more about it?

Also interested in the idea of trying Derek Owens at some point, if anyone wants to comment on that.

This would be easier if I could let go of the idea of the amazing (but inconvenient) private school and the charter school, or at least one of them.

Math in Focus uses the Singapore method, so it is basically an extension of what you are doing.  It even looks similar.

Derek Owens is excellent.  I highly recommend him.  The only downside is that he is not colorful and the lectures can seem to drag a bit.  I got around this by watching the lectures myself and then presenting them in a condensed form to my son which not only made them take less time, it also allowed me to have my son use his brain for the examples rather than having them wash over him in a video lecture.