Our experience with AoPS.
Firstly, I would never have even known about it were it not for the review posted by ColinsMum on the Geometry class - kudos to Colinsmum! I read that review at a time when I was wondering what I could give DD now that she had done SG Maths through to the 5th grade while still in 2nd grade.
My DD skipped into 4th grade September '13 so I let things lie for a term then she started the AoPS pre-Algebra I class the following February followed by the pre-Algebra II class over the late Spring/Summer and has recently completed the Algebra I class.
The books are tightly written - I literally held DDs hand for the first couple of weeks of the pre-alg class to help her work with a decent book on her own and after two weeks she was able to throw the training wheels off and follow from the book on her own.
The classes really rely on the book work (prep) being done prior to each class - in this way in it very similar to college and thoroughly good experience for her.
The classes themselves are via a web based forum with moderators apparently ready to pull kids aside if they appear to lose the thread. I do not believe that my DD ever needed this because if the book work has been done the class was pretty easy and straightforward apparently.
There are also two more aspects - the videos when Richard Rusczyk working through some problems and Alcumus which is probably where this is most similar to what I have heard of EPGY.
The main thing that I loved about it was the focus on using Maths to solve problems. Some of the problems had my wife (way cleverer than I) and I really scratching our heads sometimes. DD generally soldiered on and got pretty well every problem except a couple in the Algebra I class just taken.
The full school day, regular B&M school homework (a lot), the book work and the problems were taking up too much of DDs time and this is why I decided to let DD take a lay off for a while. I had hoped to get DD to do the book work during school but the PARCC testing prep etc stopped this from being a realistic possibility.
She is currently doing the Python beginner class and loving it - again I love the fact that they focus on solving the problem first and the language second. This is the correct way to do things in my opinion and I am really glad that DD is learning things this way around.
Overall, AoPS has taught my DD pre-Algebra and their Alegebra I class in a rigorous manner and I cannot thank them enough for that. Further, it has improved her ability to focus and attack problems efficiently.
She took the Explore test last year and frankly did not perform at her best. This year she took it and knocked every Maths ball right out of the park. AoPS taught her the right techniques and gave her the confidence to finish way before the bell.
Many job interviews (a ways off yet as she is barely 10) these days focus on a candidate's problem solving skills and I am confident that what she has learned even this far will serve her well in that capacity later in life.
Last edited by madeinuk; 03/24/15 05:50 PM.
