AB? What's next, BC? What was the value in skipping ahead just to slow down later? You'd end up in the same place going slow and steady vs rushing and stopping. |
Until 2 weeks after summer ends when you forget it. |
There you go again, focusing on the wrong thing. |
People naturally focus on their own child. |
Sure but the programs are probably not comparable. the RSM classes is a weekly class during the school year that includes a video component and is limited to 12 kids in his class. The AoPS is going to be online, no cameras, chat discussion, and message boards. RSM has a summer math competition program as well but it is in person and we cannot do that because of vacations and the like, he would miss too much. His ES does not have a math team but he is planning on trying out for the math counts team next year. He scores high in every math competition that he does and enjoys the challenge. He loves the math competition class. He is in the National Math Competition Program through RSM, they select a limited number of kids per grade each year, at least that is what the website says. The NMCP moves at a faster pace then the local program. DS participated in the local program in 4th and 5th grade and really enjoyed it. The local math competition program has 2 levels now for each grade level. We have no idea how he was selected for the NMCP program but he was and he loves it. There is number theory, geometry, and algebra. It moves at a fast pace and he has homework problems that are challenging enough that he asks to talk them through with his dad. Taking the class next year was an automatic yes for him. I suspect that he has learned far more algebra and geometry in the math competition classes then he has in school or in the regular RSM class. It really has been great. He is currently in the 6th grade honors math class at RSM, it is prealgebra, and bored stiff. He is dropping the RSM grade level class next year. He did not do the geometry class because he had 4 hours of math already and didn't want to add a fifth. RSM choose not to move him up a grade this year and he has found the grade level class to be repetitive and boring. We were disappointed with their choice and he is not returning next year. |
There's a lot more time (all of summer break) to forget school year geometry than there is to forget summer geometry. |
AoPS does offer face to face online math competition classes: https://virtual.aopsacademy.org/courses/year-round/math-contest-7 and https://virtual.aopsacademy.org/courses/year-round/math-contest-8 and https://virtual.aopsacademy.org/courses/year-round/math-hsc. They also have online face to face summer math contest courses: https://virtual.aopsacademy.org/courses/summer/mid-math-contests-algebra-counting and https://virtual.aopsacademy.org/courses/summer/mid-math-contests-number-theory-geometry. Why hasn't he already dropped the prealgebra class? Sunk cost fallacy? You should have him take the AMC 8 and the first few problems from the AMC10; you can find past exams here: https://artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php/AMC_10_Problems_and_Solutions and https://artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php/AMC_8_Problems_and_Solutions. |
Oh and check out mathcounts trainer in the weeks/months leading up to the tryout date - MATHCOUNTS places a bigger emphasis on speed, so specific practice will be necessary if he wants to do well in mathcounts specfically |
Why are schools so stupid? Why not teach every subject in 6week blocks instead of 36weeks? |
Curie |
He misses when he wants but we don’t think reviewing the concepts is bad for him so he does the homework. He goes about half the time right now, he likes the Coldstone that he can get after the class. It’s there and I am fine with gentle bribing. (Shrugs) The first few classes when they get to a new topic are fine. It is the 3-6 class covering the same topic that is boring so he misses those. |
He is doing that. He is on the State level questions right now. |
And one more, he took the AMC 8 this year and scored an 18. He is looking at the AMC 10 and the AMC 8 in 7th grade. He does the practice tests from AoPS site. And we have their math competition books. He likes his RSM NMCP Teacher and classmates, it is a good group, and the day and time work for him. |
Let us know when you figure out a way to fit geometry into a 6 week block. |