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AoPS intro to Algebra and Foerster Algebra I together?


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Are any of you using/have you used these two texts together? I'm doing that with my 8th grader this year and wanted to compare experiences.

 

I've been having her do the Foerster text until we can move to the AoPS and have it be mostly review. Then when it introduces something new we go back to Foerster.*  I've been having her do just the exercises in AoPS (with a few exceptions when we do the problems first). but now I'm wondering if I should just have her do the chapter Review instead of the chapter exercises. We haven't been doing the Chapter Review or Challenger(those I'm saving for summer). Thoughts?

 

I am really liking this combination. I had done Foerster Algebra I with my older 5 and this child needed more, but AoPS often does not have enough practice on the basic concepts even for her. She could have maybe handled it alone, but I'm not sure. I think I would have had to supplement with easier practice problems. I guess Foerster is really doing that for me and giving lots of word problems.

 

I think we can finish Foerster this year and through chapter 8 or 9 or 10 of AoPS. I thought I would just continue on with Intro to Algebra alongside Geometry(Jurgensen) her 9th grade year. Though maybe I will do the same kind of thing alternating back and forth with Foerster Algebra 2 slowly through next year and 10th. 

 

During AoPS prealgebra we learned that she MUCH prefers me to teach her vs. going through the problems in the book to learn it. She learns from me teaching her in a fraction of the time it takes her to read it and work the problems and solutions.

 

Thanks,

Kendall 

 

* FYI for anyone finding this thread and wanting to try this- The exponent work in the AoPS is in chapter 1 or 2 and not until chapter 9 in Foerster, but she had a lot of that in AoPS Prealgebra so we went ahead with it. 

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We didn't blend the texts. My dd did not quite 1/2 of Dolciani Algebra 1. I ended up taking on more work and switched to Foerster b/c dd could do it on her own. Finished that and bought AoPS. We've used it as a break from Geometry. We jumped in around chapter 8 after doing some spot checking in earlier chapters, with Dd scratching her head on a few, but looking at a few and knowing the answer just by looking at it. So maybe not helpful. Dd wants to go back to Dolciani for Algebra 2 because she thinks she learns the most from it, but it's more prep for me.

 

I guess rather than blending, lead with one text and reinforce with another is my suggestion. YMMV

ETA- if she gets the chapter, maybe read through the sections and do the problems in the reviews in AoPS after the Foerster chapter?

Edited by MamaSprout
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I used the two but not together. My child did about 8 chapters of Forster when AOPS was proving to be too difficult. We went back to AOPS starting from the beginning and we are now in chapter 10.

I think which ever method works for your child is fine. I like that forester has a lot of questions for review so that helps with repetition and retaining but AOPS is very deep and detailed.

Edited by Lilaclady
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Thanks for the input, everyone! I have two girls behind her who will benefit from these ideas as well. They are not quite as strong in math and some of these ideas sound like good ones for them. I asked her today and she likes going back and forth so we will keep doing that. I think I will try doing just the reviews and maybe some challenge instead of going through all of the exercises.  She does Alcumus for fun on her own time. 

 

I also like the combo of plenty of practice with Foerster and deep and detailed with AoPS.  I am finding that for this child we often only do every 4th odd or even 2 or 3 of each kind in Foerster, so it isn't as much work as it sounds. She did all of the chapter on exponents in 2 days because of the prior exponent work in prealgebra and the early part of Intro. My older kids needed the whole year for Foerster, but this one does not so it has worked great to have the deeper problems in AoPS.  I'm so glad I finally bought it!  I'm just not ready to switch to it totally. I'm pretty sure the younger two couldn't anyway, but I will want them to have as much of the depth of AoPS that I can get them. 

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