I am trying to figure out what is best for DS but it's rather complicated because we need to consider the whole picture including future considerations. DS10 is taking Algebra I this year at his elementary school via the district-selected online curriculum provider along with a once-a-week live teacher evaluator. Part of the problem may be that I held DS back from proceeding to Algebra I last school year when he was clearly ready. Even though the curriculum is supposed to be Honors Algebra I, DS is whipping through the material at a faster timeline than even the accelerated pace (16 weeks), much less the regular pace (32 weeks). This is the case even though there are scheduling/timing obstacles slowing him down and he is only spending about 70% of the designated math period on the online curriculum and I am not enforcing math homework time.
My concerns/issues are the following:
I am somewhat troubled about not having him do "math homework" when all his 5th grade classmates as well as middle school algebra students have to spend time doing math homework.
He probably won't be able to take the standardized state algebra test until May.
If he finishes the course too fast, what is he going to do the rest of the year?
Even if he won't be twiddling his thumb and the school district moves him to the next course (Algebra II), that would push the timeline forward to Calculus in 8th grade. In that case, he won't get to participate in a "real" math classroom at all during middle school.
It also seem to me that part of the problem is that this is an online math course, which in general are easier to speed through. I am a bit prejudiced but it also seem to me that with the exception of AOPS, none of the online math courses that I have looked at are as vigorous compared to our GT textbook/curriculum.
There is also a concern in the back of my mind that whipping through a course "too fast" will result in less deep/profound/permanent subject mastery.
I am also mindful that everyone hits a wall at some point. If I allow DS to accelerate too much, he might hit his wall -- be it geometry or trigonometry or pre-calculus or calculus or differential equations -- at a time when he would be less able to handle it.
Sometimes I am inclined to allow him to move forward if his teacher isn't concerned about slowing him down. Then again, I am not sure how to artificially slow him down in a way that makes sense except reminding him everyday to go slower and perhaps insist that his teacher make him do more problems by hand in addition to the "essay" problems/solutions that he type online.
Sorry this is sort of rambling as I am still trying to sort through my thoughts.
