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Finished pre-Algebra, but I don't think she gets it yet...


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Struggling math learner mildly on the spectrum.  Has periods of time where things seem to click and then

suddenly nothing does.   She has made it through Teaching Textbooks pre-Algebra

with lots of struggles.  I am not sure how much has stuck, but I think she needs a break or at least

to slow way down.  I was considering taking a year off and doing Consumer Math and letting her brain mature another

year before working on Algebra. (or even reviewing Pre-Algebra)  But concerned she will forget Pre-Algebra basics.  

Should we take a year off or find something simple like Keys to Algebra and try to go ahead very slowly?

 

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She is 15.   She is a year behind others her age as she is just now starting 9th.

But we still have 4 years.  I doubt she will go to college, but I don't want to close the door just in case.

Also don't want lots of stress and tears.  

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I  agree with Maize.  If pre-algebra or beyond is where she is supposed to be, but things are not solid, I would do consumer math, but also possibly CLE and have her work slowly through both.  Maybe a little of one in the morning and a little of the other in the afternoon or something.  Absolutely give the placement test for CLE.  Tell her that wherever she places, those are levels and she will just do whatever level she placed into.  Cut out some of the review problems in areas she has mastered, skip the quizzes and tests, etc.  (If you are not a Christian or are concerned about Christian content, there actually isn't very much in the CLE math units.)  CLE is great for review and solidifying weak areas, as long as you place the child correctly.  The Diagnostic tests are free.  Just download them to your computer and print them out.  They can be a bit long so maybe break it up a bit.  

 

https://www.clp.org/store/by_grade/21

 

 

I would also incorporate mathy games.  She might do better if one day a week was just half an hour or so of mathy games.  See this thread:

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/499692-looking-to-do-some-relaxed-math-here-want-to-share-ideas/

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Thanks for clarifying her age and grade level, as well as your desire to keep her options open for college even if you don't expect that she'll go. Given that, I'd move forward with Algebra, or review pre-algebra going at a her pace, using different materials.

 

You say she gets it sometimes and other times doesn't, so I'd look for perhaps if she's missing some larger concept(s) of pre-algebra. Maybe there's something that she's missed that if she understood would help those areas where she struggles clique into place. She may have question such as, "How can letters be numbers?" Or in questions like "if y= x+2 and x is 2, what is y?" she might be wondering, "Where did they get the value of x?" I'd look for the unanswered questions that left her struggling with pre-algebra. She's on the spectrum, so think of areas in her particular use and understanding of language that might get in the way of these math concepts.

 

As to finding different textbook, I've had to go on a quest to find an algebra program for my children that I liked. Seriously, we have a whole collection of algebra books here, including Teaching Textbooks, Saxon and more. Not every program works well for every person. Again for someone on the spectrum, it may be of particular importance that the material be explained in language and with images that she understands.

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I don't think you should take a year off. Even a summer off can result in a lot of forgetting.  I also do not think you should move to algebra when she is struggling with pre-algebra, unless you choose an algebra program that reviews pre-algebra and is very slow and gentle.

 

I might try something like starting Consumer Math over the summer along with maybe with Critical Thinking Balance Math which has some algebraic skills.  Then maybe next year I might try something like a certain number of days per week for consumer math and a certain number of days per week for pre-algebra during next school year, but using a different program.  That is if you feel a break is needed.

 

While checking other programs mentioned above, you might also want to look at MUS as another option that would be very different than what you have so far used, and at Khan Academy videos to perhaps help explain things in different ways.  There may be holes in her understanding before the pre-algebra level as well as what Merry Gardens said of confusions at the pre-algebra level.

 

Another option would be a Basic College Math program, especially if she is weak on things that come before pre-A level.

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Teaching Textbooks is spiral and she just might not be retaining and mastering the concepts.  I've got a kiddo that would do great all week and by Monday morning everything the week before was lost in the brain somewhere.  I had used TT but the computer screen was not an optimal learning tool and I wasn't able to catch the mistakes until well after the lesson was over.  I switched to MUS and he's retained everything.  Last summer before starting the PreAlgebra level we worked through Hands On Equations and this helped cement the skills needed for algebra.  It just made a lot of sense and provided visual cues to use in solving the problems.  You might spend some time working through HOE.  Homeschool buyers coop runs specials on it all the time.  I recommended it to another mom with a struggling learner and it was just the tool needed to make the connections.  We're finishing up MUS PreAlgebra and it has laid a solid foundation in preparation for algebra skills needed ahead so I don't hesitate to recommend.

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Teaching Textbooks is spiral and she just might not be retaining and mastering the concepts.  I've got a kiddo that would do great all week and by Monday morning everything the week before was lost in the brain somewhere.  I had used TT but the computer screen was not an optimal learning tool and I wasn't able to catch the mistakes until well after the lesson was over.  I switched to MUS and he's retained everything.  Last summer before starting the PreAlgebra level we worked through Hands On Equations and this helped cement the skills needed for algebra.  It just made a lot of sense and provided visual cues to use in solving the problems.  You might spend some time working through HOE.  Homeschool buyers coop runs specials on it all the time.  I recommended it to another mom with a struggling learner and it was just the tool needed to make the connections.  We're finishing up MUS PreAlgebra and it has laid a solid foundation in preparation for algebra skills needed ahead so I don't hesitate to recommend.

 

That looks interesting, but I can't quite figure out what you would use.  Is it a choice between the hands-on and

the app?  Or is the app just for more practice after using hands-on?   Is the 34.95 kit all you need to do the whole program?

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  • 2 weeks later...

She is 15.   She is a year behind others her age as she is just now starting 9th.

But we still have 4 years.  I doubt she will go to college, but I don't want to close the door just in case.

Also don't want lots of stress and tears.  

 

 

 

:lurk5: 

 

Lurking cause we're in the exact same boat. sigh......

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I'd do another year of pre-algebra.  It's really important to master that to automaticity before moving into algebra, which is far more abstract.  

 

Coming from TT I would use Saxon Math 87.  It would overlap some of the TT material but would take it deeper and further.  Also, I would NOT allow a summer break.  So much math is lost over the summer.  Keep it fresh, even if you don't do any other schooling except a little reading.

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Teaching Textbooks is spiral and she just might not be retaining and mastering the concepts.  I've got a kiddo that would do great all week and by Monday morning everything the week before was lost in the brain somewhere.  I had used TT but the computer screen was not an optimal learning tool and I wasn't able to catch the mistakes until well after the lesson was over.  I switched to MUS and he's retained everything.  Last summer before starting the PreAlgebra level we worked through Hands On Equations and this helped cement the skills needed for algebra.  It just made a lot of sense and provided visual cues to use in solving the problems.  You might spend some time working through HOE.  Homeschool buyers coop runs specials on it all the time.  I recommended it to another mom with a struggling learner and it was just the tool needed to make the connections.  We're finishing up MUS PreAlgebra and it has laid a solid foundation in preparation for algebra skills needed ahead so I don't hesitate to recommend.

Thank you for recommending Hands on Equations!!!!  It is just what we needed!  We are only on lesson #2 and we just figured out she didn't even understand 2x meant there were 2 x's.  She just saw 2 times x.  She was just trying to memorize steps.  I think this is a winner!!!  Thanks again!!!

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