Teaching Textbooks, the good, the bad, the ugly!

[Tree House Academy]

I have had lots of recommendations in another thread earlier today to try this with my son. My issue is not being a good math student myself and thus needing something to guide me in teaching him. He learns quickly and does a great job in math. He is going into 4th grade and we are using Calvert curriculum for all other subjects, supplementing with spelling power and Bible lessons. We originally were going to use Calvert Math, but would have to start in the middle of the book just to be on target with his skills and even that is review!

 

Anyway, before I jump in with both feet and purchase TT - 5 (which is where he placed), can you all tell me your experiences. Even if you just want to say "Great" or "awful" - your votes/comments will help so much!!!

[Mom2GirlsTX]

We are doing Singapore and Life of Fred fractions, but I also bought TT6 at the homeschool convention. My dd loves it, and works her way through it. She likes doing it, and who can argue with a kid who wants to use a math program? We still are doing the Singapore because I feel weirdly bonded to it, but I think TT appears to be a very solid program. I have friends who have used it for both 5th and 6th and their childs test scores are very solid and above level for State.

[Tree House Academy]

Thanks! I wish the person who voted "hate it" would come tell me why! LOL

[yslek]

I clicked the second choice. I actually really like TT; my oldest ds is using TT5. However, I may switch in the future, which is why I didn't pick the first choice. It just really depends on his needs/how well it works for us.

 

What I really love about this is that it frees up some of my time to work with the younger ones, especially since I'm using RightStart (which requires so much parent involvement) with ds#2 and dd (different levels).

 

I've recently noticed, though, that ds#1 has developed some really bad habits in multiple-digit/column addition and multiple digit multiplication, so we're taking a break from TT to do some Math Mammoth worksheets. I do plan on having him finish TT5, at which point I'll re-evaluate how well it's working.

 

:001_smile:

 

Kelsy

[Pongo]

I had gotten TT 5 and 6, I didn't love it or hate it. It is what it is, just not for us.:)

[Just Me]

I have it for all three of my children, I love it, and I will continue to use it. :D

[siloam]

I have never considered it, but math is my strongest subject.

 

Heather

[kortney in AL]

We've used Math 7, Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, and will be trying out the Pre-Calculus this fall. It has worked well for us.

[BakersDozen]

I don't know if my opinion counts as I haven't actually used it, but I had my older 3dc sit through the samples online and I'm not kidding you, 2 of them were in tears they were so frustrated! Their comments were that the voice was so boring, the lack of an actual human being was strange, they got frustrated at the repetition (maybe all the lessons weren't that way but my 9yod finally shouted "GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!!!"). I made them watch every sample to make sure and at the end they begged me not to use it.

 

Maybe if I actually got it and they got used to it, things would be different. But I figured if a small sample got them that upset (and they are not at all picky about curriculum) then I didn't want to even bother using the program at all.

 

I wonder, though, if the fact that my dc have never used the computer for learning if that type of program was harder for them. They are used to a real person (me), not a notepad and black type on a screen.

[LizzyBee]

the lack of an actual human being was strange,

 

That bothered me, too, but my dd12 really likes TT and is not at all bothered by listening to a voice with no face.

[klmama]

...the voice was so boring, the lack of an actual human being was strange, they got frustrated at the repetition (maybe all the lessons weren't that way but my 9yod finally shouted "GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!!!").

 

This was my reaction after watching several lessons online, but my dc loved it! I do plan to purchase it this year. My dc needs the repetition in math, and if this way seems more fun, fine. It will be worth every penny!

[Tree House Academy]

Okay, it is very encouraging that only 3 users absolutely HATED it. There was a good number using it and a good number planning to try it.

 

I think I feel confident enough to go ahead with the order. For awhile, I am going to hang onto Calvert and maybe find a way to use then together. Calvert does a lot...and I mean HALF THE BOOK a lot of early math facts drills at the beginning of the book. It may be beneficial to skim over a few of them at the same time as I am teaching a bit more skill with the TT5...but you never know.

 

My kid is a total online, computer kind of kid. He will play the stupidest computer games just to be playing them on the computer! So I think this is going to be right up his alley.

 

In the examples they give online, I hate to admit it, but the teacher made me understand a concept that was not totally clear to me before. Now it is like *DUH* but when he first wrote it up there, I drew a blank on how to do it. If it taps my child on the head the same way it did me, then maybe he will have a "duh" moment too. :) I can only hope for so much.

 

I will definitely let you all know if we love it or hate it once we get it and use it. Thanks so much for all the great feedback!

[Sandy in Indy]

I picked option one but it really depends on the level. I don't know that I would use the lower levels. (I've not seen them so that's an arbitrary statement.) I like the Singapore Primary series... But, my older ds has used TT Alg 1 and 2 and (at midnight, mind you) is upstairs, VOLUNTARILY, doing TT Pre-Calc.

