Frequently Asked Questions

If my student completes one of your books, can I say that my student has finished a full year of Algebra or Geometry, or do I need other supplemental materials?
Should my student complete a Pre-Algebra course before starting your Algebra I book?
Should my student complete your Geometry book before or after your Algebra II book?
Can I skip problems or sections in your books?
Do you have any suggestions about scheduling?
When should we start using a calculator?

Some teachers and parents prefer to do Algebra II before Geometry, and some teachers and parents prefer to do Geometry before Algebra II. We don't have a strong opinion on this subject. During the year that students take Geometry, they tend to forget a lot of what they learned in the previous year (whether that was Algebra I or Algebra II). This presents a problem when the students go on to either Algebra II or Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry and have forgotten their Algebra skills. And in the year after students take Geometry, they tend to forget everything they learned in Geometry. This presents a problem when the students take the SAT and/or ACT tests and have forgotten a lot of what they learned in Geometry.
To combat these problems, we suggest that you try to do both subjects at the same time and take a total of two years to complete the courses. You might do six weeks of Geometry and then six weeks of Algebra II, then six weeks of Geometry followed by six weeks of Algebra II, and so on. However, many students will find this very confusing, and we don't want you to do anything that would confuse your student.
If you decide that you don't want to do both subjects at the same time, we generally suggest that you do Geometry before Algebra II, but we do not feel strongly about this.