Love2Smile Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 My 9th grader who struggles with math horribly is already having trouble with TT algebra one. I'm not sure I like how it's set up either. For one, I like having the solutions to the problems in a book so I can explain it to her step by step instead of having to "watch" the explainations each time and trying to follow along. I guess I am one of those learners who has to *read things* not visual at all! Anyway, we hit lesson 19 and I was not even following the lecture myself. We now have to watch it together one more time and go thru each problem step by step. It is time consuming and frustrating! Also, I don't like how there are really very few problems and she does NOT retain anything unless it's drilled into her head! I am thinking of switching her back to Saxon Alg. 1/2 and have her review everything she may have missed in 8th grade public school. I love how Saxon gives clear examples, solutions written to all problems and supplemental problems as well.. It is so clear and consise! What would you do, and have any of you felt this way about TT?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Listen here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/1SmartMama/2009/04/08/Leigh-for-Lunch-with-Art-Reed I think I'm going to try Art Reed's dvd's with Saxon algebra 1 WITH the solutions manual! Sorry, no help w/ TT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calandalsmom Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Are you aware that TT is more than happy to field questions? They reply so quickly to both emails and phone calls. Give them a try! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Are you aware that TT is more than happy to field questions? They reply so quickly to both emails and phone calls. Give them a try! I know that, they are awesome, it's just that I don't think TT is a good fit for us. I really need to solutions in a manual, it's really how I "learn" LOL I don't follow along too easily with the way TT is set up. The lower grades were fine, but I really think the upper grades are not a good fit for us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 My suggestion is to use a math that works with your student. No one program fits all equally well. Mine have done well with TT (as per standardized tests like the SAT/ACT), so I'm happy with it. If they weren't 'getting it' I'd switch in a heartbeat. Do what's right for your student - not what's right for someone elses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langfam Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 If you do decide to switch to Saxon, going to Saxon 8/7 the new paperback version will be better than Saxon Alg 1/2 which many kids struggle with. It's very heavy in computation and some kids get so lost in it that they lose track of the concepts they are supposed to learn. We've used Saxon all the way through Adv. Math and we've found Alg 1/2 to be the most difficult text to get through. Many of my friends in our homeschooling group have had the same experience with Alg 1/2, but those who have opted for the paperback Saxon 8/7 have had a better experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 If you do decide to switch to Saxon, going to Saxon 8/7 the new paperback version will be better than Saxon Alg 1/2 which many kids struggle with. It's very heavy in computation and some kids get so lost in it that they lose track of the concepts they are supposed to learn. We've used Saxon all the way through Adv. Math and we've found Alg 1/2 to be the most difficult text to get through. Many of my friends in our homeschooling group have had the same experience with Alg 1/2, but those who have opted for the paperback Saxon 8/7 have had a better experience. So do you suggest math 8/7 then Alg. 1? Do some people skip algebra 1/2?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langfam Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 If you use the paperback 8/7 and you child does well with it, you can skip Alg 1/2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeidiD Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Anyway, we hit lesson 19 and I was not even following the lecture myself. We now have to watch it together one more time and go thru each problem step by step. It is time consuming and frustrating! What would you do, and have any of you felt this way about TT?? Yes, that is exactly what happened to me. I gave the program to my son and thought it would do the teaching so I wouldn't have to. :) But it didn't quite work out that way, and it became a nuisance when he had a question about something, because I would have to sit down at the computer with him and watch the lesson. I like Saxon because it's easy to flip through the books and quickly explain things. One of my kids is using Jacobs Algebra right now, and it's also easy to teach from on the fly (my #1 prerequisite these days :)). If something is too unwieldy or time-consuming or a bad fit, definitely try something else you like better - there are many good programs to choose from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Yes, that is exactly what happened to me. I gave the program to my son and