Talk to me about math beyond Algebra II. My 15 year old finished Algebra II in 10th grade. She's also taken both Micro-economics and Macro-economics. She's going into 11th this year, and we hadn't planned on her taking any more official math courses during her high school years other than maybe business math, personal finance or SAT prep type courses. When I went to visit my father in Arkansas this summer, his step daughter (an Algebra teacher) was insistent that my daughter continue on to Trig and Calculus. At the time, I dismissed what she was saying. I figured she was just being biased, and why put my daughter through that when she has an intense dislike of math. However, my step-sister's words have been sticking with me this week. My husband and I both dropped out of school after 10th grade, and neither of us went to a "real" college. The highest math class I've taken is Algebra II, and my husband never passed Algebra I. (Although, he would have had he ever actually attended school... LOL) I taught my husband basic Algebra skills, so he could pass the math test when he went to a technical college. We've run our own internet business for almost 12 years now, and live a very comfortable life. I don't think we've missed out on anything even though neither of us took Trig or Calculus. Am I wrong? Is my step-sister right? Does everyone really need Trig and Calculus eventually? Have I used Trig and/or Calculus without realizing it? (as many do with Algebra?)
Why not ask your daughter? Does she want to do a track in college that will take her to a business career or one that would lean toward something like I don't know, engineering or science or something like that? Or is she thinking about art or music or English. I would say if she's going to go for a business type degree in college, you should have her do business or personal finance. If she's wanting to do any of the sciences (engineering, doctor, pharmacist, etc) she should do Trig and possibly Calculus. If she wants to do art or music or English, etc, she should do whatever she wants! If she dislikes math, yet wants to do something science related that will still require some math, I HIGHLY recommend Life of Fred. As in, HIGHLY highly highly -- my kids SLEEP with their books of Fred math!:love::lol: I really would let your daughter guide this decision.
Don't forget about Geometry. I'd suggest taking that before Trig. I took math all the way through Calculus and wonder why, other than to score well on the ACT. As an English major all I needed was College Algebra and that is all I took in college. :lol:
If she's finished with Algebra 2 in tenth grade, she's very capable in math. Does she have any idea of what she wants to study? Does it NEED additional math? For example, my oldest has taken through Calculus, but she's interested in engineering, so she really does need all that. My next one is currently 10th grade, and is doing Algebra 1 now. It will probably take her a year and a half to get through it, but that's OK. I"d rather go slowly and have her really understand it. If she doesn't ever get to Algebra 2, it's OK. I would really encourage your daughter to continue on with math, but if you and her decide otherwise, that's OK. BTW, I never took Algebra 2!
She took MUS Geometry between K12.com Algebra I and FLVS Algebra II. She's interested in business and becoming a hair dresser, and she has a profitable beauty blog with a little under 800 followers. Before going to Arkansas, she had no interest in taking Trig or Calculus, but when we came home, she started browsing through those types of books at the bookstore. I asked her if she was doing that because of what her aunt had said or if she really wanted to learn those subjects. She said it was just what her aunt said, so I encouraged her to look through the business math books instead. She ended up walking out of the store with neither types of books, and I was afraid maybe I was doing what I didn't want my step-sister doing... pulling her away from her interests and spending time on what is in her best interest. IMO that's one of the best things about homeschooling... our kids can choose to spend more time learning about what will be most useful and interesting to them, and less time on those things that aren't. We do love the Fred books. We have the Fractions, Decimals and Pre-Algebra with Biology books. I might just get copies of the rest of the books, so we'll have them for whomever is interested in reading them. Thank you for the advice!
I never took trig or calculus in high school. I took alg 1, 2, and geometry and did just fine in college I do wish I'd taken some accounting in high school though. For the business end of things, knowing how to do that stuff might be useful (or not).
You might consider checking out the local community college. Maybe she could take College Algebra or some other course that would give her some college credits! Edie
I would let her go on if she wants to, my dd wanted to go on in science and take physics I sent her to a private school in her sr year and found out once we were happy with her being there that she would have had to take it at the college. She did nto want to do that at 15 yrs of age so we decided to wait and now she is not so intense in it. At any rate, is it possible for her to do the dual credit thing at your local community college? IF so and IF she wants to go on in maths-then she should take it there. What does she want to do when she graduates? What job will she achieve? IS it one that will need this higher math level or will this help her to gain a better scholarship to the school of her choice? That is what I would be looking at beyond requirements for graduation at her college/U of her choice.
If she wants to own her own business I would say at this point take a consumer Math class and an accounting class. If she does go to college for business she will probably need to take a pre-calculus course and then a business calculus course but if she is not planning on doing that there is no need.
Ya know, if she's browsing books, why not just grab one and see if she wants to flip through it. I think the point was made that, to have Alg II done, she's got to be pretty good at math. It may be that her interest is sparked and she decides she wants to pursue it. She may not, but if you have it in the house, she's more likely to flip through it than she would be otherwise. And what I'm saying is, go to Amazon.com or Half.com and just search 'calculus' texts, and find one seriously cheap. Math is really the same, no matter what the textbook industry says. Get an old, out of print version for a coupla bucks.