 

And contrary to many reports, ds did very well on the math section of the SAT test.

 

Personally, TT was a godsend for our family. I didn't have the $$ for a class or a personal tutor for high school maths. TT allowed my ds success at courses that I couldn't possibly teach him.

[jamnkats]

Somewhere there is a link that gives you the first 10 lessons free. I only saved the link for Level 7. My boy who HATED math really did NOT like the demo lessons but he is finding the Level 7 lessons "quite intriguing". Here is the link to Level 7 (but somewhere here there is a link to Algebra and beyond).

 

http://d30063190.purehost.com/free/Math7.htm

[dtsmamtj]

This year with TT Pre-Algebra was our first year with NO tears, attitudes of frustration, etc. She is wanting to start math (Algebra 1) when we get back from camping at the beginning of August. My son has asked to use it also, but currently loves MUS, so we plan to finish the MUS through Epsilon and then if he is still interested in swtiching we will do it at the pre-algebra level (he use to watch his sister do her math and look at her book for fun). HTH

 

T

[Angela in TN]

In the examples they give online, I hate to admit it, but the teacher made me understand a concept that was not totally clear to me before. Now it is like *DUH* but when he first wrote it up there, I drew a blank on how to do it. If it taps my child on the head the same way it did me, then maybe he will have a "duh" moment too. :) I can only hope for so much.

 

I will definitely let you all know if we love it or hate it once we get it and use it. Thanks so much for all the great feedback!

 

We haven't used it BUT it just came in the mail a few days ago. My son is going into 4th but he placed for TT-5 so that's what we're doing. I agree with you though, I understood the concept by listening to the teacher as well as seeing it on the screen! I even went into the listen samples for higher math (which is not my thing) and it made sense to me. My husband who is excellent in math thought the instruction was great too.

 

With anything you will have people it dosen't work for which is why it's so great (although overwhelming) to have so many choices. I'm looking forward to watching my ds use it.:D

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

Dd begged for this program. I have no problem at all with her having it as long as she is in the arithmetic stage.

The good:

 

Dd likes it because unless she has a question, she can work on math totally independently.

 

The way the lessons are explained is very good.

 

This program has improved dd's mental arithmetic a bit, since she tries to figure out arithmetic problems without pencil and paper first.

 

The bad:

 

There are so many review problems. I am really shocked dd isn't complaining.

 

The ugly:

 

TT is a grade level behind what it's labeled. In other words, TT5 is actually 4th grade level here in our public schools.

[Robin in DFW]

have finally settled on using TT with 2 dc.

 

My dd has struggled with Algebra using several different programs including TT. After our last bout of issues (Saxon), we have decided to move back to TT as it is the best of the "evil math programs" for her. LOL. Believe me, we have tried quite a few and for good periods of time. I feel guilty for all the delay, but at least she can finish her hs math sequence by her senior year. She is currently reviewing the lessons she had previously done in TT, working only the practice problems from each lesson and taking the tests. She will do this until she gets to Chapter 7, which is where she left off.

 

Honestly, the only reason I switched from TT was because of all the bad press it gets around here. I had a panic attack, took the opinions of people I don't know personally and let it take over my good judgement. I've come to the realization that I have average kids with average abilities in math.

 

My ds will be using TT6...he will be a 6th grader, BUT he is a young 6th grader (July birthday). He was using Saxon, but he hasn't succeeded with that...CONSISTANTLY misses problems, even with additional help/practice. He finished his Saxon 6/5 book, but really needs to re-cover the material, so although many use TT ahead, we will use it at grade level to reinforce and re-do what he struggled with using Saxon.

 

So my vote was that we love it...although love is a little strong...we really do like this program and plan to use it from now on. We can't afford to switch anymore. Dd will be doing Algebra and Geometry together starting in the fall, so she can get back on track to complete Pre-Calc before she graduates. Plus, Saxon drove ME batty...some, some more problems??? Oh, brother! LOL!

 

Good luck,

Robin

[Tree House Academy]

Angela...sounds like we are in the same boat exactly then. My son is in 4th this year (doing Calvert 4th for everything else) and he also tested into TT5. I was actually worried that there wouldn't be enough repetition. My son is not solid on his simple math facts - even though he understands the concepts of higher math and easily can do the problems, sometimes he will get them wrong just because he answers that 9 x 6 = 45. KWIM? So I guess I am thankful for some review.

 

Someone told me that kids who used this program in the lower grades scored poorly on standardized tests. I am hoping that is because they did TT5 in 5th grade and it is a bit behind? *fingers crossed* I definitely don't want my son to be behind in his math...but hopefully by doing the grade ahead, he won't be.

