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[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[Susan C.]

 

My first choice for next year ds's 7th Math was to do the updated (3rd ed) BJU Fundamentals with the dvds. (Fundamentals is the standard 7th grade course that covers all the basic math operations). Unfortunately, BJU has not updated that particular course. Ok. It is imperative to have dvd support b/c while I am pretty good at doing Math, I am horrible at explaining Math. So my choices are: 1) previous edition BJU Fundamentals, 2) previous edition BJU Pre-Algebra, 3) Chalkdust Basic, or 4) Chalkdust Pre-Algebra. I already own both Chalkdust courses and either BJU course will come to us as part of our Grade 7 package, so cost is not an issue.

 

With me so far?

 

Ok. Now, as I look over these, *particularly* at the Chalkdust, it seems that Basic Math is actually a lot harder than Pre-Algebra. AND it seems that many of the objectives in Basic -- adding/subtracting numbers, fractions, decimals, percents -- are covered again in Pre-Alg. So... why would you do Basic at all? Pre-Algebra adds in the introduction of simple linear equations and Integers, but geez if you are smart enough to turn a decimal to a percent, can't you figure out x + (-7) = 2 ?

 

I am very hesitant to say this, because ds is NOT a strong math student, but wouldn't it make sense to take a year, year and a half, even two years, to cover Pre-Algebra, rather than force Basic Math (or Fundamentals) into one year and Pre-Algebra into the next? If he could finish Pre-Algebra in one year (7th) and be ready for Algebra I in 8th, that'd be great. If not, he would have 8th to finish up and be ready for Algebra I in 9th.

 

What is wrong with this thinking? Help me see why this would not work. (Or why I'm the best Mom ever! :D)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,

I'll tell you our story, and it has the same two programs :)

 

First child, ds, chalkdust prealgebra a year early..... it took several hours a day, and it is a college textbook. Awful. Rushing this kid really took a toll, and even though I took him through precalc, he doesn't really like math.

 

Second child, dd, put her in BJU from 3rd grade on. When we came to Fundamentals, I thought it looked like what we did in 6th grade. A friend encouraged me to still do it. So, it was on the easy side, but dd liked it, and it didn't eat up a large chunk of the day. The next year we did BJU Prealgebra, it went well also, and was on the easy side again. WAY better than Chalkdust with ds. She then did BJU Algebra 1 in 9th grade. She was very ready for it, and old enough to do it without struggling. We did Fundamentals and Prealgebra without dvds, and Algebra 1 with the dvds.

 

Especially since your ds isn't a strong math student, I would recommend the BJU. He may enjoy the explanations on the dvds as well since you can get those. We did second edition of Fundamentals, and it is fine.

 

HTH!

[rubyinprogress]

I'd say it depends on if math is your daughters strength as well as on her personality...how does she react when she gets a really tough challenge. I like BJU for math, but I found after doing 5th and 6th that 7th seemed redundant, so I skipped to PreAlgebra. Half way through the book my son was bored to death, hadn't learned anything new all year. We put away the PreAlgebra and pulled out Algebra 1. He's doing well. He needed the mental challenge to not be bored. If this is your daughter skipping is good. If she tends to get overwhelmed and discouraged, on the other hand, then don't skip.

You know your kid!

[Samiam]

The other question could be why do PREALGEBRA at all??? If you did Basic Math, ie Math 7...which introduces alot of PreAlg concepts, and then went into Algrebra, which starts with an introduction of concepts...whats the point of PreAlgebra, other than a parking lot?