Any experience with the Wiley Self-Teaching Guides?

[Laura in STL]

I see these are recommended in the rhetoric stage section of WTM, but after investigating they seem doable by an older logic stage child. I'm specifically looking at physics. I want to combine physics and chemistry in 8th for a physical science year. I have a good idea of what I will use for the chem portion, so this would be for the physics portion of the year. I would combine with experiments kits and some other outside reading. I also have Joy of Science from the Teaching Company, so I could use the appropriate video segments from that. Has anyone used this book? Any alternate ideas?

[regentrude]

These guides have been discussed here before, have you searched the forum?

 

I have briefly looked into the physics one and do not consider it a suitable resource to learn and understand physics. It is impossible to thoroughly explain concepts and practice problem solving in such a short book. The book might be useful for test review for a student who has already studied physics. As a textbook, I can not recommend it at all.

[Laura in STL]

Thanks for the reply. I did read a couple of threads about them, but I didn't see anything about using thm with a younger than high school student. I will check my search again, though.

 

I did get the impression that the physics book was very basic, but since I'm looking to fill half a year I thought it might work. I dont want to waste time and money on it if its worthless as a textbook, though. My son will definitely take another physics course in high school, possibly two. I will also have my dd in 6th tagging along.

[regentrude]

Thanks for the reply. I did read a couple of threads about them, but I didn't see anything about using thm with a younger than high school student. I will check my search again, though.

 

I did get the impression that the physics book was very basic, but since I'm looking to fill half a year I thought it might work. I

 

Being basic does not mean the book is appropriate for a younger student.

First of all, it does use algebra, so you need to make sure your student has the math prerequisites to follow.

But my major issue is that, from what I have seen, the book does not explain concepts well. It would not be my goal for a younger student to memorize physics "facts" that are presented bare bones, without a thorough discussion of the concepts.

If anything, the younger student needs more thorough discussion, and more help with problem solving.

 

The fact that the reading level might be appropriate for a younger student does not make it a good book.

 

Why not use Conceptual Physics for your 8th grader?

[Laura in STL]

I will look into the Conceptual Physics(the one by Hewitt, correct?), thanks. He would be taking Alg II at the same time. Would that be a high enough math level?

[regentrude]

I will look into the Conceptual Physics(the one by Hewitt, correct?), thanks. He would be taking Alg II at the same time. Would that be a high enough math level?

 

He is already at algebra 2 in 8th grade??? If he is that advanced, I'd skip the conceptual and go for a real algebra based physics course (for which algebra 1 and one afternoon of basic trigonometry are sufficient)

 

Hewitt is technically purely conceptual, but uses a little bit of math, so a student with algebra 1 gets more out of it. But again, this seems way below your son's level.

[Melanie]

We used the Wiley book as a quick, no-credit introduction to physics before starting an astronomy course. Regentrude is right; it is short on explanations. But that really wasn't an issue for us. When my son needed more information, he looked in another text or did a quick google search. He worked on it once or twice a week and finished it over the summer, and it was just what we needed at the time. (I'm just not sure how it would work with a more apathetic student. Take my daughter, for instance - I would be shocked--shocked--if she went looking for additional physics homework. :tongue_smilie: )

[Angie in VA]

I didn't use it w/ a logic aged child, but I am selling chemistry, if you need it.