Counting Junior High Classes for High School Credit
I received the following question:
My daughter is in 8th grade this year. I am curious, if she takes classes this year that meet her HS requirements, can I count them as such or does she have to wait until next year for them to count?
The answer to this really depends upon your specific school or entity that you are under academically, but generally speaking yes, you can typically count 2-3 credits from junior high (7th/8th grade) towards your high school credit requirements.
Usually there are restrictions on the type of credits that are allowed, and they typically fall into the following three categories:
- MATH: This is the most common one, if you take Algebra 1 and/or Geometry in 7th or 8th grade then those courses will count towards your high school credit requirements (note that sometimes you might still have to take math every year of high school even if you get an early start, such as in Tennessee).
- SCIENCE: You can typically count Physical Science towards your high sc ...
High-School Credit Requirements
PHASE 1: ACADEMICS
What classes do I need to take?
That's a really important question, and is based on two factors:
- What credits are required to graduate high-school
- What credits are wanted by the colleges you are applying to
The answer to the first question is dependant upon the state and academic program you are with (if you are homeschooled check out the bottom of this article for a little more advice). We have a list below of the ranges of credit requirements for most states.
The second question is a lot easier. Most colleges have relatively straightforward credit requirements, and pretty much any state's basic graduation requirements would meet the admissions requirements for ~90% of schools. There are some top-tier colleges that are looking for more challenging academic workloads, and there are some specific departments/majors that might want more than the standard number of credits (engineering may prefer students with 4+ science credits, for instance). To find what ...
Should I take Algebra 2 or Geometry first?
Math help!
So I've received multiple questions from individuals who are planning out their course load and trying to determine whether to take Geometry or Algebra 2 after completing Algebra 1. It's an understandable question, so in this article I'll take a look at the arguments for both routes, but the short answer is either way is fine. Now let's take a look at the reasons for each route...
A Short History (and a little about test preparedness)
Parents, chances are pretty good that you took courses in the order of Algebra 1, Geometry, and then Algebra 2. You probably also only had to take 3 math courses in high school, and there was probably very little integration of geometry into your algebra curriculum. Since students were required to take the ACT or SAT (and usually with little to no prep work), it made more sense for students to take geometry before algebra 2 for test purposes so that they had at least seen some geometry before they took the test.
But things have changed. ...
Math Worksheets, Videos and Resources
Math. The sheer word can strike terror in the hearts of parents and students alike. I’ve been tutoring math for 13 years, and the number of technology tools to help students learn math has grown exponentially. For those times when you need some extra support, here is my top collection of resources for more practice and help (I am not paid for any of these recommendations):
WORSKHEETS
Sometimes all that’s needed is some extra practice. Here are some websites that can allow you to create or locate free worksheets:
Free, pre-created worksheets for every primary concept pre-algebra through calculus.
While not as extensive as Kuta Software, Math-Drills still has a robust number of math worksheets available.
A collection of math worksheets, practice problems and videos for Algebra 1, Algebra 2, the PSAT and the SAT.
This website is massive, with a huge collection of games, wo...