Honors Geometry in Summer before Freshman year?
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Anonymous
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My daughter was caught in a transition between the old curriculum and curriculum 2.0. When she got to middle school, kids at some elementary schools had transitioned to 2.0 earlier and were a year ahead of her in math. She ended up taking 7th grade math in 6th grade; IM in 7th grade (7th grade math and IM turned out to be essentially the same class, but we didn't know it til it was too late), and Algebra I in 8th grade. On Edline, she has consistently had 97% or above in math grades-- i.e, the classes were too easy. Kids from other local ESs are currently in Geometry as 8th graders so she feels a year 'behind.'
Some of her friends say they are doing geometry this summer so they can 'catch up' to be in Algebra II as freshmen. Academically, I'm sure she could do this, but it seems like an awful way to spend a summer-- I'm guessing that a year long math class would meet every day for most of the summer (?) Is this something that is done? I'd much rather have her do some other enriching things this summer (and some fun things, too!) rather than spend it just as she does in the school year... but I also don't want her to feel like she is behind. (Ironically, her younger sibling isn't nearly as strong in math, but is on track to do Algebra II as 8th grader now that the elementary schools have fully shifted to 2.0...) |
Anonymous
| Remember you have to take 4 years of math in HS..Is she sure she wants to be taking Calculus in 11th grade and Calc II as a senior? If she is not likely to go into to tech field she may never need that much math. |
Anonymous
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Interesting-- but presumably summer would count as 'high school' (?) So she would have the option of taking it senior year, or of having a free elective senior year (?)
This is a good point, though... until my daughter brought this up, I was actually annoyed that I put my younger one on a track for just what you describe without really understanding the implications when I made the decision (at the end of THIRD GRADE... sheesh...). |
Anonymous
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Slightly different experience, but decades ago I took geometry as a summer course through CTY in the summer before Freshman year and it was great. For me it was only a 3 week course, but in this case if she has friends who are also planning to do it and it's her idea because she feels behind then I'd definitely support her. Because geometry is such a self-contained course, it would be interesting to see what options are available - either through your regular school or maybe a CC or online course.
I mainly did it to try to get a bit ahead in math because I liked math and also just to avoid a 9th grade math teacher who was known for being strongly biased against girls. |
Anonymous
If she decides to go in a tech field in college she can actually take these Math courses in college as well. |
Anonymous
This would be some thing to check with the counselor. I am not sure that 8th grade summer counts..but it might. |
Anonymous
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I am not sure what CTY did years ago in 3 weeks!
But it is impossible meaningfully learn whole Geometry over the summer. I got my HS education outside of US. I had Geometry in school for years and advance geometry in college too. I do not understand how it is even possible to learn all Geometry in one year. One of my children is doing it now. It is totally ridiculous. With the speed they cover material nothing is left in the brain two weeks from now. I can recall most theorem 30 years later... My MAGNET child does not recall almost anything one year later. I guess assumption is that nobody needs Geometry. So we will get engineers, and architects who will just rely on computer software for calculations... Mathematician. |
Anonymous
| I am sure that your DD would do fine in Geometry. But my experience with DD who was pre-2.0 when she started the track in middle and is thus a year ahead, I wish she had not been advanced and it is hard to "decelerate". She had 100% in IM, 95% in Algebra 1, 90% in Geometry and then found it pretty hard to get B in high school in Algebra 2, Precal and Calc. Not bad enough to have her repeat but IMO she would have been better off not put in IM in 6th. And why rush the path with Summer School, unless you really think that she will be bored all the way through. Do not do it because DD or you just think it doesn't look good. Getting As in Honor/AP math classes, including Calc in HS will be pretty great too. |
Anonymous
CTY poster here: You are correct. I don't know of anyone who thinks it's possible to learn all geometry in one year - or even tries. I don't think that the CTY course that I took gave me more than a basic understanding of geometry, however I think it was definitely better than the 9th grade class that I would have taken at my regular school. The CTY course was 8 hours a day of working through proofs with the longest getting to be about 35 steps or so. When I took the final exam for the regular school class which was required to allow me to place out of taking it the longest proof on there was 8 steps. I'm a hardware engineer working on ASIC verification and so far I've never needed geometry in my career. For that matter, I've had no need for vector calculus, differential equations, linear algebra or most of the other mathematics courses that I've taken over the years. On a basic level my job is just manipulation of binary numbers  For the most part I'm not relying on computer software for calculations, just paper and pencil or a scientific calculator. Numbers are fun, math can be fun, but I'm having a hard time thinking of people who need to have a strong understanding of geometry unless they're actually designing and building things, e.g. architects, civil engineers or mechanical engineers.
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Anonymous
[NP] Well, non-magnet MCPS geometry today tops out at about five lines and that's mostly providing the appropriate reasons for steps that are already provided and this is only part of one unit. The course probably could be taught thoroughly in 3 weeks to a motivated student. Hey, if you learn math you may get a chance to use it, if you don't you definitely won't. OP, you should contact her counsellor, I know in the past Honors Geometry summer school was only open to 9th graders repeating the course. Also the requirement is a math class every year of HS, no exceptions, so there wouldn't be an extra elective senior year, but there are options other than a second year of calc. |
Anonymous
| The reason to try to "catch up" would be because of the cohort of kids who are taking Algebra 2 in 9th grade. If it's a better class because the kids are more motivated, understand things quicker, etc. that is something for you to consider. But that may not be the case at your school. One thing that might happen is that the Honors Algebra 2 class is not limited to 9th graders but has 10th or even 11th graders in it. That could affect the dynamics too. All things for you to consider. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks much for the insights... good things to think about and will definitely speak to the counselor before going forward. Thanks! |
Anonymous
| Not OP but how common is taking geometry in middle school these days? My DC is transferring from private middle to public HS, next year and the highest track offered at her school is honors Algebra in 8th. |
Anonymous
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How does one take a class in the summer? I haven't heard of this. How do you register and where is additional information about this?
-parent of 7th grader |
Anonymous
| Montgomery College also offers some K-12 math during summer. |