langfam Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 I'm planning to use Foerster's Algebra I for ds entering 8th. If you have used this program, what items did you use? I have the student text, TE, and solutions manual. Will I need to order the tests? If you followed the schedule in the TE, did you finish in 180 days? TIA:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 You have everything you need as the chapter tests and final exam are included in the text book. I don't remember there being a schedule in the teacher's edition -- we just kept moving on to the next thing and would have finished the book within the school year except for life getting in the way in the late spring. Chapter 6 was the hardest, if I remember correctly -- the chapter with the quadratic formula. That chapter took a while but everything else was pretty straight forward, very linear and clearly explained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Don't follow the schedule in the TM or you won't finish in a single yr. We complete 1 section/day until the word problems. We take 3-5 days on the word problems. We use the chpt tests in the book as the tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Our schedule was similiar to the one followed by momof7, and I agree with JennW in SoCal that Chapter 6 was a real challenge but eased up a lot after that. The lessons are presented in such a logical, systematic way. We did use the tests in the book for the most part. On some chapters that were more difficult for dd, I used the test in the book as review and then made up my own tests. Or, I made up a review sheet and then used the chapter test in the book. I really didn't like making those tests or reviews and would have liked having extra tests. I tend to be a cheapskate and didn't want to spend the money. I think if I did it again I might bite the bullet and get the tests to make my life easier, especially if I knew I would be using them for other dc down the road. Knowing the dd who used Foerster's and my other dc (good at math but not whizzes), I think using the tests in the book as reviews can be very helpful to solidify understanding. If you start using the chapter tests in the book as tests but start to feel you need more review, then you might want to get the the extra tests. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 When I added up the suggestions in the TE, I got 186-226 days. Instead, we are following what momof7 said: a section a day with 3-5 days for the word problems. Another thing she suggested to me was doing the even problems in general and ALL the word problems. This is what I plan to do. We just finished Chapter 1 last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langfam Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 Thank you all for your suggestions. I think I might just get the tests to use them for review, especially since they have cumulative tests. I always wondered why Foerster put the chapter on Quadratic Equations in Chp 6. Most texts have it as their last chapter. I wonder if it's possible to save chapter 6 for last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I bought the tests and they have several tests per chapter that I use as a quiz. I copy them so I hope I can resell it when I am done. My son (7th grade) is on the chapter test for chapter 3 today. He keeps making careless mistakes like writing down the wrong number. He has a 90 in the class this far. It is a more challenging text compared to others I looked at the expo this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Thank you all for your suggestions. I think I might just get the tests to use them for review, especially since they have cumulative tests. I always wondered why Foerster put the chapter on Quadratic Equations in Chp 6. Most texts have it as their last chapter. I wonder if it's possible to save chapter 6 for last. I'm almost positive that they solve using the quadratic formula repeatedly from that point forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langfam Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 When you say you have your child do one section per day. Would that be just odds? Not all odds and evens, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Yes, they only do the odds or evens in the secs. In some sections it might be every other odd for the simpler problems and then every problem for the harder problems. (for example, if there are 50 simple factoring problems and 10 complicated ones, I might have them do ~8 of the easy ones and all of the harder ones.) I am mean in the fact that my kids do actually work out every single word problem in the text (typically 5-7/day in that section.) I will work with them on 2 or so/day and they complete the rest independently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langfam Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 Thanks..... it makes sense to do all the word problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanAR Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 We used and enjoyed Foerster Algebra I and II. Since my dc started alg I in the 8th grade, we did not complete the text in a year. It took about I.5 years if I remember correctly. For the most part, I used the suggestions in the TM. Ds is an upcoming jr and will begin precal in a few weeks. susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 When you say you have your child do one section per day. Would that be just odds? Not all odds and evens, right? We did all the odds. We reserved the evens for when dd ran into trouble. Then she did the evens the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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