How importnt is it to stick to one math publisher for HS?

[Jen the RD]

Please hang w/me as I explain a bit of history:

My dd is working through BJU pre-algebra this year and doing much better than I expected. Originally, I had planned to use CD from pre-algebra thru calc. Circumstances changed this year and I went w/BJU DVD's for 7th except math (8th-pre-algebra). So, in planning for next year, I still thought I'd go for CD, but our finances just are not going to allow for it.

 

So, here's my question....How important is it to stay w/one math publisher thru HS math? I've located some Lial's materials for a great price and am really considering buying/using them. I know Lial's offers Alg II/Trg, but what about geometry & calc? OR If I was able to use CD later, would it be a detriment to have gone w/ a different algebra text???

 

Any help/tips/feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

Jennifer

[Lolly]

I like sticking for one publisher for algebra. For geometry, it doesn't seem to matter. It is so different that changing publishers really doesn't make any difference. Btw, I love BJU's algebra. Do not care so much for their Geometry. (I love TT Geometry.) We don't use anything but the teacher and student books for the algebra. It is really well explained in the student text.:001_smile:

[kiana]

Lial has everything up to calculus. Unfortunately the publisher doesn't list it all on one page.

 

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/series/Lial-Developmental-Mathematics/11005.page

lists the pre-algebra through intermediate algebra textbooks.

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/series/The-LialHornsbySchneider-College-Algebra-Series/11023.page

lists the college algebra/precalculus textbooks.

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/product/Essentials-of-Geometry-for-College-Students/9780201748826.page

is the geometry textbook.

 

On the links you can see tables of contents etc., although I wouldn't buy from them -- I would buy used.

 

As to the second question -- Chalkdust uses mainly Larson at the higher levels. Larson and Lial are both popular series for universities and as such are fairly standardized -- transfer from one to the other should be relatively easy. If changing publishers, I would work the prerequisite chapter carefully to make sure I was up on any minor terminology differences.

 

Changing publishers to something unorthodox (like saxon) would be far more difficult.

 

ETA: Lial does have a calculus with applications here:

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/product/Calculus-with-Applications/9780321421326.page

but it's specifically for an applied calculus course, not a pure calculus course. It would probably still be a great primer for a student who was planning on retaking calculus in college, but if your student were planning on placing out I'd go for a more standard and rigorous text. The lower-level texts are standard.

Edited March 13, 2011 by kiana

[regentrude]

We are in the fortunate situation of loving one program enough to stick with it through high school... but I do not see how it could possibly make a difference whether the materials are from the same or from different publishers as long as they work for your student.

The canon of material that is to be covered in a "standard" course is relatively uniform; so all one really has to do is make sure that before, say, using publisher B's algebra 2 after publisher A's algebra 1, one really has covered all topics that are prerequisite for the book B.

 

In fact, it may actually be beneficial to a student to see math presented in different ways, see different types of problems, hear different "voices". The goal should be mastery of, for instance, algebra per se - not just algebra a la publisher x.

[Jen the RD]

I like sticking for one publisher for algebra. For geometry, it doesn't seem to matter. It is so different that changing publishers really doesn't make any difference. Btw, I love BJU's algebra. Do not care so much for their Geometry. (I love TT Geometry.) We don't use anything but the teacher and student books for the algebra. It is really well explained in the student text.:001_smile:

 

Thanks for the tip on BJU algebra. Does the TG offer solutions to the problems? The pre-algebra doesn't and that has really bugged me.

 

Jennifer

[Jen the RD]

Lial has everything up to calculus. Unfortunately the publisher doesn't list it all on one page.

 

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/series/Lial-Developmental-Mathematics/11005.page

lists the pre-algebra through intermediate algebra textbooks.

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/series/The-LialHornsbySchneider-College-Algebra-Series/11023.page

lists the college algebra/precalculus textbooks.

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/product/Essentials-of-Geometry-for-College-Students/9780201748826.page

is the geometry textbook.

 

On the links you can see tables of contents etc., although I wouldn't buy from them -- I would buy used.

 

As to the second question -- Chalkdust uses mainly Larson at the higher levels. Larson and Lial are both popular series for universities and as such are fairly standardized -- transfer from one to the other should be relatively easy. If changing publishers, I would work the prerequisite chapter carefully to make sure I was up on any minor terminology differences.

 

Changing publishers to something unorthodox (like saxon) would be far more difficult.

 

ETA: Lial does have a calculus with applications here:

http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/product/Calculus-with-Applications/9780321421326.page

but it's specifically for an applied calculus course, not a pure calculus course. It would probably still be a great primer for a student who was planning on retaking calculus in college, but if your student were planning on placing out I'd go for a more standard and rigorous text. The lower-level texts are standard.

 

Kiana,

Thanks for going to all this trouble to show me all the Lial's texts. I had no idea even after being on this board for awhile! This is very helpful!!!

