Help! Deciding on curriculum for Algebra 1 is turning my brain to jello!

[NCSusan]

OK I just got back from the NC HS conference and feel totally lost on which math curriculum to use for Algebra 1. All my friends love TT math. I look at it and it looks OK. I really think they love it because they don't have to teach math anymore. My dd will start 9th grade next year just turning 14 in August. She is dyslexic but has always picked up math well until pre-algebra and now she no longer likes math. (I hear this happens alot with dyslexic children) We have always used Math-u-see and she always test well. In fact I have Math-u-see algebra on my self. However, is it enough?

 

I looked at TT and chalk dust math. It looks good but is sooooo expensive.

 

Any suggestions???:confused:

[Kathleen in VA]

I asked about TT Algebra a few days ago and one of the replies said you don't absolutely need to have the CDs, you can get by with just the textbook. That would lower the cost considerably.

[Jan P.]

Hi,

 

I have a dyslexic dd, and we have been floundering for a year with algebra. My dd started off with Foerster Algebra 1 so I moved her to Math Relief. She is still struggling. I used Math U See in the past (5th and 6th grade), but then I moved her into BJU math. I wish that I had kept her with MUS. I'm seriously thinking of going back to MUS Algebra. You might want to just continue with MUS if your dd is doing ok with it.

[NCSusan]

is she just hasn't been getting it this year as well. However, I think this is probably due to motivation. It was a hard school year for her - we joined a hs co-op and she really had to work hard to keep up with alot of very bright students who don't struggle with reading so math wasn't a priority this year.

 

Also I see the years are numbered now! I really want to make good decisions so she doesn't get behind in her last 4 years. I would like to find a curriculum and stay with it her last 4 years before college so she can go smoothly from year to year.

 

Thanks for your response. I am pulling my Math-U-See down now to look over it again.

 

Susan

[Veronica in VA]

If you decide not to go with MUS, you might want to look at Math Relief. My dd is borderline dyslexic and she has done very well with this program. She has done both Algebra I and Algebra II. Hope that doesn't confuse you more.

 

Veronica

[NCSusan]

Could you tell me where to find information on it. I am so glad I have this summer to make this decision. I think we are going to spend some time on this over the summer and pray alot before buying math.

 

Thank you for your response.

Susan

[Lised]

Hi Susan...we are also just back from NC convention....it was GREAT. We switched to TT for Algebra 2 after using MUS since pre Algebra. My husband teaches math and made the decision to switch. He liked that they would get instant feedback on missed problems....instead of having to wait until the next day when he has time to sit down with them. So part of it was that it was more self teaching.....but also....my girls math scores have gone down each year for the past 3 years on IOWA testing.....so we just decided it was time to try something else. TT looks challenging and has more review. We'll see!

[Veronica in VA]

Could you tell me where to find information on it. I am so glad I have this summer to make this decision. I think we are going to spend some time on this over the summer and pray alot before buying math.

 

The website for Math Relief is http://www.mathrelief.com

 

Hope that helps,

 

Veronica

[NCSusan]

I too went to NC conference. Weren't the speakers great! Thank-you for your comments on TT. I have loved Math-U-See but this year I just feel after taking the Iowa test it just isn't enough after the basic concepts are learned. My dd could have used more review of past concepts. Before the test we spent alot of time reviewing simple math. I like TT mainly for the fact that if she can't do a problem she could go and see how to do it and not have to wait on me. (We have a 18 m old child!)

 

Thanks for your input!

Susan

[NCSusan]

Thanks! will check it out!

 

Susan

[Niebski]

We are finishing up Foerster's Algebra w/my 12 yo dd, and it's been great!

 

Sue

[Alyce]

My dd used MUS all the way through and liked it. She did good on her SAT's, not superior but did well and has been accepted to her college of choice. Because I thought MUS had some problems explaining certain concepts we switched to TT for Geometry for my son. I just can't recommend TT. He used MUS Alg 1 and did well with it. TT was too easy for him (those are his words and he is not a mathy child). I too thought it was much lighter than MUS although it did have more proofs than MUS. If I had it to do over again here's what I would do. For a child who doesn't want a science or math major I'd stay with MUS but for a child interested in a math or science career I'd go with something else. We're trying Lial's for Alg 2 and so far my son loves it. Using MUS for Alg 1 doesn't seem to have hurt him. The review chapters so far cover the same subjects my son learned in MUS Alg 1 just some have different names. He said he had heard the terms from other kids and was finally glad he knew what they meant and that he had really known them all along just by a different name (the ones MUS uses). Yes, I was at the NC conference too this weekend and it was great. I looked at Chalkdust last year and hesitated, it just looks so daunting but I know there are many here that use it. I've heard the speech from all 3 vendors you mentioned. The MUS vendor sold to us for 8 years, the TT vendor sold us last year but not again, and the chalkdust vendor gave us a good speech but the book overwhelmed us. I wouldn't go by what the vendors say after all they are trying to sell their product.

[AngieW in Texas]

Take a look at Kinetic Books Algebra. I'm using it for my middle dd this year and am planning to use their Algebra II with my oldest when they release it in the fall.

 

Kinetic Books has some parts that read the text to you and it has immediate feedback for everything except the end-of-unit problems. Many of the immediate feedback problems will also give you progressive hints towards the answer if you miss them.

[Jan P.]

Angie,

 

I looked at the demo, and it looked very good! Did you also buy the print textbook? Also, are there tests or quizzes that go with this product. It looks like you can buy some sort of evaluation tool, but the instructor has to fork out at least $100. That's pricey for a homeschool mom. Did you go that route?

 

Thanks,

[AngieW in Texas]

I actually have the free beta version. They offered their Algebra I program as a free download up until September last year and it works until June this year. I'm going to need to buy the program as well though. My dd is using two complete algebra programs and that has made it take longer.

 

All you would actually need is the $49.95 one-year subscription. I don't have the printed textbook, but have thought about getting it. I thought my dd would like to have it, but she said that she'd rather just do it on the computer. She's done it without a paper copy of the text for almost an entire schoolyear and she doesn't see any point in getting a paper copy now.

 

There are plenty of problems already supplied in the program, so you don't need to buy any additional problems. I have my dd do just the odds in the end-of-unit problems because those are the only eou problems that have answers in the answer key. All the other problems have immediate feedback.

[summer]

I looked over the scope and sequence of MUS Algebra and it looked pretty complete to me. I would just use it if it is working. If it is not, TT is an excellent curriculum too. If you want to actually teach it though, and do not care for having a video, then there is a whole list of things to consider. But I would definitely use MUS since you already have it and it really is a great curriculum.