Which calculator to buy?

[Anonymous]

My 6th grader will be taking AIM. The school supply list says to buy a scientific calculator (no other specifics). Do we purchase a scientific calculator for 6th grade or a graphing calculator now (to avoid buying another type calculator in another year or two)?

[Anonymous]

No calculator. School should supply the calculators. You may need one for home. or desmos.

[Anonymous]

Schools need to update their supply lists so it reflects what is actually needed and used in the classrooms.

[Anonymous]

Our MS uses TI-84. They have them at school but you can bring your own.

[Anonymous]

Texas Instruments 84 Plus CE Graphing Calculator

This is the one the school had us buy:
https://www.target.com/p/texas-instruments-84-plus-ce-graphing-calculator-bionic-blue/-/A-88829213?ref=&ref=OpsEmail_Order_80690&j=851229&sfmc_sub=161046288&l=652_HTML&u=42272671&mid=100019899&jb=3475330

[Anonymous]

Texas Instruments TI Nspire CX II CAS.

It’s one of the most advanced calculators on the market with lots of tutorials and documentation, and it’s good to build familiarity early for classes like (Pre) Calculus and Statistics.

It’s overkill for 6th grade, but you might as well if you have to get a graphing calculator anyways.

[Anonymous]

My kid took AIM last year and did not need a calculator. They use the online one at school when needed.

[Anonymous]

You really don't need it in AIM, but TI 84 is the way to go to get you through calculus. There is a huge market in used models if you want to save money.

[Anonymous]

I think there are phone aps now too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there are phone aps now too.

Desmos is a very popular app/browser calculator, but it can’t always be used in the classroom or on test exams.

TI-84 is a very commonly used calculator, and a lot of schools have a lot of them around for borrowing. It’s the low cost, good for everything calculator.

The higher end versions have what is called Computer Algebra System (CAS) that can do symbolic manipulation like factoring quadratics, giving exact solutions with radicals, symbolic solutions to integrals and derivatives (ie a function of x). Some tests like ACT don’t allow CAS calculators, but they are fine for SAT and AP exams. CAS is not a substitute for knowing the material but it can be a huge help for the calculator sections of the AP exams, saving a lot of time, and avoiding transcription mistakes etc. There’s a learning curve and the students need to get familiar with the features, but it’s totally worth it.

[Anonymous]

TI-84 is the standard one but I'd go with the newer one if its available and not much more.

[Anonymous]

If you buy a graphing calculator, be sure to put your kids name on it both on the outside and inside the battery case. Every year in HS I end up with multiple unclaimed, expensive calculators left somewhere in class. MS kids were even worse at forgetting things.

[Anonymous]

I have now bought three of these very expensive calculators because McPS said we needed them for MS math. My kids never used them in MS and two of them have now been lost so I’ll have to buy another one now for HE math. I would just wait and buy it for Algebra 2. You don’t need it form aim or algebra 1.

[Anonymous]

If you are willing to spend the money I suggest TI 84 plus( only $90)I bought my son one in 6th grade for a similar math class in 2018 and the calculator is still working to this day. It has been helpful in all his math classes, even calculus. He also used it for the SAT too. You just have to replace the batteries every year.

[Anonymous]

Unless your kid is aiming for MIT and has another opinion, for most kids, I’d get the TI 84 Plus CE because it’s good and what the teachers and SAT/ACT tutors know. Double check that whatever you get can be used on the SAT and ACT without a lot of caveats.