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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=pettifogger][quote=Anonymous]Is BA a complete curriculum or supplement? Could it be used in conjunction with Khan Academy or Kumon worksheets as a complete curriculum? DC is home schooled for the time being and just wondering how thorough BA is. [/quote]
It's a full curriculum and it's pretty thorough, particularly with regard to problem solving, making lots of conceptual connections, and many challenging problems. While it does of course contain basic exercises at the beginning of each chapter/topic, some parents find that their kids needed a bit more practice on the drill type questions. For that, anything such as Kumon/random worksheets can be used.

It's important to guide/support the child, especially initially when they are not used to the feeling of being stuck and want to quickly give up if they can't think of anything in a minute. Ideally work some of the problems together with them, and read the provided hints/solutions as they're very helpful. Some parents do the problems themselves ahead of time so that they can explain/help their kids effectively when they do get stuck :) Initially it's a big step for kids (and some adults) to switch away from thinking in a very procedural fashion, but once they get used to it, it's very much worth it for the critical thinking skills.[/quote]

Thanks! I have noticed this already as we work through BA2 and am working on balancing providing support and encouraging persistence. Are the practice books useful for the extra practice over and above the online material or are you talking about a different kind of practice like memorizing basic facts and procedures? Does BA teach all the basic procedures or concepts the child would encounter on Kumon worksheets and elsewhere?[/quote]

It sounds like your child would be better in a program like RSM where they teach the math concepts and dive more deeply into those concepts. AoPS and BA are solid options for kids who already understand the fundamentals or grasp the fundamental skills quickly and easily.If your kid is not one of those kids then you need a parent who can explain the fundamentals and provide extra drill questions/support. The AoPS in-person/online classes use the BA books in the classroom environment but there is a Teacher to walk the kids through the books. We noticed that the Teacher needed to have some kids stay online after class to review material with them pretty much every week. It isn’t an easy program. I think people on this forum think that BA is challenging but doable for everyone because they have kids that grasp math concepts quickly but those kids are the rarity. They also have/are parents who can guide their kids through the BA books but, again, those people are the rarity.

RSM works well for a kid who needs some level of support, that is what the first level of class is for, as well as kids who can grasp the material quickly and want to dive deeper. There are more RSM store fronts then AoPS for a reason, more kids can succeed at RSM then in AoPS because of how the courses are designed. RSM has the math competition classes that they offer for the kids who want to delve into more creative math problems.

Both programs are great, we have used both and ended up with RSM simply because it was a lot closer and saves us an hour of drive time. But they are not inter changeable. AoPS is more niche. If I was was looking for a program for a homeschool kid, I would probably look at RSM because it offers a more traditional approach that moves quickly and cna go deep. [/quote]

Thanks, this is all good to know. My kid already has a good foundation and is enjoying BA so far and I'm available for support if he gets stuck or struggles. I just worry a bit about what might be missing from BA. But I guess we'll figure that out as we go. I am not totally attuned to what the difference is between BA and traditional approaches but so far very much enjoying the BA approach. We'll look more into RSM if it becomes apparent that just doing BA and supplementing with other things here and there isn't working. But for now, I'm optimistic. [/quote]

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