 

Glad to know, too, that Lial's & Larson are "standard" type texts providing solid math foundation.

 

Jennifer

[Jen the RD]

We are in the fortunate situation of loving one program enough to stick with it through high school... but I do not see how it could possibly make a difference whether the materials are from the same or from different publishers as long as they work for your student.

The canon of material that is to be covered in a "standard" course is relatively uniform; so all one really has to do is make sure that before, say, using publisher B's algebra 2 after publisher A's algebra 1, one really has covered all topics that are prerequisite for the book B.

 

In fact, it may actually be beneficial to a student to see math presented in different ways, see different types of problems, hear different "voices". The goal should be mastery of, for instance, algebra per se - not just algebra a la publisher x.

 

Regentrude,

This is what dh and I had thought, but wanted confirmation. There might be benefits to seeing different approaches and I'm glad that you echo those thoughts.

 

Thanks,

Jennifer

[Lolly]

Thanks for the tip on BJU algebra. Does the TG offer solutions to the problems? The pre-algebra doesn't and that has really bugged me.

 

Jennifer

 

it does. Worked out step by step.

[Jen the RD]

it does. Worked out step by step.

That's good to know, Lolly.

 

Thanks!

Jennifer

[HiddenJewel]

Thanks for the tip on BJU algebra. Does the TG offer solutions to the problems? The pre-algebra doesn't and that has really bugged me.

 

Jennifer

 

We are using the new edition of BJU Pre-algebra (I think it is c.2010) and it has solutions in the TM.

[Jen the RD]

We are using the new edition of BJU Pre-algebra (I think it is c.2010) and it has solutions in the TM.

 

We're using the DVD's which use the older version. I would say that adding the solutions was a big improvement for the newer version. I'll bet BJU got many requests for those to be added!

[HiddenJewel]

We're using the DVD's which use the older version. I would say that adding the solutions was a big improvement for the newer version. I'll bet BJU got many requests for those to be added!

 

They sure are nice to have. It seems they changed the book quite a bit too but I can't totally remember from when dd#1 did the old edition. It's been a great course so far.

[J-rap]

My daughter used TT Algebra I and Geometry, but this year switched to Lial's. The change was easy, and she really likes Lial's. To me, Lial seems like a curriculum you can change to from anything -- very clearly laid out with lots of examples.

[AngieW in Texas]

I don't think it's critical.

 

My oldest did Jacobs Algebra and Jacobs Geometry and then switched to Kinetic Books for Algebra II and Larson's for Precalculus (which I didn't like).

 

My middle did Kinetic Books Algebra I and Jacobs Algebra and then moved to Jacobs Geometry. She was very happy to be able to move back to Kinetic Books for Algebra II. She'll be using Lial's for Precalculus next year.

[Jen the RD]

My daughter used TT Algebra I and Geometry, but this year switched to Lial's. The change was easy, and she really likes Lial's. To me, Lial seems like a curriculum you can change to from anything -- very clearly laid out with lots of examples.

 

I don't think it's critical.

 

My oldest did Jacobs Algebra and Jacobs Geometry and then switched to Kinetic Books for Algebra II and Larson's for Precalculus (which I didn't like).

 

My middle did Kinetic Books Algebra I and Jacobs Algebra and then moved to Jacobs Geometry. She was very happy to be able to move back to Kinetic Books for Algebra II. She'll be using Lial's for Precalculus next year.

 

Thanks, ladies. Again, you have confirmed what I thought. BTW, I've decided to try Lial's algebra. Just ordered all the materials yesterday and felt like I got a good deal...$42 for text, TE, soln, CD.

[Storm Bay]

So, here's my question....How important is it to stay w/one math publisher thru HS math? I've located some Lial's materials for a great price and am really considering buying/using them. I know Lial's offers Alg II/Trg, but what about geometry & calc? OR If I was able to use CD later, would it be a detriment to have gone w/ a different algebra text???

 

Any help/tips/feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

Jennifer

 

In fact, it may actually be beneficial to a student to see math presented in different ways, see different types of problems, hear different "voices". The goal should be mastery of, for instance, algebra per se - not just algebra a la publisher x.

 

:iagree: My eldest started Algebra 1 at 11 the first time. She self taught herself, so I had her do it a second time. We did switch a few times the first time through before settling with Lial's. She did the second time through with something else, and it learning it from two different publishers and authors (okay, technically groups of authors) helped her a great deal. She did Geometry with something totally different, and then came back to the same Algebra series for Alg 2 when she was still at home. I am doing a similar approach with my middle dd now, although not with the same publishers (we have a growing Algebra 1 collection. My dc learn differently from each other, so this is helpful.)

[EKS]

In fact, it may actually be beneficial to a student to see math presented in different ways, see different types of problems, hear different "voices". The goal should be mastery of, for instance, algebra per se - not just algebra a la publisher x.

 

This.