Aops PreAlgebra so similar to Beast 5??

[trelimboys]

We completed Beast through 5D as well as Singapore 5 (and some 6). He loved Beast and asked to finish it instead of Singapore 6 (which seemed much easier to him). 

I just got Aops Prealgebra since it was the next in line and am now reviewing it. It looks like a repeat of Beast (with the exception of the Geometry chapters). I'm wondering if it would be better to go straight to Algebra. My son doesn't like to rehash the same concepts again and again. I also know Aops can appear easier than it really is and so maybe it really delves deeper than his Beast did (especially since they recommend PreA after Beast 5??).   

I looked through old posts about skipping Apps PreAlgebra but they were all written before Beast 5 was completed and so most people were coming to Aops from a different curriculum. Is there anyone that completed all of Beast that can weigh in on the idea of skipping Aops Prealgebra? 

My other consideration is that we potentially only have 1 year before he enters a B&M school, so I'd like to get whichever program will really provide the best foundation for upper level math. I really love Aops and already dislike the idea that he will not likely move through the entire program if we switch schooling. 

Thanks for any help!

Edited June 29, 2019 by trelimboys

[Noreen Claire]

DS10 finished BA5 yesterday. (YAY!) We are definitely doing AoPS pre-algebra. I found this thread helpful (it's from 2017): 

 

[El...]

Dd11 did BA 3 through 5 and is now doing AOPS Prealgebra. We are NOT finding the material to be a repetition, or too easy. It's not the concepts that are so new, but the way the problems lead you to apply and understand the concepts. The challenge problems... whew!! They're fun.  We do it exclusively by textbook, not online. 

[EmilyGF]

My DS didn't need AOPS PreAlgebra. I read all the threads, though, and was convinced he did. I made him work through the whole darn book. 

He still resents it. Maybe I should have done more reflection as the year went on, but I didn't. Sigh.

[purpleowl]

8 hours ago, elroisees said:

Dd11 did BA 3 through 5 and is now doing AOPS Prealgebra. We are NOT finding the material to be a repetition, or too easy. It's not the concepts that are so new, but the way the problems lead you to apply and understand the concepts. The challenge problems... whew!! They're fun.  We do it exclusively by textbook, not online. 

AOPS commented along these same lines on a Facebook post (on the Beast Academy page) not too long ago:

We don't currently have plans to expand Beast Academy beyond BA 5, as there's already a lot of overlap in topics between BA 5 and AoPS Prealgebra (which was an intentional decision, as we wanted to give students time to adjust to the format and rigor of the AoPS Curriculum/online courses while studying topics they'd encountered before).

My oldest has just finished BA 5 and will be starting AOPS Prealgebra this week (we school year-round). My guess is that on the whole, doing the Prealgebra will be a good thing for her, but in the details, we may end up skipping some stuff. 

[trelimboys]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and experiences! It helps to hear perspectives. The quote from FB Beast Academy is interesting too. I'll try to come back on to share what our final decision is... and then whether it was a good one or not!

[daijobu]

If you are still on the fence about whether to skip PreA, you can skip to the end of chapter Review and Challenge Problems.  If your student has any trouble with these, then you can revisit that section in more depth.  If he's able to answer most of them, then you can move on to the next chapter.