Algebra 2 or Geometry- which should be first?

My son is in 8th grade and about halfway through Foerster Algebra 1.  My daughter completed geometry pretty much on her own with a bit of help from me.  My son is NOT my daughter and needs actual teaching if Math is to be completed.  When I was in high school we completed geometry before algebra 2, but I see some reverse the order.  Can someone provide good reasons to pick one path over the other?   I will need time to brush up (especially in geometry) so I am trying to plan ahead.

[GoodGrief]

I did Alg 2 before geometry for one of my daughters because she struggled with math and I thought it might be easier for her to just continue with algebra. Not sure that was the right move though 🙂 You do want to make sure they have geometry covered before the PSAT.

[Aloha2U]

I appreciate the rationale behind VideoTextInteractive:

Algebra: A Complete Course

Geometry: A Complete Course

[gstharr]

The order is what works best for you.  It is not uncommon to both concurrently. 

[mathmarm]

Since he's about a year ahead in math courses, I would have him do Algebra 2. When he finishes Algebra 1 just start in on Algebra 2 that summer and he can have a little "breathing room" in his pacing. I think it makes sense to just complete the basics of Algebra for most students. The rational for doing geometry is test-based, not math based.
In January of 9th grade, he can either add in Geometry and finish it over the summer. Or he can start Geometry the summer after Algebra 2.

 

 

[mom31257]

I teach/tutor high school math for homeschool students, and I prefer to teach geometry after Algebra 1 and before Algebra 2. My reasoning is that Pre-Calculus uses more Algebra 2 skills. I'd rather not have a student go a year not really reinforcing most of those skills before starting it. You could always build in Algebra 2 review, but why add on extra work? The geometry courses I've taught all use many Algebra 1 skills, so those will be reinforced throughout that year making it an easy transition into Algebra 2. 

If a student was older finishing Algebra 1(say 10th grade), I would do Algebra 2 second because of testing. There's not much geometry on the  SAT. 

My dd did the traditional Alg 1 in 9th, Geometry in 10th, and Alg 2 in 11th. She scored very well on testing and went on to make As in her college math classes. 

[MamaSprout]

We did Algebra 1 (Forester), Geometry (Holt) and Algebra 2 (Prentice Hall/ Derek Owens) and now Precalculus. Dd thinks we should have gone straight into Algebra 2 from Forester. I'm still not sure. If I had a total redo, I would have done Derek Owens from the beginning. I feel like with Derek Owens the best sequence would be alg 1, geometry, alg 2, precalc. His Algebra 2 covers a lot that rolls nicely into PreCalculus.

[EKS]

I vote for geometry between Algebra 1 and 2. 

You use Algebra 1 in geometry and most geometry programs have Algebra 1 review built in.  In addition, most Algebra 2 programs have a lot of review built in as well (to the point that if you do Algebra 1 and 2 back to back it will seem like extreme overkill).  

Also, after a year of geometry you will be able to see very easily which concepts were understood and retained and which ones weren't.  In a homeschool setting this sort of forgetting isn't a bad thing since you can catch it and remediate it on the spot.

 

[mlktwins]

Mine are in 9th and we are doing Video Text.  They have 3 units left in Algebra (they are doing Alg 2 work now) and then we will move to Geometry.  My plan is for them to be done with Geometry no later than the end of 10th.  Video Text, if it is all completed, also gives credit for Trig and Pre-Calc.  So...that will be done by the end of 10th as well.

[Bocky]

My advice is to find the math curriculum you think has enough support for you to teach it, and follow the sequence that publisher recommends.

As I look around for a Geometry to follow Algebra 2 for my DD15, it seems to me that the most math curriculum assume an Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequence. AOPS is an outlier...and we parted ways earlier this year 😁. Perhaps I should check Videotext.

[Farrar]

Most American programs are written to put geometry in the middle and include algebra review. Most Algebra II programs assume some geometry knowledge. So unless you’re choosing a curriculum or provider with a different sequence, I’d stick with the typical one.

