| Author | |
mooreboyz
Forum Pro
Joined: March 16 2008
Location: Wisconsin
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 318
|
| Posted: Dec 23 2010 at 1:48pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
My first son struggled at first with Algebra. We used Life of Fred for his first year and he never really got it and so we spent another year on it using TT. He did well the 2nd year. Now my 2nd son is ready and I'm wondering if I should have him do a Prealgebra first.
What are your opinions? I was thinking of going the TT route since he'll be using TT for Algebra...or don't you think it matters? I'd like to save on the cost; however, I can use the TT again for all the boys. HMMMM.
__________________
Jackie
7 boys - 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17 years
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
guitarnan
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Maryland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 10883
|
| Posted: Dec 23 2010 at 2:27pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We did with both children. We only used TT with my daughter (last year). It's sort of half useful math review (percents, financial math, negative numbers, etc.) and half variables/exponents/solving equations. I think it was better for her than another year of middle school math would have been, and it certainly covered many of the same topics.
__________________
Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Dec 23 2010 at 2:48pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I did fine going right into Algebra when I was in school.
I think it may also depend on what program you've used up to that point.. some may cover more pre-algebra than others.
TT has a placement test doesn't it? that may give you a better idea.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
cathhomeschool
Board Moderator
Texas Bluebonnets
Joined: Jan 26 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7303
|
| Posted: Dec 23 2010 at 4:34pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We didn't do any pre-algebra and both of my older boys have done fine. (I have one that likes math and one that doesn't.) We used Math-U-See for the lower grades, then worked a little in Jacob's Human Endeavor (sort of general math concepts) and then Jacob's Algebra. We used TT for Geometry and really liked it.
__________________
Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Erica Sanchez
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 05 2005
Location: California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1538
|
| Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 12:51pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I am just about to order TT Pre-Algebra for my 8th grader. My facilitator from our charter school mentioned that she had heard from another family that TT 7 and Pre-Algebra were similar with 7 even being more favorable, more thorough, I think.
I figured my 8th grader, who is really not all that strong in math, would appreciate not having a 7th grade book so we're going with the other.
Like Jodie said, they have placement tests at their website. They give you guidelines based on how many problems they miss in the two sections as to what level they should do.
If your son is strong in his basic math skills, I bet he would do fine with Algebra I. My oldest is just finishing Algebra I and she mostly misses problems because of something small like a wrong + or - sign. :(
__________________
Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
hylabrook1
Forum Moderator
Joined: July 09 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5980
|
| Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 2:36pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
We've done pre-algebra with all of our dc. When the older ones reached a place where they theoretically could have gone directly to algebra, we tried that. They were not bad math students and had very high averages on the tests - I think with the olders we were using Saxon. But when we tried to do algebra, they kind of went into a panic and didn't seem to follow what, to my mind, should have been the next step to come after what they had already mastered. 
So, even though I have no great child development or educational theory-based explanation, experience told me just to go ahead and assume they should do pre-algebra. None of them complained that it was too easy or too much of a review. It seems like they needed that extra year to feel comfortable with the basic concepts being firmly in place.
Peace,
Nancy
p.s. this is not to say the same is true for every child, for your child, etc. (disclaimer  )
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
Forum Locked) 
4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: Do you do Prealgebra?
