Graphing calculator

[havaneselover]

DD starts algebra this fall. On the supply list it says Casio graph calculator optional (class set available). For the 8th grade list when she will be in geometry it says Casio 9850 or other graphing calculator optional (class set available). I expect her to take a lot of math and I thought TIs were preferred. I know I used mine in college (math minor). I'd rather not buy two graphing calculators. Any recommendations from those of you who've been through this?

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I bought what I was told by the teachers. I was glad I did that for my kids because there was never enough available for the class - sometimes students had to share.

I think I've got 2 different sets of graphing calculators around the house - although I think one of them is broken and the other I loaned to a friend who has a younger child just needing it this year.
Maybe you know someone who bought one in the past and no longer needs it to buy it or borrow it from?

 

[aprilgail]

your school does not suppy them? I know our school issues one to each kid if you lose it you pay for it but they are free to use all year.

 

[GusGus77]

Ughhhh.....I remember needing a TI in high school as it was required and the school did not provide them. $100 calculator for high school for one year of math. Ridiculous! I can't imagine how much they cost now since this was 20yrs ago.

 

[havaneselover]

your school does not suppy them? I know our school issues one to each kid if you lose it you pay for it but they are free to use all year.

They have them for use in class. DD is really strong in math so I want her to get comfortable using one and have it for her homework. Just trying to avoid buying a Casio and then needing to upgrade to a TI in high school if possible. I'm guessing the school uses Casios because they are cheaper, but I'm not sure.

 

[havaneselover]

Ughhhh.....I remember needing a TI in high school as it was required and the school did not provide them. $100 calculator for high school for one year of math. Ridiculous! I can't imagine how much they cost now since this was 20yrs ago.

They actually are way cheaper in real terms than what I paid (probably in the early 90s). I used mine a ton. I wonder if I have it in a box somewhere???

 

[Dizlvr]

Ughhhh.....I remember needing a TI in high school as it was required and the school did not provide them. $100 calculator for high school for one year of math. Ridiculous! I can't imagine how much they cost now since this was 20yrs ago.

My kids needed those Freshman year but they use them throughout HS and will use them in college. They are still in the $100 range.

 

[crisi]

We did the Casios in middle school and the TIs in high school. The thing is, that they teach the buttons, so you need the Casio because that is the sequence of buttons being taught. I have six graphing calculators in my house and will add a seventh when my daughter takes Calc.

 

[havaneselover]

We did the Casios in middle school and the TIs in high school. The thing is, that they teach the buttons, so you need the Casio because that is the sequence of buttons being taught. I have six graphing calculators in my house and will add a seventh when my daughter takes Calc.

Thanks! That makes sense. I guess she'll use the school Casio for the SOL next spring, so I want her to know how to use the buttons

 

[mjkacmom]

My kids needed those Freshman year but they use them throughout HS and will use them in college. They are still in the $100 range.

Yep. Dd18 still uses hers, ds17 still uses his, and I bought dd14 hers last September. I always ask if they can use their older siblings when I get asked to buy one, but they gave always still been in use.

 

[clori]

for geometry we were told any scientific or graphing calculator (forget which) but that after that they recommend TI 84 plus so it was adviced to get for geometry if possible since it would be needed for Algebra 2 and beyond. I ended up getting it on sale at Staples Labor Day weekend that with a rebate and rewards money came to about $80.

 

[JustCor]

Ughhhh.....I remember needing a TI in high school as it was required and the school did not provide them. $100 calculator for high school for one year of math. Ridiculous! I can't imagine how much they cost now since this was 20yrs ago.

Still around $100. I needed a TI-85 when I took Statistics 15 years ago. I tanked that class and swore I'd never do another math again. When I went back to college and my major required Statistics and another higher level math class, all of the math classes required a graphing calculator with the TI-83+ being recommended by most of them. It cost just under $100 for me to get one that I ended up using for two classes.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

My kids needed those Freshman year but they use them throughout HS and will use them in college. They are still in the $100 range.

