Math improvement in a hurry!! lol...please help!

[Whitneyz]

My dd has taken alg. I, II, and is currently taking geometry. She does not like math and it shows! She is a junior and taking the SAT in June this spring. She was going to take College Algebra at the cc this spring, but I was told it was algebra III. Isn't the SAT math mostly alg I,II, and geometry? Wouldn't she be better served taking a cc Elementary Algebra course to review for the SAT? I know that a lot of people do Chalkdust SAT for review and isn't that primarily those 3? She scored pretty low in her PSAT on the math portion so it doesn't make much sense for me to put her into Algebra III if she isn't doing well in the lower levels.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Martha in NM]

My experience has been that the definitions of "college" algebra can be hard to pin down. Some colleges offer different courses designed for different majors. What's helped me ask the right questions of folks at the cc was to do some research on my own first:

1. Read and compare the course descriptions for the different levels of algebra. (Pay special attention to any prerequisites listed such as SAT/ACT/College Placement scores.)
2. Find out which book(s) are used for the course you're interested in.
3. Look at Amazon reviews.
4. Look at the TOC at the publisher's websites.

[My son's cc has the bookstore selections available online. I was able to type in course and section numbers to find out which books are used.]

[Laurie4b]

My dd has taken alg. I, II, and is currently taking geometry. She does not like math and it shows! She is a junior and taking the SAT in June this spring. She was going to take College Algebra at the cc this spring, but I was told it was algebra III. Isn't the SAT math mostly alg I,II, and geometry? Wouldn't she be better served taking a cc Elementary Algebra course to review for the SAT? I know that a lot of people do Chalkdust SAT for review and isn't that primarily those 3? She scored pretty low in her PSAT on the math portion so it doesn't make much sense for me to put her into Algebra III if she isn't doing well in the lower levels.

Thanks for any suggestions.

The SAT is only Algebra I and Geometry.

[Whitneyz]

Thanks! I will check out those descriptions.

I didn't know that the SAT was only Alg. 1 and geometry.

[kiana]

I would put her where the CC placement test puts her, or if she has a borderline score, perhaps one below.

If she places out of Elementary Alg at the CC, that's an indication that she has a fair grasp on it. Any later Alg course would include review of Alg 1 as a matter of course, as the Alg 1 techniques are used to solve more complicated problems.

That said, if your goal is solely improvement on the SAT score, she might be better off working on an SAT prep course focusing on those more specific problems.

[Jann in TX]

Did your dd take the PSAT 'cold turkey' or did she use a study guide and work practice problems first?

I ask this because the problem may not be that she has forgotten her basic math--but rather that she was not sure what the PSAT problem was asking for. They (standardized tests) tend to word things VERY differently so working the test prep books really helps.

[Whitneyz]

We are thinking Chalkdust b/c it seems to be so popular.

[Jann in TX]

Back in the dark ages they did NOT want you to prep for the tests--nowdays prepping has become the norm!

Tomorrow in class I will show the class how the SAT's version (of our current Geometry problems) is VERY different LOOKING. It will be on the 'online review sheet' if you want to take a look.

Jann

[Musicmom]

:iagree: You need two things--to place her appropriately in math in CC and to prep for the test. They aren't the same. The problems on these tests look so very different from what you encounter in math class, and often require more in terms of good thinking skills than simple knowledge of math. My ds is very good at math, but he needed some really good prep in order to score his best on the PSAT.

Like kiana, I would recommend going with whatever math class she places into at the CC. Then as a separate pursuit, get her ready for the SAT by using a good prep book. We found McGraw-Hill to be excellent for prep for the PSAT/SAT. Lots of experience with the different types of problems on these tests and insight into ways to approach them quickly is very helpful.

Good luck!

[Whitneyz]

Thank you...You're right! I'm going to have her do Chalkdust SAT math review. I was told that goes through test prep. I hope that is correct. I think I'll have her go through various SAt tests we have around the house as well. Thanks everyone!