thought it would do the teaching so I wouldn't have to. :) But it didn't quite work out that way, and it became a nuisance when he had a question about something, because I would have to sit down at the computer with him and watch the lesson. I like Saxon because it's easy to flip through the books and quickly explain things. One of my kids is using Jacobs Algebra right now, and it's also easy to teach from on the fly (my #1 prerequisite these days :)). If something is too unwieldy or time-consuming or a bad fit, definitely try something else you like better - there are many good programs to choose from. I ordered Saxon Alg. 1 with the Teacher DVD's. Amazing how much less they are compared to TT. I looked at the table of contents to determine where she'd place. It looks like there is enough review in the beginning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Saxon and Teaching Textbooks were a disaster at our house with both kids. They both hop around doing different concepts in no particular order (well TT has a little more order), and both have constant review. The problem with that for us was that when the kids learned a new concept, there were not enough problems to cement it, and then they had to do all of those review problems. It split up their thinking. They ended up not mastering anything. When I switched to math that introduced one concept at a time, and built on that in later lessons, they did much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Saxon and Teaching Textbooks were a disaster at our house with both kids. They both hop around doing different concepts in no particular order (well TT has a little more order), and both have constant review. The problem with that for us was that when the kids learned a new concept, there were not enough problems to cement it, and then they had to do all of those review problems. It split up their thinking. They ended up not mastering anything. When I switched to math that introduced one concept at a time, and built on that in later lessons, they did much better. what did you switch to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 So do you suggest math 8/7 then Alg. 1? Do some people skip algebra 1/2??A little history about this: Saxon's series didn't originally include the 8/7 book. It was added when users (mostly schools) requested a bridge between 7/6 and 1/2 for students who needed that bridge. The original 8/7 book was much closer to the 7/6 in content -- not at all a substitute for the 1/2 book (pre-algebra). Eventually, Saxon reworked the 8/7 book so that it was closer in content to the 1/2 book, and really does serve well as a pre-algebra text, and the student can move easily from it to Algebra 1. One thing that hasn't changed about the Saxon series over the years is the report from many homeschoolers that, for whatever reason, the 1/2 book is particularly tough to get through. We didn't really have any unusual difficulty with 1/2, but I do agree that 8/7 is just a friendlier book to use. We might have chosen it over 1/2 ourselves, but we used Saxon back when 8/7 was not an adequate preparation for Algebra 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 A little history about this: Saxon's series didn't originally include the 8/7 book. It was added when users (mostly schools) requested a bridge between 7/6 and 1/2 for students who needed that bridge. The original 8/7 book was much closer to the 7/6 in content -- not at all a substitute for the 1/2 book (pre-algebra). Eventually, Saxon reworked the 8/7 book so that it was closer in content to the 1/2 book, and really does serve well as a pre-algebra text, and the student can move easily from it to Algebra 1. One thing that hasn't changed about the Saxon series over the years is the report from many homeschoolers that, for whatever reason, the 1/2 book is particularly tough to get through. We didn't really have any unusual difficulty with 1/2, but I do agree that 8/7 is just a friendlier book to use. We might have chosen it over 1/2 ourselves, but we used Saxon back when 8/7 was not an adequate preparation for Algebra 1. thanks this is good to know when my younger one reaches this level. Right now she is doing 7/6, so then after 8/7 if she does fine she would not need alg. 1/2? I ordered the alg. 1 for my 9th grader. Just by looking at the table of contents and how there seems to be much review, I'm sure she can handle it. She took pre-alg. in 8th grade public school and got an A. I also got the teacher videos. I am hoping we are successful with this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 what did you switch to? Math is one of the subjects I have trouble getting a good fit, there are features I like from one program, and some I like from another, but I have yet to find a program I really like. That being said, BJU fit the bill for the most part. For ds, he started with BJU (3rd grade, too early, learned that later on), then three years of Saxon (54-76), then Chalkdust Prealgebra (3 hrs. a day, too big of a jump from 76 for him), Video Text (not a good fit), then Chalkdust Geometry (not bad), then tried Chalkdust Algebra 2 (mid year, he hit the wall), next year BJU Algebra 2 (good year, great calculator