[Jann in TX]

8 hours ago, mom31257 said:

I teach/tutor high school math for homeschool students, and I prefer to teach geometry after Algebra 1 and before Algebra 2. My reasoning is that Pre-Calculus uses more Algebra 2 skills. I'd rather not have a student go a year not really reinforcing most of those skills before starting it. You could always build in Algebra 2 review, but why add on extra work? The geometry courses I've taught all use many Algebra 1 skills, so those will be reinforced throughout that year making it an easy transition into Algebra 2. 

If a student was older finishing Algebra 1(say 10th grade), I would do Algebra 2 second because of testing. There's not much geometry on the  SAT. 

My dd did the traditional Alg 1 in 9th, Geometry in 10th, and Alg 2 in 11th. She scored very well on testing and went on to make As in her college math classes. 

100% agree with this post.

I have over 30 years of teaching experience and the year gap between Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 BENEFITS the student-- a good Algebra 2 course will consider this progression and will contain review before new concepts are introduced.  It is AMAZING how much more mature brain can understand the material!

The BIG downside to working Geometry after Algebra 2 is that most people will NOT independently do a review of Algebra 2 during Geometry (most Geometry will use and review only Algebra 1 skills)-- so the Algebra 2 topics will go the way of the wind. Pre-Calc does NOT start with a review-- it jumps right in where Algebra 2 leaves off! 

Rarely will a student self review Algebra 2 during Geometry....

 

 

[EKS]

2 hours ago, Bocky said:

My advice is to find the math curriculum you think has enough support for you to teach it, and follow the sequence that publisher recommends.

This is an important consideration.

8 hours ago, mom31257 said:

I teach/tutor high school math for homeschool students, and I prefer to teach geometry after Algebra 1 and before Algebra 2. My reasoning is that Pre-Calculus uses more Algebra 2 skills. I'd rather not have a student go a year not really reinforcing most of those skills before starting it.

I totally agree with this.

Edited January 6, 2020 by EKS

[mathnerd]

Geometry can be done after algebra 1. The reason I picked this approach is because Algebra 2 skills should be fresh in the student’s memory before entering calculus (and precalculus). What ended up happening was after 4 months of doing geometry, my son asked to add in Algebra 2 because he likes algebra a lot and so we ended up doing both simultaneously- geometry for 3 days/week and Algebra 2 for 2 days/week. 

On 1/6/2020 at 6:04 PM, Jann in TX said:

 

Rarely will a student self review Algebra 2 during Geometry....

 

 

Very true...I especially don’t see this son doing any review unless explicitly required.

4 minutes ago, square_25 said:

I actually have no idea what's in what "box"... what counts as "Algebra 2" and what counts as "Algebra 1"? 

Since it seems that different textbooks have different sequences and some algebra 2 books (like Foerster) also include Trigonometry while others do not, I feel certain it isn’t a clear delineation.  I am not exactly sure what constitutes “pre-calculus” either.

[plansrme]

My oldest, who is now a mathematician whose field is algebraic geometry (which may or not be related to actual algebra or geometry--I honestly have no idea), did them concurrently but over two years.  We alternated units of Algebra II and geometry.  It worked out well for her.  I wanted to keep both subjects fresh, and we had the time.  

[mathnerd]

1 hour ago, square_25 said:

If you throw in trig into geometry, that's actually probably quite a lot of stuff... 

I agree. I have seen many local private schools offer a course called "Algebra 2 + Trigonometry" which seems doable in 2 semesters whereas, Geometry + Trigonometry might be too much.

Edited January 8, 2020 by mathnerd

1 hour ago, plansrme said:

My oldest, who is now a mathematician whose field is algebraic geometry (which may or not be related to actual algebra or geometry--I honestly have no idea), did them concurrently but over two years.  We alternated units of Algebra II and geometry.  It worked out well for her.  I wanted to keep both subjects fresh, and we had the time.  

I sort of like this idea...together, but not trying to cover both in one year.  Continuing with algebra topics without a big break and starting over (something that seems so inefficient) while taking shorter breaks for geometry makes a lot of sense to me.  Time isn’t an issue here either, but it really shouldn’t take longer than one year on each subject.  I just have to find a geometry book I like and refresh my own skills on the subject - I was always more an algebra girl as I hated the proofs.  I have Jurgensen, but it just seems uninspiring.