 

It was funny...I told the rep that my son had just finished Horizons 3 and he said "oh, used our TT5...or maybe even 6." WOW. Is Horizons that advanced??? We were using it with ds 4 3/4 and it was just whizzing by him. I didn't like it as a stand alone for him at all. I do like using it with Calvert - super slow and super fast and he "gets it" somewhere in the middle.

[RobotGirl]

We really like it! we got TT 6 and it works well for us:)

[Missouri Mama]

We first used it for Algebra 2, and it was the 1st time my dd actually "got it" after tries with 2 other programs. We continued with Geometry, and then introduced it to a younger son with PreAlgebra. We love it! The progression is slower than some programs, so you may need to start with higher levels with a math savvy child or he/she can zip through early lessons quickly.

[JFSinIL]

I put my 5th grade dd into TT6 when I brought her home this January - mid year! Am making her finish TT6 this summer....then skipping TT7 and putting her into TT pre-algebra. DD did so well in TT6 that I could have used TT7 with her.

 

Anyway - I like the look of Chalkdust, too - but can not afford it. I already have Videotext from using it with an older kid, so that is the algebra dd will us in a year or so.

 

I am NOT a math person - so "teacher in a can" is a life saver.

[Big Buckin' Longhorn]

I'm pretty math stupid, so since we're too poor for co-ops, tutors, or classes, it's the next best thing. We've used 3 courses and going for the 4th this fall.

 

I love it! My son "gets" the math and I don't really care if it's behind grade level, because before he didn't get it at all which would have been worse than being behind.

[Tree House Academy]

Wonder if it is behind a grade level for the upper maths or if it is just behind where the lower ones are concerned? I would think upper level maths didn't have a "behind" or "ahead."

[Mom2GirlsTX]

Wonder if it is behind a grade level for the upper maths or if it is just behind where the lower ones are concerned? I would think upper level maths didn't have a "behind" or "ahead."

 

That is an interesting thought and I don't have an answer to it, but I do know that TT6 is covering alot of what is in Singapore 4. I have heard that the success to using TT is using it all the way through the top levels, that your child will have a complete math knowledge if they follow through to pre-calculus. I have heard replies that the scope and sequence of Algebra one is not thorough enough, and heard others state that Alg 1 & 2 equal one year of Dolciani Algebra. I think it depends on your student too, if you have a student who hates math and does well with this program you are a step ahead of them giving up on math. I have a mathy daughter, and a struggling daughter, and I will use it on both of them. Now if my oldest does not find TT Algebra challenging enough when we get there, well I will go with Chalkdust, but for now I'm sticking with my Singapore, TT and Life of Fred combo because my daughter is devouring it all and TT gives me a break.

I suppose these are ramblings, but I like TT because my daughter simply loves it. As my mother used to say "To each his own"

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

Wonder if it is behind a grade level for the upper maths or if it is just behind where the lower ones are concerned? I would think upper level maths didn't have a "behind" or "ahead."

 

From what I gather, the Algebra I plus some of what is covered in Algebra 2 would be what is taught as Algebra I in typical middle/high schools.

[Robin in DFW]

"but I do know that TT6 is covering alot of what is in Singapore 4"

 

I wasn't sure how to "quote" someone, so I did it copy/paste style!!!

 

Anyway, I think Singapore is considered to be ahead of most programs once you get to the level 4-ish range. That is why so many kids just can't jump into it in the middle. I was going to give Singapore a try at one point with my son, but because their sequence is so different, it proved to be difficult...there were things in the books that were way to easy and some that were way too hard...he would have had to go back at least two levels to pick up those other topics.

 

Which leads me to the point I was going to make anyway...I would have started my son in Singapore 3B or 4A but instead we are going to do TT6, which comes out the same in the end for us.

 

Robin

[Peela]

I almost bought TTAlgebra 1 2nd hand last week, so I am fresh from doing some research on it. My dd14 is finding her other maths a bit of a struggle at times, and I am reaching the edge of my ability to help her in some areas.

 

I ended up deciding against buying TT, because U.S. programs follow a different Maths sequence than Aussie programs- we study various maths subjects each year rather than all algebra one year, all geometry the next etc- and each year builds on the past. I decided that jumping ship at this point from our Australian program would mean there would probably be gaps.

I feel sticking with our current program is the best thing, and getting help if needed. For all her difficulties, she prefers to learn from a book than from a computer program, although she did enjoy some time with Aleks.

 

If I was starting with a younger child, and was happy to use a U.S. program, and the child was ok with learning from the computer, I would seriously consider TT.