instruction), senior year started with BJU Precalculus, then TT Precalc, then back to BJU with a little of the harder Chalkdust Algebra 2 mixed in. We was the eternal math experiment. After failing Calculus in college, he changed to an English major. For dd, did BJU from 3rd grade through Algebra 1. MUCH better. Only did dvds for Algebra 1. By the end of the year, the BJU moved too slow for her (but we really appreciated the extra time the dvd teacher took). She is giving a very good try doing Chalkdust Traditional Geometry this year. So far, not too bad, right now we are struggling with proofs, but are regularly emailing them for help. I am hoping to transition her to Chalkdust permanently, but it is too soon to tell if that will happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Right now she is doing 7/6, so then after 8/7 if she does fine she would not need alg. 1/2?Right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Math is one of the subjects I have trouble getting a good fit, there are features I like from one program, and some I like from another, but I have yet to find a program I really like. That being said, BJU fit the bill for the most part. For ds, he started with BJU (3rd grade, too early, learned that later on), then three years of Saxon (54-76), then Chalkdust Prealgebra (3 hrs. a day, too big of a jump from 76 for him), Video Text (not a good fit), then Chalkdust Geometry (not bad), then tried Chalkdust Algebra 2 (mid year, he hit the wall), next year BJU Algebra 2 (good year, great calculator instruction), senior year started with BJU Precalculus, then TT Precalc, then back to BJU with a little of the harder Chalkdust Algebra 2 mixed in. We was the eternal math experiment. After failing Calculus in college, he changed to an English major. . Oh my goodness, just reading this I got dizzy! No wonder he became an English major instead! LOL:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 If you use the paperback 8/7 and you child does well with it, you can skip Alg 1/2. I did not know Saxon came in hardcover. Or are you referring to something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langfam Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Older editions of Saxon 5/4 to 8/7 were in hardcover. I think Alg 1/2 on up is still hardcover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 We started TT Algebra 1 last year but dd didn't seem to be retaining. We stopped after about 25 lessons. She read "Math Doesn't Suck", and she has also read part of "Kiss My Math." DD started from the beginning of TT Alg 1 this fall again. In addition, I have her doing a couple of pages each day from the Key to Algebra booklets. We also have a subscription to Key to Tracker online ($5 a year, totally worth it!) to give her extra practice. So far, so good. I think maybe she needed to mature a little more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I know that, they are awesome, it's just that I don't think TT is a good fit for us. I really need to solutions in a manual, it's really how I "learn" LOLI don't follow along too easily with the way TT is set up. The lower grades were fine, but I really think the upper grades are not a good fit for us :iagree: And I use and love TT with two of my kids. I really wish they'd offer a print solutions manual for parents who do want to participate in their kids lessons without having to listen to the long drawn out explanations on the computer. The way he speaks really is a test of my patience. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Sorry, I haven't been on the forum for a few days. TT was not a good fit here, and dd is good at Algebra. We're not Saxon fans here, although dd did 3 years of it, so I wanted to chime in with something else (but I may be 2 days too late.) We're relatively new fans of LoF. It's very much a book you read, and there is no DVD to watch with it. There's a Home Companion with answers and extra problems. My dd loves this (she's doing the Geometry) and she hated TT. That said, I'm rather draconian when it comes to math, and she has to do 2 books (she did more than one Algebra book, too.) We have the Beginning Algebra here for my second dd to do first (my dc have to do Algebra 1 twice.) It's not unusual, however, for dc to hit a wall somewhere in Algebra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Katia Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 without having to listen to the long drawn out explanations on the computer. The way he speaks really is a test of my patience. :glare: Now, see....my dds thought he sounded just like the voice Johnny Depp used for his Willie Wonka character.....so they just pictured Johnny Depp teaching them their algebra lessons! :lol: It really does make a difference in your tolerance level of his voice. :D That said, we have dropped TT as well for LOF. Both of my dds like LOF much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrscopterdoc Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 That said, we have dropped TT as well for LOF. Both of my dds like LOF much better. Same here! DD hit a wall with TT right around lesson 20 also. We went to LoF and all is well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.