The vast majority of students who apply to TJ are only taking Algebra I in 8th grade. When you look at the statistics you can see this puts them at a distinct disadvantage when taking the TJ test. Our own results show nearly 100% of the students who did NOT make the first cut were studying Algebra I at the time they took the TJ test in January.
Fifteen (15) out of 45 Dalby students surveyed took geometry or higher. Of those 15, ten (67%) scored 40 (80%) or better on the math portion of the TJ test. Of those ten, nine (90%) were accepted into TJ.
We had 30 students taking algebra (29) or pre-algebra (one). Of those 30, nine (30%) scored 40 (80%) or better on the math portion of the TJ test. Of those nine, five (56%) were accepted into TJ.
Keep in mind, regarding the acceptance rate, these samples are small. The most important point is that students taking geometry scored better on the TJ test than students taking algebra.
This crash course in geometry is designed for rising 7th and 8th graders who have completed pre-algebra, although pre-algebra isn't essential to benefit from our course.
This class is not a substitute for a thorough course in geometry. However, a student does not need a thorough course in geometry to handle the geometry problems on the TJ test, SSAT, ISEE, PSAT, and SAT. As long as the student knows some key concepts he or she can solve all the problems that are found on these tests. [It is important to understand that we will NOT be covering proofs. Formal geometric proofs are not needed for these tests.] The course runs five consecutive days; all classes are two hours long. Class size is limited to eight students. Please allow 2.5 hours and arrive a few minutes early so we can cover the essentials and answer all of the students' questions.
We reserve the right to change the pacing of the course to meet the needs of the students. Keep in mind we draw our student pool from across the metro DC area and curriculum varies from school to school, county to county, and public versus private. It is a challenge to both keep the class moving and yet not leave some students behind scratching their heads in confusion.
1 HOUR PRETEST BY APPOINTMENT call 703-356-2728 to schedule
Class Times
The July Class is closed.
August Class: Monday through Friday, August 23rd through 27th from 4pm to 6pm, plus 1/2 hour optional Question and Answer
Tentative Syllabus
Day One
Basics of Geometry Patterns and Inductive Reasoning
points, lines, planes,
angles and their measures
segments and their measures
angle pair relationships
Intro to Basic Figures
perimeter
circumference
area
Deductive Reasoning and Proof
conditional statements
If-then statements
converses,contrapositive
Perpendicular and Parallel Lines
lines and angles
proofs and Perpendicular Lines
parallel lines and transversals
proving lines are parallel
using properties of parallel lines
parallel lines in the coordinate plane
special pairs of angles
perpendicular lines
On-site quiz/homework geared to standardized tests to reinforce instruction
Day Two
Congruent Triangles
triangles and angles
congruence and triangles
showing triangles are congruent: SSS and SAS
showing triangles are congruent: ASA and AAS
using congruent triangles
isosceles, equilateral, and right triangle
Properties of Triangles
perpendiculars and bisectors
bisectors of a triangle
medians and altitudes of a triangle
mid-segment theorem
inequalities in one triangle
area and perimeter of triangles
indirect proof and inequalities in two triangles
On-site quiz/homework geared to standardized tests to reinforce instruction
Day Three
Quadrilaterals
polygons
properties of parallelograms
proving quadrilaterals are parallelograms
rhombuses, rectangles, and squares
trapezoids and kites
special quadrilaterals
diagonals, perimeter, and area of quadrilaterals
Similarity
ratio and proportion
problem solving in geometry with proportions
similar polygons
similar triangles
proving triangles are similar
proportions and similar triangles
On-site quiz/homework geared to standardized tests to reinforce instruction
Day Four
Right Triangles and Trigonometry
similar right triangles
pythagorean theorem
the converse of the pythagorean theorem
special right triangles:30-60-90 & 45-45-90
solving right triangles
Circles
tangent to circles
arcs and chords
inscribed angles
other angle relationships in circles
segment lengths in circles
equations of circles
Area of Polygons and Circles
angle measures in polygons
areas of regular polygons
perimeters and areas of similar figures
circumference and arc length
areas of circles and sectors
geometric probability
On-site quiz/homework geared to standardized tests to reinforce instruction
The cost of the week long course is $450. Class size is limited to ten students. Dalby reserve the right to cancel a class due to insufficient enrollment.