Yes, my ds18 had 4 years of math and used it every year. He'll be taking it to college in the fall. He's a software engineering major so he'll have a LOT of math. When he graduates, I'd consider it $ well spent.
If he needs something else in college, I'd still want him to have what the class is using. I'd rather him be able to follow along with his professor and the class than to be an oddball and have additional challenges to deal with.
Not that I ever would but some people would spend more than that on a pair of sneakers.

 

[here757]

my kid is going into 7th . taking honors math . needs TI 82 ,83 regular or silver! killin me if he breaks it he will buy the second one!

 

[amylevan]

As far as I know, TIs are still the preferred calculator for upper level math classes (engineer here). I might be tempted to wait and see if she needs the Casio or is ok using the class set for now and then you can wait to purchase the right one for high school. You can always go buy one at some point during the year if the class set isn't cutting it.

 

[havaneselover]

As far as I know, TIs are still the preferred calculator for upper level math classes (engineer here). I might be tempted to wait and see if she needs the Casio or is ok using the class set for now and then you can wait to purchase the right one for high school. You can always go buy one at some point during the year if the class set isn't cutting it.

This is the direction I'm leaning toward. I'm happy to buy the Casio if needed, but I think she'll need a TI by 9th grade.

 

[crisi]

Ask her about the class set early. What I've discovered about class calculators in my kids school:

1) There aren't enough - some kids who don't have them have to take the test after school.
2) Some of them are missing buttons or broken in other ways (like broken screens - not being about to tell an eight from a three can be problematic in a math class)

But our classrooms are underfunded and this is one place they really are underfunded. If she isn't getting a good workable calculator in class, or is struggling with homework because she doesn't have the right calculator at home, fix it before she falls behind. A bunch of kids in my son's math class failed their first trimester because they didn't mention to their parents in the first two weeks that the class calculators were not setting them up for success.

 

[PlutoPony]

Just asked my son - he used a good Casio graphing calculator all though middle school and high school math, including HS calculus. The only thing it doesn't do that would be helpful is evaluating integrals, that would have saved him some time on occasion. He's starting his 3rd year in a top 10 engineering program and and still using the Casio, although most students are using HP's.

He also has has a couple scientific calculators, Casio and TI, that he uses on tests. At the college level, you are often limited to certain calculators for tests in math and science classes. So in other words, it's a mixed bag of calculators. The key seems to be having really good knowledge of the calculator you do use so you don't have to think about what key to punch next.

 

[crisi]

Just asked my son - he used a good Casio graphing calculator all though middle school and high school math, including HS calculus. The only thing it doesn't do that would be helpful is evaluating integrals, that would have saved him some time on occasion. He's starting his 3rd year in a top 10 engineering program and and still using the Casio, although most students are using HP's.

He also has has a couple scientific calculators, Casio and TI, that he uses on tests. At the college level, you are often limited to certain calculators for tests in math and science classes. So in other words, it's a mixed bag of calculators. The key seems to be having really good knowledge of the calculator you do use so you don't have to think about what key to punch next.

Yep, in addition to three Casios and three of the TI-84 series, I have two financial calculators. You can't get IRR with a push of a button on a scientific calculator. At a certain level, having the right tools and knowing those tools helps a lot. There is little chance for most kids to get through the SAT or ACT math questions in the time allotted if they don't really know how to use their calculator.

 

[florep1]

My daughters used a TI-81 from 8th grade and it has lasted them through college. It is 8 years old, and they both still work. The schools had them for use in the classroom, but you need one for homework. When one of them had to take Calculus in college though, that wasn't good enough but she was able to borrow one from her friends in engineering. It is a big investment, but has earned it's keep. On the other hand, my son, who went to private school took Algebra in middle school and has yet to use a graphing calculator. I suggest going by what the school recommends cause if you buy one that's too advanced for them, the teachers may not take the time to help one student when 19 others need their attention.