Editing at the top to say that this had been solved. I did receive the answers. We started DO last week with the parent grading option for half price. I think I may have misunderstood what was involved. I thought they would have the solutions to the homework and tests so that I could just grade it myself. I'm not seeing that option. Does parent grading really mean that I have to work the problems myself in order to have the answers? Any advice? Do I just have to pay the full $59 per month and have them grade it?

Ok. Thanks for this!! That is helpful. My big pull is the mixing of CM and classical. I definitely like the free part of G&B!! So is the progym more interwoven in CP? Even basic nature study is enough to give me the nudge I need right now. Is the spelling so basic that I would want another program? We have done SWO for years and years (like I think 16 years, since my almost college graduate started 1st! ha). I like it because I know it, but sometimes question if it's that helpful. I have had natural spellers so far who often go along acing the pretests in SWO. I don't even know if it would help a poor speller. I just did it to be doing spelling and it was never broke, so I didn't fix it. So I'm basically liking the light spelling that appears to be in some of these more CM friendly curricula. My leaning is still more towards doing CP Primers 1 & 2 in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, but I'm not sure. It may be hard for me. My older kids always did R&S so they had rigorous grammar from a young age!! Ok. Of those three, which one is your favorite and why?

Thanks for the responses. I really like hearing that about ELTL. It is so much more affordable than CP. The only thing missing, in my mind, would be nature study. Does anyone know of a resource for nature study that would offer a simple, once-per-week handholding? I have attempted nature study for years. That was my draw to CP, that it would say "Do this." About the Good and the Beautiful, it really does look good. I have two issues with it, though. One may not be an issue, but I don't see anywhere that it leads the child through the progym. That is something that drew me to both of the other two. I tried CAP with my older boys and liked it to a degree but it just didn't work. I was thinking ELTL or CP would be all-inclusive as well as take them through the progym, and I like that. My second issue is that it is LDS. I feel cautious about using something by someone whose views are so contrary to my own. I feel it would come out in the text in some manner and I'd rather just not go that route. Thanks for the idea though. It really does look good!

First, CP: I have looked at samples and looked for reviews for CP. There aren't many reviews out there. I love the looks of this for LA and think it would be a good fit for my upcoming 2nd grade son. He is my 5th of 5, and part of me just wants to do something new and more CMish. We have always done more traditional and classical curricula. I've been classical for a while and feel this or ELTL would be a breath of fresh air. I do NOT like the price tag, especially compared to ELTL. It appears to me that it would be $80 for a year of language arts. The plus is that it would be every aspect of LA with the addition of Nature (which would help me so much), and art study. Would it be feasible to take the two primer years, all 6 books (autumn, winter, spring x2) and spread them over 3 years instead of 2? This would take him from 2nd-4th. It would help my feelings about the price of it all. ELTL: I like the looks of it but not as much as I do CP. I at least am finding more reviews of it that CP. I do think it looks good and if I can't find a lot of reasons to pick CP, the price difference will turn me towards ELTL. I'd like opinions. FTR, we use TOG for history, lit, geog, and church history/worldview. I'm willing to drastically reduce the amount of lit we do through TOG. My 2nd grader would love the CM type literature.

This is really helpful and kind of the route I was wanting to take. The problem is that I'm not finding teacher's manuals reasonably priced, and I am not really clear on how to find them that would match a textbook. I would really like to learn along with him. I also have two more children below him, so me putting the time in now would be great.

No, I don't. I'd like to learn, but I'm not proficient at it. Some of what you said about step 1, 2, 3 is a reason we left Saxon. It was often too formulaic for a child who had learned to think mathematically via singapore from k-6. He just wanted to do the math how he knew to make it happen. Some of the steps seemed senseless to him when he felt he had a more sensible plan to lay out a problem. Maybe I do need to just suck it up and pay for DO, at least for the grade-it-yourself option. I took a lot of efforts for K-6 math, effort that paid off. I just don't want to drop the ball now!!

Thank you both!!! Are Larson and Holt the same? I'm looking more into both. AoPS intimidates me for some reason. I don't think he would like it just by perusing samples. I would love to have a copy of each level to use when I wanted but I don't know about us using it as a stand-alone.