[Love2Learn]

We used it for Pre-Algebra last year. I was quite concerned after reading many posts on this board, but my dd, 7th, did very well with the program and scored high scores (98%) in Math on her standardized tests. I chose not to use TT Algebra for 8th with her, but only because it covers a bit less material than standard Algebra I programs. If I were certain that she would be homeschooling in high school, I would have used it. But, I am not, and I want to make sure she is well prepared. Plus, I love Algebra and look forward to tutoring her :001_smile:

 

My son, on the other hand, will be using TT Math 7 for 5th grade. If he continues to homeschool, I will continue using this program and have him attempt TT Algebra in 7th. He is very good at Math and I am supplementing with Singapore Challenging Word Problems 5.

[vanmeterk4]

My son is going into 5th, and I plan on ordering TT6 for him.

 

We have done a mix of programs in the past (Singapore, Saxon, some older textbooks from the 1930/40s), and I have both liked and disliked all of them.

 

I really wanted to like Saxon, but I hate the pattern of introducing something new absolutely every day (especially when it's usually something completely unrelated to what you did the day before). I don't dislike the repetition in Saxon's problem sets, but I wish that there was more "clumping" involved in how the subject matter is introduced. I like Singapore more than Saxon, but I always end up feeling that we need more drill and review than Singapore gives us.

 

My son (10) is indifferent. He likes math a lot (often says it is his favorite subject), and he likes us working on math together. He has a visual processing disorder, and though he gets math concepts quickly, he has a hard time working through math workbooks, as they tend to be too busy and don't give him the white space he needs to work the problems. We currently work together on math, and I give him almost all of his work on white boards, which we trade back and forth from problem to problem.

 

This year, however, I'm hoping to ease him slowly into doing SOME independent math work. My hope is to have him listen to the TT "lectures" and work some of the practice problems on his own. We will then do some work together later in the day, using the white board and our back-and-forth method. I like it that TT reads the problems outloud, and that the print is sufficiently large on the screen. That is a huge plus for my son. I think the whiteboard format is visually appealing and easy to follow.

 

So, we'll see how it goes. I like the looks of it. My son's opinion, unfortunately, is that though it looks good, he doesn't want the computer as his teacher. He wants ME as his teacher. I'm hoping we can come up with a compromise that works.

 

-Kim

[Tree House Academy]

You son sounds like a thoughtful and precious boy to say that he doesn't want the computer as his teacher, he wants you. :) I can only wish one day my son would say something so kind. Thanks for your feedback and best of luck to your son in math this year!

[4wildberrys]

I love it because my kids NEVER complain anymore!! DD got really, really behind in math while I tried to find a program that worked for her. I went through Videotext Algebra, Saxon, Abeka, Math U See, Paradigm Accelerated---and finally had her take the placement for TT---and she tested at the TT Pre-Algebra level---and finally, finally is doing math every day first thing without complaint! The placement test is critical----TT can be ahead, behind or right on depending on where your children are at in ability. A more challenging math text that covers more topics means nothing if you and your children do not understand it. My ds is also using TT Pre-Alg for 6th grade because that is where he is at. I did not think it would be challenging enough for him---but he loves it too! I was about ready to dump a program that was working miracles on both of my children because of listening---like a pp said---to the opinions of complete strangers who said the program was sub-par, behind, not sat/act prep etc. Well---it turns out that my dd and ds tested extremely well on their Iowa Basics this year---and they were using TT. I also came to the conclusion that I did not want to spend the money on 2 different programs for my 2 children with very different math abilities---so I put my son way ahead and let dd work at her level :tongue_smilie:

[Tree House Academy]

I have to say that I agree with you on the listening to other people's opinons on curriculum. There are as many opinions as there are curriculums! You can really get caught up in who likes what and not so much what is going to work for your child. I totally learned that lesson recently. I had to totally pull myself out and just think about what I wanted, what my kids needed, and go with my gut. Sounds like it is great that you did too! :)

[godpoetry]

My son did TT7 this year and made an A in the course with no complaining all year about doing math. He struggled with Saxon. I voted number 2 because we decided to go with Math relief for Algebra 1 this year. It was too hard on us to get his math done when we had to be gone to grandparents house to help them, so we chose something not done on computer. By the way my son did very well in testing this year in math, so I do not feel that it held him back any.

[momof3gifts]

I think it looks good and my dd was interested in it but it just seems so expensive. That's really what it comes down to for me--a huge outlay of money and I am just not sure its better than Singapore and MUS that we have been using.

[Mosaicmind]

I have bought TT 5, 6, 7, and pre algebra. I have loved all of them and I hate math, but not all my dc thrived or liked it. I guess it would depend on your son and his learning style and how well he catches onto concepts.

 

I say try and find it second hand, keeping in mind you don't really need the workbook. The cd's have everything you need. The workbook is just there in case you would rather your dc not have to write every problem out. I don't allow my dc to write in the workbooks anyway, so that's a mute point for us. We don't use the workbook.