Has done the first year of high school algebra

     There are many home schooling math curricula out there.

.......Some of them are so boring/repetitive that kids quickly forget anything they may have learned.

.......Some of them are mathematically light-weight.  The kids think that they have learned all of first-year algebra.  That is, until they hit their SATs or a college classroom.  At that point they find out that there are big gaps in their knowledge.

 

     With that in mind, let's see how much first-year algebra your child has learned. 

     Here are some representative questions to ask your child.  They are taken from Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra Expanded Edition.  Have them take out a piece of paper and play with these questions:

 

 

1.  What is the coefficient of 34.7abc?  (page 68)

2.  Army regulations require that their pickle relish use 10 pickles per pound of relish.  In one giant bowl, the cooks have relish that only used 8 pickles per pound (too weak).  In another bowl, they have relish that has 16 pickles per pound (too strong).  They need to make 200 pounds of relish.  How many pounds of each bowl should they use?
(p. 170)

3.  The point (a, b) is directly below (4, 9).  What can you say about a?  What can you say about b? (p. 228)

4.   The cooks at the army camp have four different dinner menus.  In the next four days, how many ways could they serve them so every dinner will be different? (p. 273)

5.  Solve  1/(x-1)  + 1/2   =  2/(x² -1)   (p. 357) 

6.  Suppose there are two elements in the domain of some function and two elements in the range.  How many possible functions could there be?  (p. 492)

7.  Solve 48 - 3x > 36  (p. 520)

 

 

 

---

Don't scroll down past here so the answers won't be visible

 

Here are the answers . . .

1.  34.7
2.  150 pounds of the weak and 50 of the strong. 
3.  a = 4 and b < 9
4.  4! or 24 
5.   x = -3 is the only answer.  (not x = 1)
6.   There are two possible functions.
7.   x < 4   (or  4 > x)

      If only 5 of the 7 are answered correctly (71%), then it would be silly to push into advanced algebra at this point. 
Instead, start with Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra Expanded Edition.  This will give your a firm foundation for starting advanced algebra. 
      These books will take the reader through beginning algebra in 104 daily lessons.  (The lessons aren't that long.)  If some of the beginning algebra is remembered, two or three lessons might be done in a day.  In any event, this pair of books will: (1) restore some fun into his view of mathematics; (2) fill in the holes left by other curricula; and (3) give the reader a sense of confidence rather than despair.


      Given normal intelligence and reasonable work habits, your child will be through both LOF: Beginning Algebra Expanded Edition and LOF: Advanced Algebra Expanded Edition in 9 months and will not be "behind."

 

                                                            Click here to go back to Where Do I Start?

                                                            Click here to return to the Frequently Asked Questions page.

                                                             Click here to return to the Home Page.