Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 - Summer school choice?

[Anonymous]

The thing with geometry is that it is where you learn proofs. If your kid doesn’t have a good understanding of proofs, it will catch up with them later if they want to take advanced math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of the three courses - Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, which is the best for summer enrollment?

To the nutcases who are against summer school: stay out of this! To all others: please suggest!

Thank you,
URM SES parent

None.

Summer school is just to rubber-stamp that the student mastered the material. Supplement in parallel with the school over one year, include the summer if you have to. That’s what a lot of student do by taking the class first at AOPS or RSM, then summer school to check the box and get the credit.

The year long instruction is 180 hours, and it’s typical to have one hour of homework for every hour of instruction. Compress that over 8 weeks and you’re looking at 7 hours a day, including weekends. Not sure why you’d want to do that to your child, but let’s assume you have your reasons.

There are no shortcuts. If you are ok with having a poor understanding in one of the, because you want to accelerate at all costs, choose geometry, it’s less connected to the rest of the math sequence. Algebra will matter more for precalculus, calculus and statistics.

This. Kids that took math in summer had taken the class at night/after school during the year prior- so if taking algebra in school, they took geometry at RSM or similar and then “took” summer geometry, which like poster above says was almost just like a final exam for what they had spent last 9 months learning outside of school. Then they rinse and repeat.

It is not that simple. There are kids who take Geometry Honors over summer who have not taken RSM or the AoPS course/books and they tend to find the class pretty challenging. Even the kids who have already taken Geometry end up with 2 hours of online class a day, complete the homework, take the quizzes, and take the tests. It is probably 2-3 hours of work at home completing the homework and taking the quizzes. Kids who have not had the class before have that plus that they have to teach themselves most of the material.

Search on this board and the FCPS board, a decent number of students drop the class because it is too much. Others are asking about expunging the grade because the student earned a C or B and they need to retake the class any way.

So, it is that simple. You either take Summer Geometry for rubber stamp after finishing a year of private study, or you have a terrible time and result from summer geometry.

Summer geometry or any summer academic course for that matter is mostly for advanced students who are already beyond grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing with geometry is that it is where you learn proofs. If your kid doesn’t have a good understanding of proofs, it will catch up with them later if they want to take advanced math.

Agreed. Most students enrolling in summer geometry at the end of 7th grade, have exposure to geometry concepts through outside enrichment or contest preparation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of the three courses - Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, which is the best for summer enrollment?

To the nutcases who are against summer school: stay out of this! To all others: please suggest!

Thank you,
URM SES parent

None.

Summer school is just to rubber-stamp that the student mastered the material. Supplement in parallel with the school over one year, include the summer if you have to. That’s what a lot of student do by taking the class first at AOPS or RSM, then summer school to check the box and get the credit.

The year long instruction is 180 hours, and it’s typical to have one hour of homework for every hour of instruction. Compress that over 8 weeks and you’re looking at 7 hours a day, including weekends. Not sure why you’d want to do that to your child, but let’s assume you have your reasons.

There are no shortcuts. If you are ok with having a poor understanding in one of the, because you want to accelerate at all costs, choose geometry, it’s less connected to the rest of the math sequence. Algebra will matter more for precalculus, calculus and statistics.

I’m pretty sure the post said “stay out of this?” to people like you who cannot picture kids who are actually well-above in math. As for the question, i’d say geometry all the way! Algebra and algebra 2 are vital for doing well in future math courses, and as a previous post said geometry is a stand alone area. Geometry is also the most common among middle- level students. If you are at a school that does not have algebra 2, I would suggest talking to your counselor about virtual in the library. Reminder: these courses will be harsh, but if your kid is ready, go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Geometry, for sure!

Geometry is the most popular summer course between 7th and 8th grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS won’t let students take their first high school class in summer school (so no Algebra I). Many students take Honors Geometry between 7th and 8th or 8th and 9th. FCPS doesn’t offer Honors Algebra II over the summer, only Algebra II.

