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Karen T
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Has anyone used this yet? I'm not sure how long it's been out, but I'm now seeing it in Sonlight catalog as well as somewhere else (which escapes me at the moment). My ds is finishing up 7th grade this spring - we used Saxon 8/7 this year which was a huge mistake; in fact we've just ditched it for the rest of this year and are using the Key To Algebra booklets, but I don't think they will be enough for an entire algebra course.
My other option is MUS for algebra, but we used it for Epsilon and he really didn't like the videos, plus the spiral approach is what has exasperated us so much this year with Saxon (5 problems on the lesson, and 30 problems on previous topics?) We tried the DIVE CD also, but he just doesn't do well with watching lessons on video. I know the Teaching Textbooks includes CD lessons, but you can also buy it separately. I have no problems teaching directly from a textbook, but I want a textbook that is straightforward and doesn't skip around like Saxon did.
Karen T
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Diane
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Karen, there was a review of this at the Love2Learn blog last week. (You'll have to scroll down to May 5th. I can't seem to get a link to the exact post.) It was a very thorough and positive review.
Have you been to their website? Lots of demos there to give you a flavor of it.
My dd has been using the Pre-Algebra level this year, following six years of Singapore Math. It started really slow with a lot of review, but I just tested her out of the first several chapters. We both like it. It seems thorough and straightforward, just the right amount of problems, imo. The text (which comes on really thin paper) is written in a somewhat conversational tone, but I don't find it annoying as I have with other (non-math) texts. We didn't buy the Solutions CDs. I figured we could get by for Pre-Alg and save the money, but we may spring for them next year.
Hope this helps.
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Karen T
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Thanks, Diane, I didn't even think to look for a website specific to the product! They do have a lot of sample pages and even a placement test. It does look pretty good. I feel like we've skipped around so much for math already, but I'm definitely not going to try Saxon again.
Karen T
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Natalia
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| Posted: May 18 2006 at 11:49am | IP Logged
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Karen,
I couldn't find the placement test. Could you link to it please?
Thanks,
Natalia
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Donna
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| Posted: May 18 2006 at 12:28pm | IP Logged
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Here is the link.
Click on the level you are interested in.
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Natalia
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Thanks Donna! It was right on my face 
Have you used this program? how do you like it?
Natalia
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Jen L.
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I know that you didn't ask for other curriculum ideas, AND I don't know a lot about it, but my nephew did NOT like Saxon, but he loved Jacob's Algebra. Thought I should pass along the recommendation (and muddy the waters?  )
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Donna
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| Posted: May 18 2006 at 4:01pm | IP Logged
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Natalia wrote:
Thanks Donna! It was right on my face Have you used this program? how do you like it?
Natalia |
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No, I've not used it...but was planning to this fall. Right before Karen posted this thread, a woman who owns a curriculum store in our area had been telling me about the program, so I've been looking at it for several weeks.
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Victoria in AZ
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Karen T wrote:
are using the Key To Algebra booklets, but I don't think they will be enough for an entire algebra course.
Karen T |
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Karen, I'm curious why you say this. I have heard it definitely is a complete Algebra course.
Also, by way of empathy, we've been through the exact same Algebra courses as you 
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Donna
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Karen T wrote:
| Has anyone used this yet? I'm not sure how long it's been out, but I'm now seeing it in Sonlight catalog as well as somewhere else (which escapes me at the moment). |
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Karen,
I ordered Teaching Textbook's pre-algebra and it came on Thursday. I've been sitting here for an hour looking through the text and watching the CDs. It's great! It will be such a nice fit for Jackson who completed Saxon 87 last year...and really disliked it!
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Karen T
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Hi, I'm hoping to re-activate this topic and see if anyone (Donna?) has now used this book a little and found any major problems with it or anything. I still haven't ordered anything for this coming year, as we're going to finish the Key To books first I think, so i have some time. I just looked at Jacob's algebra that Jen mentioned and that looks good, too! I think the main thing I want, from whatever book we choose, is a good set of practice problems for each topic. What I disliked so much in Saxon is there was only 3-5 problems for the lesson topic, then 30 of review from other topics. I suppose you eventually get enough of everything, but for a child who is having a problem with a particular concept it doesn't make sense to me to do only a few problems and then move on.
Karen T
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Natalia
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I ordered the pre-algebra but we won't be starting school until next week. It does look great though. I'll let you know how it goes when we actually use it.
Natalia
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Donna
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Karen,
I haven't started to use the text yet...we won't be starting school until the end of August. However, I did have a friend of mine who is a math/music major look the program over because he will be Jackson's official Algebra teacher this year, and he said it's a great program. He doesn't think Jackson will need any tutoring or help with the daily lessons.
There are sample lessons on the website for you to peruse.
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Donna
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Karen T
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Can either of you tell from looking through the books if its approach is similar to Saxon, with just a few problems on the lesson topic and then endless review? That's my real hesitation on any book. Whatever happened to having a lesson, learning it thoroughly with a number of practice problems, and then maybe having a cumulative review once a week or something? I just read a review of TT Algebra this morning in Heart and Mind, and she does say "like Saxon Algebra, the problem sets cover a variety of topics, including review of previous topics" I guess I don't mind a few review with each one if the main focus is still the lesson of the day; however, the way Saxon did it leaned much too heavily on the review, to the expense of learning that day's lesson.
