HS Math-combining Geo and Alg 1 or 2?

I simply cannot recommend such a schedule.  Like Janell, I think you’d simply be better off to focus on one and spend more time.  HOWEVER, MUS is a mastery program.  It is hard to “accelerate.”  If the child does not have the material thorougly understood and internalized, then you should not progress on to the next.   If you do move on more quickly than the child can master the material, you are doing the child a grave disservice and it WILL show up in math work later.  Geometry IS the shortest book.  If you work through summers it is quite possible you’d still have time for more.  But going through pre-calc is not at all a bad high school prep, and you already have time for that.  Better to learn very well what IS there.  Is this her desire as well?  If this is coming from her, perhaps it might work, because it will take above and beyond effort from her.  If she’s not on board, I’d hesitate to push farther.  This is some tough stuff coming up.  Algebra II is tough going even for bright kids, but it is foundational and if a child doens’t have it down well, later math work will really suffer.

Different scenerio…my daughter just started attending a small, rigorous Christian high school.  They allow you to take Geometry and Algebra 2 concurrently. That’s the only time they are allowed to take 2 maths in one year. Her friend that does this also schedules a study hall to help w/the extra load. All that to say, I think it would be possible if it’s a priority to her/you. But it would be a big commitment and maybe mean backing off somewhere else.  For me, I think it would depend on whether I saw my child going into a math/science field. If I wasn’t sure, I’d research options of maybe taking Calculus over a summer, at a college if needed…if she decided at a later date she needed the extra math. But I agree w/Bookworm that I would, of course, make sure it’s mastered, no matter which route:)

The others are right.  Motivation is key.  As is the time commitment.

As a student in public high school (put there for math alone after homeschooling for 5 years), I took Geometry and Algebra 2 together.  Loved it.  Wonderful year.  I was VERY motivated and ate math like it was icecream.  My peers were not doing the same.  I fell asleep on my books every night.  I had no other life–but didn’t want one!

Geometry requires some mastery of the concepts in Algebra 1.  So I would not normally recommend those two together.

That said, I did teach a homeschool coop for a small group of very motivated (close to graduation) students where I taught them Geometry and Algebra 1 concurrently to catch them up.  The time commitment was huge.  The effort was tremendous.  They worked very hard.  I was preparing them to go straight into College Algebra, which they did with success.  However, I was able to do this, because I was right there, stopping in the Geometry when I needed to and relating it back to the Algebra.  I was on board and held their hands and helped them over any spots.  I was also very hard on them, so that they could succeed in the college class they were desiring.  It is not something I would recommend in more normal circumstances.

I agree that another valid option could be the above, where you just do the math sequentially through the summers, too.  It might be less stressful and less effort/time commitment at one time.  Depends on your student and where her focus is…and what the rest of her load is.

Hope that helps,

Joanna