Comments on: What Is The Correct Math Sequence In High School? http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/what-is-the-correct-math-sequence-in-high-school/3264/ Helping Parents Homeschool High School Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:14:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: wearsunscreen http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/what-is-the-correct-math-sequence-in-high-school/3264/comment-page-1/#comment-5593 wearsunscreen Mon, 23 May 2011 17:52:42 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=3264#comment-5593 I'm going to talk about after homeschooling is over. Geometry's "4/3 pi this and the other thing" is memorized if the student's background is algebra 1 or 2. But after calculus 1 those formulas are reasoned through infintesimal slices of shapes, and their limits, not memorized. So if rote memorization causes annoyances that's one factor. Depending on how far your homeschooler is going; I have a technical degree and a business one, alg2, geo, trig, calc1-2-3 makes sense from the technical point of view. From the business side I need to be able to describe and aim at a market segment, or control some management metric, and geo and trig and calc are skippable. Statistics could be deeply understood after calculus (and trig identities helps with calculus, and dang! geo helps with trig) or lightly reasoned through, think Millionaire Next Door correlations for the light version. In the light scenario you have M$ Excel do your graphing and heavy lifting for you. If you get into projects that require more you outsource some sort of a mathmatician or matlab ninja. I like how when thinking about doing adjustments to your high schoolers curricullum you are thinking longer term end results. What a leg up. I’m going to talk about after homeschooling is over. Geometry’s “4/3 pi this and the other thing” is memorized if the student’s background is algebra 1 or 2. But after calculus 1 those formulas are reasoned through infintesimal slices of shapes, and their limits, not memorized. So if rote memorization causes annoyances that’s one factor.

Depending on how far your homeschooler is going; I have a technical degree and a business one, alg2, geo, trig, calc1-2-3 makes sense from the technical point of view. From the business side I need to be able to describe and aim at a market segment, or control some management metric, and geo and trig and calc are skippable. Statistics could be deeply understood after calculus (and trig identities helps with calculus, and dang! geo helps with trig) or lightly reasoned through, think Millionaire Next Door correlations for the light version. In the light scenario you have M$ Excel do your graphing and heavy lifting for you. If you get into projects that require more you outsource some sort of a mathmatician or matlab ninja.

I like how when thinking about doing adjustments to your high schoolers curricullum you are thinking longer term end results. What a leg up.

]]> By: Terri http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/what-is-the-correct-math-sequence-in-high-school/3264/comment-page-1/#comment-5592 Terri Mon, 23 May 2011 17:11:06 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=3264#comment-5592 We used Video Text Interactive which combines Pre Algebra, Algebra I and Algebra II. We are pretty much through Pre Algebra and Algebra I and now my daughter is totally burnt out on Algebra. So we decided to take a break from Algebra and do Geometry. I think we are going to try Teaching Textbooks because I've heard so many of my friends families love it. We used Video Text Interactive which combines Pre Algebra, Algebra I and Algebra II. We are pretty much through Pre Algebra and Algebra I and now my daughter is totally burnt out on Algebra. So we decided to take a break from Algebra and do Geometry. I think we are going to try Teaching Textbooks because I’ve heard so many of my friends families love it.

]]> By: Charlene http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/what-is-the-correct-math-sequence-in-high-school/3264/comment-page-1/#comment-3327 Charlene Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:42:45 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=3264#comment-3327 From all that I have read, the section of the brain that deals with algebraic thinking develops later. For that reason it is usually better to interrupt the Algebra classes with Geometry. Most math teachers that I have spoken with agree that the Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II route is the best for most students. From all that I have read, the section of the brain that deals with algebraic thinking develops later. For that reason it is usually better to interrupt the Algebra classes with Geometry. Most math teachers that I have spoken with agree that the Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II route is the best for most students.

]]> By: Karen Dean http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/what-is-the-correct-math-sequence-in-high-school/3264/comment-page-1/#comment-3154 Karen Dean Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:00:48 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=3264#comment-3154 My oldest did Alg.1 with Key To Algebra which was VERY good preparation for her then we did Teaching Textbooks for Geometry because she just plain needed a break from Algebraic thinking. The logic and type of thinking required for Geometry was a perfect fit for her, especially since TT is so strong with the logic and proofs (Key to Geometry is not!). She then went to Saxon for Algebra II (her choice out of the many out there) and had her best year ever. She was well prepared for the Algebra, but not burnt out, and she didn't have to "learn" the geometry while she was also learning the Algebra II. My oldest did Alg.1 with Key To Algebra which was VERY good preparation for her then we did Teaching Textbooks for Geometry because she just plain needed a break from Algebraic thinking. The logic and type of thinking required for Geometry was a perfect fit for her, especially since TT is so strong with the logic and proofs (Key to Geometry is not!). She then went to Saxon for Algebra II (her choice out of the many out there) and had her best year ever. She was well prepared for the Algebra, but not burnt out, and she didn’t have to “learn” the geometry while she was also learning the Algebra II.

]]> By: karen http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/what-is-the-correct-math-sequence-in-high-school/3264/comment-page-1/#comment-3124 karen Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:16:07 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=3264#comment-3124 We are doing the algebra 1, geometry, algebra 2 route. We are doing the algebra 1, geometry, algebra 2 route.

]]> By: Lois http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/what-is-the-correct-math-sequence-in-high-school/3264/comment-page-1/#comment-3113 Lois Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:48:18 +0000 http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/?p=3264#comment-3113 Lee, I was discussing this very subject this afternoon with 2 moms. The question I asked was, what comes after Algebra I? Both of them said geometry without hesitation. One mom uses Math U See, the other Saxon, but the Saxon mom has 2 that are younger than my daughter, and they will be doing algebra I next year. My daughter really enjoys the geometry part and loves to figure out the surface areas of geometric shapes. (They make my head spin.) So I will probably go the geometry route to help algebra settle in her brain a bit. Thanks for that suggestion. I will look into Jacobs. Lee,
I was discussing this very subject this afternoon with 2 moms. The question I asked was, what comes after Algebra I? Both of them said geometry without hesitation. One mom uses Math U See, the other Saxon, but the Saxon mom has 2 that are younger than my daughter, and they will be doing algebra I next year. My daughter really enjoys the geometry part and loves to figure out the surface areas of geometric shapes. (They make my head spin.) So I will probably go the geometry route to help algebra settle in her brain a bit. Thanks for that suggestion. I will look into Jacobs.

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