bethben Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Which is a better choice for Algebra 1 and beyond? Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Ds is in his second year of Discovering Mathematics. I am not familiar with Foerster's, but when you say "Algebra 1" my first thought is that these are not really comparable courses. DM is an integrated course, meaning there is a bit of Algebra 1, Geometry, etc. in each year and not separated out. I will say that ds has been enjoying DM and did well on his standardized exams this past year, fwiw. hth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted August 16, 2012 Author Share Posted August 16, 2012 I know that the two are very different, but ds has done a pre-algebra course. Looking at the DM placement test (which I know he wouldn't pass at all), I was thinking about putting him into DM 1A or breezing through that to see where he gets stuck and starting at that point. Or...starting in Foersters Algebra and just jumping in. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dereksurfs Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 I would say it really depends on the child and parents. What did your ds use for Pre-Algebra and did he like it and do pretty well? I'm seriously considering Foerster combined with Math without Borders lectures for my son after he finishes Pre-Algebra. With Foerster would you lecture, outsource or? I'm also considering a number of others as well including KineticBooks and TabletClass. I want to let him try these for himself to see what he thinks. Most programs offer free trials and samples. You may want to show him both you are considering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted August 16, 2012 Author Share Posted August 16, 2012 He did Saxon for Pre-Algebra. I am less than impressed with the word problems however. Dh wants ds to have to use his brain more and think through problems - not just know how to spit out answers. Saxon's word problems seem to be one step - much like the practice problems- no thinking involved for ds. The dilemma is not being able to "buy a teacher" with DM. But, I've also heard Khan videos can solve that problem. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dereksurfs Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 He did Saxon for Pre-Algebra. I am less than impressed with the word problems however. Dh wants ds to have to use his brain more and think through problems - not just know how to spit out answers. Saxon's word problems seem to be one step - much like the practice problems- no thinking involved for ds. The dilemma is not being able to "buy a teacher" with DM. But, I've also heard Khan videos can solve that problem. Beth Interesting, I've heard of people mapping Khan lectures with certain books. But I haven't seen those mappings. And since DM is non-traditional in both sequence and scope it may be a bit more difficult. With Foerster and Math without Borders you also can ask the teacher questions. That can come in handy at times. So you do get a bit more than just the lectures. Have you considered Derek Owens? His courses are highly recommended as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 He did Saxon for Pre-Algebra. I am less than impressed with the word problems however. Dh wants ds to have to use his brain more and think through problems - not just know how to spit out answers. I don't know anything about DM. We used Foerster's in 8th grade. You may read my review here. It sounds like Foerster's would be a good fit for your ds. The word problems are challenging and multi-step, but the text walks the student step-by-step through how to solve them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I thought Foerster was fantastic. The word problems are superb as well - your DH would like them :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Half-Elven Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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