What do you do after the Singapore Math® curriculum???
Introducing Math 9 Honors - and some other options too!
Maybe you completed the Singapore Math curriculum all the way through Dimensions Math® 8 or maybe you have reached the point where your child needs outside accountability / someone else to grade their work / someone else to answer their questions. The decision about what to do next can be daunting!
Singapore Math curriculum does not follow the "American" sequence of courses and that means that a student may have trouble finding a perfect fit for their next math class. Brenda Barnett, founder of Singapore Math Live, also founded High School Math Live which offers live and interactive classes that meet twice each week. The teachers teach the lesson, answer homework questions, and grade the weekly assessments. HSML uses traditional American textbooks and many families have chosen HSML as their math solution. HSML classes start with Pre-Pre-Algebra (an on-level 7th grade / honors 6th grade course) and continue through Calculus II. HSML has written Course Preparedness Documents for each course to help parents to determine whether the student has mastered the concepts required to register for that course. Click here to go to the HSML website and see the Course Preparedness Documents.
Whether you join HSML or choose another homeschool class option, here are some ways to determine a good next-fit course for your student:
Singapore Math curriculum does not follow the "American" sequence of courses and that means that a student may have trouble finding a perfect fit for their next math class. Brenda Barnett, founder of Singapore Math Live, also founded High School Math Live which offers live and interactive classes that meet twice each week. The teachers teach the lesson, answer homework questions, and grade the weekly assessments. HSML uses traditional American textbooks and many families have chosen HSML as their math solution. HSML classes start with Pre-Pre-Algebra (an on-level 7th grade / honors 6th grade course) and continue through Calculus II. HSML has written Course Preparedness Documents for each course to help parents to determine whether the student has mastered the concepts required to register for that course. Click here to go to the HSML website and see the Course Preparedness Documents.
Whether you join HSML or choose another homeschool class option, here are some ways to determine a good next-fit course for your student:
Scenario 1:
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Note:Students who have completed Primary Math 5 have seen all of the necessary skills to prepare them for taking Pre-Algebra.
Option 1: A student who completes Primary Math 5 has seen all of the necessary skills to prepare them for Pre-Algebra. (Click here for more information about High School Math Live's Pre-Algebra course.) Option 2: A student who completes Primary Math 5 but would like another year to build confidence in their mathematical ability could consider High School Math Live's Pre-Pre-Algebra course. (Click here for more information about the PPA course. A note about sequencing:
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Scenario 2:
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Option A: If a student has completed Primary Math 6 and is going into 6th-8th grade, and if it would be helpful for them to gain confidence in math and have the opportunity to be presented with the concepts again as they transition into live classes, then Pre-Algebra would probably be the best fit for them. (Click here for more information about High School Math Live's Pre-Algebra course.)
Option B: If a student has completed Primary Math 6, including IP and CWP books, and is going into 6th - 9th grade, they are well prepared for Algebra I. Primary 6 does not include a study of exponent rules or integers, so either adding a unit for those concepts or just being aware that when those concepts are presented in Algebra I the student will need to devote a little extra time to learning those concepts will be sufficient. A student who has learned to think mathematically will not have difficulty catching on to the rules that these concepts build on. (Click here for more information about High School Math Live's Algebra I course, including honors and on-level.) Option C: If the student is about to start 10th grade or above, it is important that they take Algebra I as their next course so that their transcript will demonstrate enough high school level math courses. This may require extra time and effort, but having excellent instruction and feedback will give the student every opportunity to succeed. (Click here for more information about High School Math Live's Algebra I course, including honors and on-level.) |
Scenario 3:
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Option A: If the student completes Dimensions Math® 7 but did not have a high level of accuracy, or if they understand the basic concepts but struggle to comprehend the harder parts of each unit, an on-level Algebra I class will be a good next-step. There will be a significant amount of review of the concepts in Dimensions Math 7 which will strengthen their comprehension and give them confidence. (Click here for more information about High School Math Live's Algebra I course, including honors and on-level.)
Option B: If the student completes Dimensions Math 7 with a high level of accuracy and strong comprehension of the units, especially if they also complete most of the Workbook "Further Practice", "Challenging Practice" and "Enrichment" problems, the next course will still be Algebra I, but consider an honors-level course. The student will know many concepts that will be presented in Algebra I, but there are key concepts that they have not seen that would prevent them from skipping past Algebra I. (Click here for more information about High School Math Live's Algebra I course, including honors and on-level.) |
Scenario 4:
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Option A: If the student is solid in their comprehension, but the textbook assignments felt difficult; if the student did not have a high amount of accuracy (80 or above) on the homework and tests; or if the student completed the Textbook but either none or very little of the Workbook, the student will be a good fit for Geometry as their next class. The algebraic concepts that they were exposed to in Dimensions 7 and 8 will be reinforced in the early part of Algebra II, and the Geometry concepts will be reintroduced entirely. Consider Honors level for both courses since much of the material will be familiar already. (Click here for more information about High School Math Live's Geometry course, including honors and on-level.)
Option B: If the student completes Dimensions Math 7 and 8 with a high amount of accuracy and also completes much of the Workbook, the student will be a good fit for a new class that Brenda Barnett, founder of Singapore Math Live and High School Math Live is creating. The course is called Math 9 Honors and it will include one semseter of Honors Geometry content and one semester of Honors Algebra II content. Information about registration for this class can be found by here. This class will meet online twice weekly in a live and interactive format. Mrs. Barnett will teach the Honors Algebra II semester, Mrs. Kim Kirby will teach the Honors Geometry component. Click here for more information about the Math 9 Honors course. |
Scenario 5:
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If the student completes selected portions of Dimensions Math 7 and 8, they can earn an Honors Algebra I credit. By omitting selected portions, they will not be exposed to concepts that are included in Dimensions Math 7 and 8 but are also taught as part of a traditional Geometry class. After completing these chapters, the student will be prepared to take Geometry.
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Scenario 6:
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If the student has not cleanly finished a particular level and it feels overwhelming to try to decide what course they fit in to the best, High School Math Live can help! HSML classes start with Pre-Pre-Algebra (an on-level 7th grade / honors 6th grade course) and continue through AP® Calculus AB. HSML has written Course Preparedness Documents for each course to help parents to determine whether ther student has mastered the concepts required to register for that course. Click here to go to the HSML website and see the Course Preparedness Documents. By taking a live and interactive, online class, the student has outside accountability as well as excellent instruction and feedback from a credentialed and experienced teacher.
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