Would it be possible for an average math mom to teach Dolicani Algebra 1 with just the text? Also, would finishing this enable a child to step into Derek Owens Algebra 2? I'd love to do DO for Algebra 1, but we have two children in university now and 3 others that we homeschool. I'm trying to be wise with money. My goal is to prep my upcoming 8th grader to take online classes with DO later (maybe Alg. 2 and Pre-Cal) and possibly do dual credit Calculus his senior year. By that time, I'll have one who graduates out of university so money won't be as tight. We could swing it financially this year, but I'd have to ditch some outside classes: violin, swim team, etc. I'd really like to teach it myself if possible since it is the last level of math that I could actually handle without more help. I have Lial's Introductory Algebra and am looking it over. I initially didn't like the looks at all, but am seeing how I could lay it out for a school year and it seems doable for me to teach. I pretty well grasp most of it, and what I don't grasp, a little review would nail it down for me. I have concerns about it and the next text Intermediate Algebra being enough for Alg 1 and 2. I've read accounts on these boards that the 2nd book is not equivalent to Alg. 2. Is the 1st book actually equivalent to Alg 1? If it is, I would be happy to use it if I felt it would be enough prep for DO later on. Again, I do own TT Algebra 1 through Pre-cal. I'm tossing around the idea of supplementing it with Lial's or Dolciani (if/when I buy a copy). So my question there is how do you supplement? Do you dedicate a day per week to utilizing an extra text? Do you just throw in extra problems each day? I see many people saying they use multiple texts I don't quite understand how one does that. I'm a check-the-box type person. I need some kind of method to the whole supplementing/using more than one text avenue. If I utilized what I own, i.e., TT, could I pull together a solid higher math plan by using the teaching on the videos and some of the problems and supplementing other sources? Or would I just be driving myself crazy? My plan would look something like this: 8th grade - Alg 1 (using whatever it is I make a decision on...Dolciani Algebra 1, TT Alg 1 and part of 2 supplemented with Lials and/or other resources, maybe just Lial's) 9th grade - Geometry - maybe using TT since I own it...I've heard it is fairly solid?? Opinions?? 10th grade - Alg 2 Derek Owens 11th grade - Pre-Calculus - Derek Owens 12th grade - Calculus - Dual Credit or Derek Owens I get the feeling from reading reviews that TT could be solid if done in a way where you consider Alg 1, 2, and pre-cal as being more of an Alg 1-2 course load then maybe finishing it off with a solid pre-calculus year then calculus year using other curriculum. Are my hopes too high there? This is the 3rd math post I've posted in as many weeks. Thanks for your help. I'm really trying to get my thoughts down with the hopes that those who know a lot more than me will chime in. Yes, I've read basically every algebra 1 post that I can find on the WTM forums, along with the fence straddler thread and the post at the top of the forum that includes the multiple math choices. :) I would really like to make a plan and stick if I can or at least utilize curriculum that my children wouldn't suffer if I switched.

I posted a few weeks ago on this topic but I've changed my thinking a little since then. I was going to go ahead and go with TT since I have it, but I just can't get past the fact that it may be weak. So background: 13yo, just finishing 7th grade, does sufficiently well in math. He has used Singapore from K through 6a. He then switched to Saxon 8/7. Our intent was to use Saxon all the way through. He is a very obedient student who does his best. He cooperated but would sigh every time we sat down to do it. He did well, mostly 90s and above throughout the year, but there was no love, just obligation. I want more than that for him. I think surely I could work at it and help him have a love for math and not just a "eat your vegetables" idea behind it. So he of course finds TT Algebra simple and a breath of fresh air. We will likely work through some of it this summer then move to another Algebra course in early August. I just can't seem to have a peace about it being our main curriculum. I own Lial's Introductory Algebra (I think that is it) and I just don't know about the layout. The pages are so full. I like a cleaner look. I also own Dolciani Pre-Algebra and like the feel of it better. Here is what I'd like in a math curriculum: 1) I would like it to potentially be easy to get some backup materials: solutions manual that shows the work or teacher's manual, some type of videos if possible. I feel I can work through this with him but Algebra was a while ago for me and I'd like some more support. 2.) I'd like it to feel that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Saxon 8/7 is MASSIVE. It felt like we were slogging through. Is there something that will give a thorough foundation in Algebra but still be doable in a reasonable amount of time? 3.) My next child who is finishing 5th is one that I could see being an engineer. I'd like to buy a curriculum that is thorough enough for both of them but also a gentle approach as well. The older of the two is good at math but doesn't love it. The younger of the two seems to love math and will likely be doing Pre-algebra in 6th. I've looked at Foersters somewhat. I haven't gotten my hands on it yet. I've considered using MWOB along with it. It sounds like it might be fairly difficult. I would like something that is very clear in its instructions, even if that means using a video to make it so. The older of the two "gets" math, but appreciates thorough explanations. I'm also considering Derek Owen. I just don't like the price tag!! Even the half-price version is steep with me grading. Is there any alternative where you can purchase the video instruction yourself and use it for multiple children? I also saw that Memoria Press may have DVDs to go along with Prentice Hall (which is Foerster's, right?), but all I'm seeing is that you pay $55 to stream the videos for a few months. You don't get to keep them. Am I right? I have three kids at home, I'm quite good at lower maths and do have a math mind but need to work through the higher levels along with my kids, so I really need something that would help me in that regard. Thanks.

