Geometry Honors or Geometry over summer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle School Geometry teacher - do not take it over the summer. My students who have done well all year are suddenly stressed over retaining all the content for the SOL and final. It's a lot, even over 9 months.

I'm confused are your students in summer geometry or full year geometry? If retention is the issue, then having covered the content over a short period of time would have led to less forgetting and thus less stress.

Until 2 weeks after summer ends when you forget it.

There's a lot more time (all of summer break) to forget school year geometry than there is to forget summer geometry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, he will get more bang for buck doing competition level math and winning some awards than geo over the summer....both for meeting his IQ potential and getting ahead in life.

do both, summer geo and go through free resources (avoid paid) for competition math

If student is in year round math enrichment, then summer geometry is merely a review of what they already know. DC did summer geometry, and then took Algebra 2 full year and outperformed many other 9th graders. Even at TJ, started with precalculus courses (math 4 & 5) which went smoothly. It truly depends on your student and how much math practice they put in and efficient habits they've developed since elementary school.

Which math enrichment was he in?

DS attends RSM math competition program and RSM grade level math class. He is dropping the grade level math class because it moves too slowly, he learns more in the math competition class. The math competition class teaches more Algebra and Geometry starting in 4th grade. He is taking an AoPS math competition class this summer. It is online and he will miss a few sessions but he will have access to the notes and problems.

AoPS has math competition classes and regular classes. Everyone on this board has heard about Curie. There are a a lot of places to go for enrichment that is interesting and challenging.

DS happens to enjoy the math competitions and the types of problems they present. They are more thought puzzles that use math then straight word problems. The math competition classes present a variety of topics, Algebra, Geometry, Math Theory, and the like because those are the types of questions that appear on the math competitions. They are challenging and fun, well fun for him, to work. It is my personal version of hell but math is not my strength. He loves it.

Can you post a review of the AoPS class vs RSM competition classes after he finished his summer class? Is he taking geometry at the same time? Is he on the school's math team?

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.

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.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle School Geometry teacher - do not take it over the summer. My students who have done well all year are suddenly stressed over retaining all the content for the SOL and final. It's a lot, even over 9 months.

I'm confused are your students in summer geometry or full year geometry? If retention is the issue, then having covered the content over a short period of time would have led to less forgetting and thus less stress.

Until 2 weeks after summer ends when you forget it.

There's a lot more time (all of summer break) to forget school year geometry than there is to forget summer geometry.

Why are schools so stupid? Why not teach every subject in 6week blocks instead of 36weeks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, he will get more bang for buck doing competition level math and winning some awards than geo over the summer....both for meeting his IQ potential and getting ahead in life.

do both, summer geo and go through free resources (avoid paid) for competition math

If student is in year round math enrichment, then summer geometry is merely a review of what they already know. DC did summer geometry, and then took Algebra 2 full year and outperformed many other 9th graders. Even at TJ, started with precalculus courses (math 4 & 5) which went smoothly. It truly depends on your student and how much math practice they put in and efficient habits they've developed since elementary school.

Which math enrichment was he in?

Curie

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, he will get more bang for buck doing competition level math and winning some awards than geo over the summer....both for meeting his IQ potential and getting ahead in life.

do both, summer geo and go through free resources (avoid paid) for competition math

If student is in year round math enrichment, then summer geometry is merely a review of what they already know. DC did summer geometry, and then took Algebra 2 full year and outperformed many other 9th graders. Even at TJ, started with precalculus courses (math 4 & 5) which went smoothly. It truly depends on your student and how much math practice they put in and efficient habits they've developed since elementary school.

Which math enrichment was he in?

DS attends RSM math competition program and RSM grade level math class. He is dropping the grade level math class because it moves too slowly, he learns more in the math competition class. The math competition class teaches more Algebra and Geometry starting in 4th grade. He is taking an AoPS math competition class this summer. It is online and he will miss a few sessions but he will have access to the notes and problems.

AoPS has math competition classes and regular classes. Everyone on this board has heard about Curie. There are a a lot of places to go for enrichment that is interesting and challenging.

DS happens to enjoy the math competitions and the types of problems they present. They are more thought puzzles that use math then straight word problems. The math competition classes present a variety of topics, Algebra, Geometry, Math Theory, and the like because those are the types of questions that appear on the math competitions. They are challenging and fun, well fun for him, to work. It is my personal version of hell but math is not my strength. He loves it.

Can you post a review of the AoPS class vs RSM competition classes after he finished his summer class? Is he taking geometry at the same time? Is he on the school's math team?

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.

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.

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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

He is doing that. He is on the State level questions right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle School Geometry teacher - do not take it over the summer. My students who have done well all year are suddenly stressed over retaining all the content for the SOL and final. It's a lot, even over 9 months.

I'm confused are your students in summer geometry or full year geometry? If retention is the issue, then having covered the content over a short period of time would have led to less forgetting and thus less stress.

Until 2 weeks after summer ends when you forget it.

There's a lot more time (all of summer break) to forget school year geometry than there is to forget summer geometry.

Why are schools so stupid? Why not teach every subject in 6week blocks instead of 36weeks?

Let us know when you figure out a way to fit geometry into a 6 week block.