Given honors version is not offered, what would be possible reasons for taking regular algebra 2 in summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS won’t let students take their first high school class in summer school (so no Algebra I). Many students take Honors Geometry between 7th and 8th or 8th and 9th. FCPS doesn’t offer Honors Algebra II over the summer, only Algebra II.

Given honors version is not offered, what would be possible reasons for taking regular algebra 2 in summer?

You are a 10th grader who just finished geometry and you want to do the IB diploma which requires a 2 year IB math sequence after algebra 2 (in most cases)

You are trying to graduate early so you need to cram the remaining junior and senior year requirements into 1 year. You don't intend to take any more math classes in your life after algebra 2

It's a really small group of kids compared to the number who do geometry.

--math teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of the three courses - Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, which is the best for summer enrollment?

To the nutcases who are against summer school: stay out of this! To all others: please suggest!

Thank you,
URM SES parent

Geometry.

Algebra, algebra 2 are foundational for later math. Geometry is important but it is probably the least integrated into the to math progression. Geometry really helps with proofs and deductible reasoning but if you can't be weak on algebra or algebra 2.

[Anonymous]

Geometry

Definitely don't do Algebra 2

You will be shooting yourself in the foot for Calculus even if you get an A in Algebra 2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS won’t let students take their first high school class in summer school (so no Algebra I). Many students take Honors Geometry between 7th and 8th or 8th and 9th. FCPS doesn’t offer Honors Algebra II over the summer, only Algebra II.

Given honors version is not offered, what would be possible reasons for taking regular algebra 2 in summer?

You are a 10th grader who just finished geometry and you want to do the IB diploma which requires a 2 year IB math sequence after algebra 2 (in most cases)

You are trying to graduate early so you need to cram the remaining junior and senior year requirements into 1 year. You don't intend to take any more math classes in your life after algebra 2

It's a really small group of kids compared to the number who do geometry.

--math teacher

Respectfully, there are about 300 kids who complete the IB diploma across the County. I would imagine the number of kids taking Algebra 2 in the summer for IB purposes is really, really small. I suspect a good number of kids taking Algebra 2 in the summer are kids accepted to TJ who have compelted Geometry and want to access higher level math and science classes earlier. TJ is now allowing kids in Pre-Calc to take AP Biology as freshman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing with geometry is that it is where you learn proofs. If your kid doesn’t have a good understanding of proofs, it will catch up with them later if they want to take advanced math.

No one really learns proofs in geometry. You either self study or you learn it in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS won’t let students take their first high school class in summer school (so no Algebra I). Many students take Honors Geometry between 7th and 8th or 8th and 9th. FCPS doesn’t offer Honors Algebra II over the summer, only Algebra II.

Given honors version is not offered, what would be possible reasons for taking regular algebra 2 in summer?

perhaps the student is strong in algebra but not in geometry and would prefer to take geometry over the full 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Algebra needs more time to learn well enough to remember. It is needed later in math more than geometry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS won’t let students take their first high school class in summer school (so no Algebra I). Many students take Honors Geometry between 7th and 8th or 8th and 9th. FCPS doesn’t offer Honors Algebra II over the summer, only Algebra II.

Given honors version is not offered, what would be possible reasons for taking regular algebra 2 in summer?

You are a 10th grader who just finished geometry and you want to do the IB diploma which requires a 2 year IB math sequence after algebra 2 (in most cases)

You are trying to graduate early so you need to cram the remaining junior and senior year requirements into 1 year. You don't intend to take any more math classes in your life after algebra 2

It's a really small group of kids compared to the number who do geometry.

--math teacher

Respectfully, there are about 300 kids who complete the IB diploma across the County. I would imagine the number of kids taking Algebra 2 in the summer for IB purposes is really, really small. I suspect a good number of kids taking Algebra 2 in the summer are kids accepted to TJ who have compelted Geometry and want to access higher level math and science classes earlier. TJ is now allowing kids in Pre-Calc to take AP Biology as freshman.

There is no honors summer algebra 2, only regular, so I don't think any TJ kids are doing that. It's a really small number of kids who do online algebra 2 never having taken it before. It really is for those unique circumstances.