We just finished Saxon 8/7. I am grateful for how thorough it was for my son. He really knows his stuff. However, neither of us want to continue with Saxon. He has done well with it, but neither of us like it. I would like some input from others. Background: This child is going into 8th grade. He did Singapore Math levels K-6a US edition. We then moved to Saxon 8/7 midway through his 6th grade year, and yes, it has taken us a year and a half to do Saxon 8/7. I have two older college students who did Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 through Pre-Calculus then moved on to dual credit senior year. I own all the DVDs and books for TT. I "get" math better than I did when they went through, and while they both have done well and have gone on to do well in college, I'm not sure that I want to do TT as is. I'm considering having him push through TT Alg 1, 2, Geometry, and Pre-cal and finish midway through his junior year (so do the 4 courses in 3 to 3.5 years) then take online dual credit pre-cal the second half of his junior year then dual credit calculus senior year. I'm seeing that pre-cal for TT is more like Algebra 2 for other courses. I feel like we could race through the first 40 lessons of TT as it appears to be review. We buzzed through a couple of lessons yesterday and it is bits of new terminology but mostly review. Another option I'm considering, since I do own all of the TT and hate to waste it, is to do either Dolciani Algebra 1 or Lial's Intermediate Algebra to go deeper in the topics he covers in TT. Is that crazy? Am I trying too hard to make use of the money I spent on TT? I have ordered Lial's and will be ordering Dolciani just so I can see them side by side and decide which would be best. Dolciani may be best since it sounds like it very clearly shows which are the easy, intermediate, and difficult problems. That would be a benefit if I'm using it to supplement what we are doing already. Last week I was planning to just order Saxon Algebra 1 and DIVE or Art Reed DVDs and go from there. This week I've just been facing how much we loathe Saxon and how I'd like to utilize what we already have and not spend a ton more money. Dolciani and Lials would be inexpensive ways to still be thorough...I think??? I'm not super mathy, though I'm much moreso than I used to be. Thanks for your input. Sorry so long!!!!!!

I have life experience with an adult child who was homeschooled all the way through, in not-very-diverse settings, that has resulted in something contrary to what you are saying. We lived in a predominantly white community. Church, sports, outside activities were predominantly white kids. It wasn't by choice on our part, just the way things fell while my husband pursued work that supported our family and we pursued a home education that we wanted to 1.) Bring glory to God; and 2.) Prepare them well for college, life, and to have a positive influence. We spent a lot of time discussing slavery, the Trail of Tears, diversity, apartheid, God's view of every tongue, every tribe, every nation. My goal was to encourage a view to God's glory and people knowing Christ, our equality as human beings in God's eyes, and the sin of viewing things differently from that. I failed a lot, but God didn't. Fast forward, and my oldest has been strongly involved in campus ministry with the purpose of diversity. She spent last summer involved in an overseas mission team as the only white student among 15 who went to South Africa; not only that, she was with a team from another state and knew NO ONE!! There was one or two Hispanic students and the rest were African Americans. Not only did she thrive but was recommended by the leadership, who was also of another race, to be a leader as well BECAUSE of a distinct heart that they saw in her in regards to race. She was somewhat of an enigma to them because she was raised in the south in a conservative, white, homeschooled family. Apparently, that mixture was a good one. The key? I prayed hard for this child. God led me to specific prayers for her, specific missionary biographies, specific books to shape her. I failed a lot, but God didn't.

Yes, I gathered that. Sorry it sounded that way. I'm done. :)

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That's quite a reach. They don't make the laws.

Yes, this!! And I really do NOT care what other countries do. I don't want to mimic socialist nations. Government is not my god or my mommy or my daddy or my nanny. I don't trust people who want the government to play that role in their life!! I have zero faith in the moral compass of a government that keeps being handed more and more power. I don't want them to wipe my nose or the nose of any college kid who should know how already. I don't want them to choose who gets their citizen-funded college education. What you would get with government-funded college education: their brand of truth. No thanks. I'm good!! When the government takes my money to fund the things they want to pay for, that means they are stealing it out of my hands so that I cannot donate to the causes that I find worthy. That is quite a slippery slope and we have slid 2/3 of the way down that slope as it is. We are about to be laying in a big, oozing pile of mud and sewage!! Rant over and I'm out!!

There is no such thing as free. Someone pays!! That's socialism. College being hard work and sacrifice is the only way it will ultimately work out. Otherwise it will be taken advantage of because it is "free", not by each and every student but likely by the ones who suffer from entitlement syndrome. Those scary words that make me shudder: "We're with the government and we're here to help."

College education is not a right. It requires money and the ability to competently handle many things. I was that broke ADD college kid. I grew up and managed.

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