I've looked some at Jacob's too, but on Amazon you can't see inside the book so I have no idea how its lessons are laid out, etc. But, it appears that there are no solutions available for it, just an answer key with final answers, so that might be one drawback there. I'm pretty good in math so I'm not intimidated by teaching algebra, but having the solutions to fall back on just in case is nice.
Karen
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Natalia
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Karen,
I haven't used Saxon so I can't compare. I used Singapore Primary before this.
The book has these suggestion on how to use the book:
1- Read the printed lesson - the lessons are written in a conversational style very different from Singapore. The text has some portions highlighted. These portions are the main point of each lesson and they are meant to make review easy.
2- Watch the lecture on CD
3- There is a set of practice problems- these problems are not required and they only ask the student to work they ones that seem difficult (there are only five practice problems). These problems have a letter by them that correspond to the letters by problems in the problem sets that are similar.
4-Watch the lectures on CD that explain the practice problems.
5-Work all the problems in the problem set.
6-Grade
7-Watch the step by step solution to the problems that were missed.
8-After each chapter there is a test.
At the beginning of the book when is talking to the parents the author does say "because the problem sets employ the well-known review method, students are more likely to actually retain what they've learned"
The problem sets seem to have less that 25 problems each by looking at them I can't tell how many of the problems are review and how many cover the chapter topic.
Hope this helps you any,
Natalia
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SharonO
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I am in search of an Algebra program for my son next year. It looks most of the previous posts were from last fall. How is the text working for anyone? I am getting more and more frustrated with Saxon each day mainly for the same reasons Karen T. mentioned above- not enough practice before moving on. It seems like a lot of money for a math program, but if it's successful...
I really want to find a math program that we can stick with all through high school. Those who have gone through 4 years of high school already- what have you used?
Thanks,
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Sharon in MO
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andibc
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We have been using TT for almost 3 years. I've had two children work through Algebra 1, one child work through Algebra 2 and one child who is midway through Geometry. We love it. My dd who hated math and who didn't understand it, now says it's her favorite subject. With our oldest child we used Saxon and Jacob. It is not like Saxon with it's endless review. TT stays with topics longer, progresses more logically and has just enough review. The children are scoring in the top percentile on the required standardized tests. I know many, many people who use this and have yet to hear a complaint, although I'm sure there are some that don't like it.
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SharonO
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andibc wrote:
| TT stays with topics longer, progresses more logically and has just enough review. The children are scoring in the top percentile on the required standardized tests. |
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Thank you! This is the two things I needed to hear- logical Math and they still do well on the standardized tests! Now to convince my dh to spend that kind of money on a math program. Both he & I excelled in Math in high school/college, so it is really frustrating for me when the kids don't "get it" quickly.
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Sharon in MO
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Karen T
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I've just started using TT algebra a few weeks ago. I had ds go through the Key To algebra set since we already had it and we liked its style, but it definitely does not cover everything a full algebra course does. I originally ordered just the TT book without the CDs. They accidentally sent me the solution CDs, so I kept them (sealed) a few weeks to see if we would use them or not. I ended up opening them and using them, and contacted the publisher to pay for them. I do like the book quite a bit and think it's very thorough with good explanations We are not doing every chapter since we'd already done the KTA, but are doing the ones he had trouble with in KTA and the ones that weren't covered. My only complaint is that it is a very thick book and is spiral bound. That makes it nice to lay flat but I'm so worried about durability. I know hardbinding makes things more expensive but these soft covers and spiral bindings aren't going to hold up with rough kids like my ds!
Unfortunately, although I think the CD's are great, my ds is just not the right kid for them. He apparently just watches with NO attempt at understanding (probably thinking about skateboarding), and then just copies down the practice problems as they do them. The ones he misses, when he goes back and watches the solutions, he again just copies down the steps without paying attention. I would love to make math be something he could do completely on his own with this program and i'm sure for other kids it is, but he needs me to sit down and go over it with him each time. He can do it on a whiteboard if I'm sitting there watching him, but he will always take the lazy way out if I'm not  He is almost 14 and i hope maturity will come soon!
Karen T
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SharonO
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Karen-
I think I've mentioned this before, but your son sounds EXACTLY like mine. (He'll be 14 in May). I so want him to "own" his education and take things seriously. We've tried the Saxon D.I.V.E. cd's, but he didn't want to take the time to listen through them. I was hoping the instructor on the Teaching Textbooks cd was a little bit more engaging.
We are trying to work through the first 4 books of the Key to Algebra series. I felt the format would give him a good basis for whatever algebra program we picked up next year. We have struggled all year with Math- we started first with Saxon Algebra 1/2, then tried Life of Fred. Finally we've found some success with KTA, but I didn't think they were probably thorough enough.
I think this decision is going to take a lot of prayer. I really need ds to work on his own (or with a little help from dad). My youngest two children really need to get a solid start on Math. One is entering K, the other will be a 3rd grader, but struggles with Math. I hope Math U See will help them. I also will have a 6th grader who I'm hoping will survive one more year of Saxon (I hate to keep switching programs).
God Bless,
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Sharon in MO
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4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: Teaching Textbooks, algebra?
