CashCrew Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 (edited) My 8th grade daughter has only been home from public school since November and has always loved math. We haven't found a good fit for yet at home yet so now that I am planning next year for her freshman year, I'm struggling with deciding on a math. We started out with Saxon Algebra 1 and she hated it but I also think she wasn't quite ready for Alg 1 even though she was taking Alg 1 in public school. We added Life of Fred which she loves but obviously it isn't strong enough to be used alone. I have heard that Teaching Textbooks is a fun but weak program for kids who are strong in math. Is this true for Algebra 1 as well? There's a possibility her field of study in college could be math related and I really want a strong math program, but at the same time she is so easily bored, she would really enjoy something like Teaching Textbooks. She will be using MFW Ancients next year for 9th grade and we will be repeating Alg 1. Edited March 30, 2011 by CashCrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Art of Problem Solving! http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/ AoPS is geared towards students who are strong in math and enjoy it. It uses a discovery lead approach; the student is presented with problems to solve , the problems are discussed, and general principles and concepts are derived. the practice problems are sufficient to develop mastery, but they are all different so that the student has to THINK how to apply the concept; it goes beyond pure drill. We have used Intro to Algebra for DD and now for DS and are extremely happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CashCrew Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Art of Problem Solving!http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/ AoPS is geared towards students who are strong in math and enjoy it. It uses a discovery lead approach; the student is presented with problems to solve , the problems are discussed, and general principles and concepts are derived. the practice problems are sufficient to develop mastery, but they are all different so that the student has to THINK how to apply the concept; it goes beyond pure drill. We have used Intro to Algebra for DD and now for DS and are extremely happy with it. I've never even heard of it! Thanks for the info! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 I agree with AoPS is she is a strong math student that gets bored with the drill and repitition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 My children use various AoPS materials in addition to their (Italian) texts too. This is an area in which I am not very actively involved any longer (DH is the scientist in the house), but they seem to be pleased with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 (edited) Also check out Singapore's New Elementary Math series. Yes, it is from the country of Singapore -- the country that outscores the US in math and science! The sequence of math topics is a little different from the traditional US sequence, so you'd have to be willing to be a little "outside the box" in that regard. But I've never seen any other math program come *close* to the amount of "math thinking" that Singapore teaches -- most others are memorization of formula, plug-and-chug, or divorced from real-life and scientific math uses. NEM sequence, matched to typical US sequence: NEM 1: pre-algebra, some algebra 1 and geometry NEM 2: algebra 1 and geometry NEM 3: some algebra 2, geometry, some trigonometry NEM 4: some advanced topics and review Additional Mathematics: first half is mostly pre-calculus including trigonometry, second half is mostly calculus Don't be fooled by the first level including pre-algebra -- it is pretty challenging in the problem-solving department, and you would definitely want to start with NEM1 to "get your feet wet" in HOW to go about using Singapore. Also, don't be fooled by the grade level listed as NEM1 is for 7th grade -- typically US students do much better using the programs a grade LATER than what is listed. So NEM1 would be a good starting point for an 8th or 9th grade US math student. Singapore FAQ Scope and Sequence (for all of Singapore's programs) BEST of luck in your math adventures! Warmest regards, Lori D. Edited March 31, 2011 by Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I seem to be a bit intimidated by AoPS and Singapore NEM. We used Foerster's, which is a rigorous rext with lots of real-life word problems for the strong math student. Other thoughts: - I wouldn't use TT for a strong math student - I disagree that LoF isn't strong enough to be used alone. We used it before Foerster's, and I thought it was quite challenging. It didn't have enough practice for my ds, though. But, if it did have enough practice for my student, it would have been enough. But, maybe that's what you meant anyway. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Also check out Singapore's New Elementary Math series. You might also check out Singapore's newer Discovering Mathematics series. It covers the same grades and general scope as NEM. It has a much friendlier layout, IMHO. I have heard it said that it's not quite as tough as NEM, but I have to say that especially the problems in the optional workbook are hard. Can't imagine what NEM must be like then. We're using DM1 this year and moving on to AoPS Algebra next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I would look at Kinetic Books. It's a rigorous program. The interactivity of the program makes it more interesting. http://www.kineticbooks.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLG Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Thinkwell's Dr. Ed Burger is a terrific teacher. The program is a series of lectures followed by problems. If you found that your dd needed more practice problems you could easily supplement too. http://http://www.thinkwellhomeschool.com/products/algebra-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 What about Saxon did she hate? If it's just that she wasn't up to that level yet, then you may want to give it another try. Since Saxon combines geometry in their algebra texts, and the ones prior to that, she may have been a bit lost on that as well. If she doesn't like the way they teach or the 30 problems, then it probably wouldn't help to revisit. I just thought I'd mention it as a possibility as my dd is also good in math and didn't care for the repetitive problems in workbooks before we started with Saxon. I made her do them anyway. :D But she has loved Saxon as each of the lesson problems are different and the variety has meant that she has never minded doing them all. It's her favorite subject. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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