I suppose if I just buy everything new I won't have to worry about hunting for matching books. Also, I didn't even consider the advantages of having a program that would be current with newer graphing calculators. I didn't know that was something to consider! You see, I have much to learn!!!! Thanks for your response...it was very helpful:) Kirsten

Okay, I think I've settled on either the Lial's or the Foerster book for Precalculus. My problem now is that there seems to be numerous editions and publishing dates for both. Also, they both seem to come in a variety of titles, I guess depending on what year they are published. So, great math gurus of the WTM boards, here is my question. (Please excuse me for shouting, but my math patience is wearing thin) HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO KNOW WHICH BOOK TO BUY???? If I want to buy used, can I buy a Lial's Precalculus book published in 2004, or am I going to have trouble finding the solutions manual to go with it? Are some publishing dates better than others, or are the books basically the same? Would a precalculus book published in 1997 be okay? How have the rest of you decided? Should I just buy the most current edition? I know I must sound really dumb, but this will be our second year doing HS and I am finding a real void in HS level materials offered in the standard home school catalogs. If I don't ruin my firstborn trying to figure this all out, maybe my other two will stand a chance!! Any suggestions will be thoughtfully considered and greatly appreciated:001_smile: Kirsten

Jann, Thanks for the clarification. I think I understand what you are saying. YOu obviously like the Lial's book since you are using it. I will check it out and also the Chalkdust, since you said it is better than the Geometry. My son will be pleased...he really wanted to do "Calculus", and even if there is some Trig. thrown in, he will be happy to get back to more Algebra type math. That was really his favorite! Kirsten

I really appreciate everyone's help! Kareni: Thanks for the link...I didn't think to do a search, but that was the exact question I had. Jann: Thanks for answering another of my math questions! I know you already told me to go on to pre-Cal, but my husband asked some engineers that work for his company and they all said go to Trig. after Geometry if my son is interested in the engineering field. So, now I feel confused! Why is this confusing me? Why can't all the text books just do it the same way so this is not so hard! Okay, tell me if I am getting this right. If we go with a Pre-Calculus course, there will be Trig. included in it. On his course description for the year, I just list it as Pre-Calculus? Or do I list it as Pre-Calculus/Trig.? Could I do one semester of Trig. and one semester of Statistics before Pre-Calculus, or would he be repeating the same Trig. stuff if we did it that way? My son will be a tenth grader next year, so he has three more years to get his advanced math classes in before he graduates. Is there a text you recommend? I will tell you I did not like the Geometry text recommeded with Chalkdust. My son finished the book, but I didn't like it and won't use it for my next two. Sorry this got so long, Kirsten

My son used VT for Algebra I and Algebra II and liked them a lot. I wanted him to try something else for Geometry, so we used Chalkdust, and he said he much preferred the VT. He thought the explanations were much better with VT. I didn't like the text that was used with the Chalkdust Geometry, but I can't speak for the Chalkdust Algebra because we didn't use it. If I had it to do again, I would have just let him stick to what he liked...Videotext! That probably doesn't help you much! Hope you get more opinions! Kirsten

Is Trigonometry a full year course? Our local High School offers Trigonometry/Statistics as a class, so I am wondering if it only takes one semester to complete the Trig section and that is why Statistics is offered with it. I have also seen Geometry/Trigonometry listed as as a course, as if they both are completed in one year. Any thoughts? Thanks! Kirsten

I am glad that Sharon, Kai, and Pamela jumped in and gave their opinion. It gives me some more food for thought. I like Sharon's idea of phasing out the use of daiy assignments (fro grading purposes!) through high school, especially since I have never given my kids a yearly grades and they are just not used to it. My oldest son always takes his work serioulsy, but I've never stressed a letter grade for his work. Kai's idea spreads the grade load out a little more, which seems fair and equitable. It would certainly give those students who struggle with testing a chance to receive credit for all the work they put in trying to master a subject. I will definitely do this for his science grade where his notebook, lab reports, and tests will be a factor in his final grade. Pamela's suggestion of using just test scores seems fine, too, especially if you have a high achieving, high functioning student that tests well. Which, you hope you can help a student learn (good test taking skills, that is) by the time they are a junior or senior (if it does not come naturally) especially if they are going on to college! Excellent ideas. Definitely shows the variety of ways that students receive a 'grade", even from highschool to highschool, and teacher to teacher! Kirsten

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I will go ahead and go with the 50%, and not worry about it! Kirsten

My son completed his geomtry book and I would like to assign him a "grade" for the year. I have an average of his tests scores, but would like to give him credit for all the hours of assignments he completed. (I did not give him a numerical grade for all of these, but I did check them all and had him rework the problems he missed.) If I give him 95-100 points for completing all his assignments, what percentage of the overall grade could I count this? Would you go as high as 50%, or is that too much? Thanks for any suggestions! Kirsten

I'm hoping some of you math teachers can help me figure out what to do! My son will be a tenth grader next year and I am wondering what math he should do next. He did Video Text Algebra I and II in 7th and 8th grade and Chalkdust Geometry this past year for 9th. He is a strong math student and has aspirations to study engineering of some sort...possibly computer engineering. So, do we go to Trig next, or Calculus? Thanks for your help! Kirsten