Would it work to do TT Alg 1 and then Foerster's Algebra 1?

[HappyGrace]

I'm asking for dd13, who is not mathy. We do math year round, so I'm thinking of starting TT Alg 1 this June (when she finishes Saxon 8/7), finish TT up around Dec, and then go right into Foerster's WITH the Math W/out Borders dvds until the end of that summer.

 

I really would prefer to just do the Foerster's but I don't want her to get overwhelmed and shut down. Also I know that Foerster's gets into quadratic equations only about 1/2 way thru the book, which might be a push for this less mathy student! So I thought the TT might be a good intro to help her gain confidence, and then the Foerster's to take it deeper. I want her to have a great grounding in algebra before we move on.

 

My question is this: She is trying to understand math conceptually (rather than the formulaic way she had for years in CLE). Would it mess up the way the concepts are presented in Foerster's to have them first presented by TT? I know that Foerster's has a reason for the order and the way that he presents topics, so they gently build on each other. Would the two programs dovetail well together?

 

Is it even worth it to do the TT first or is that overkill? I'd hate to jump into the Foerster's and she gets lost.

[Melabella]

Bump.

[lmrich]

I can not tell you if it would be good or not. I can tell you our experience.

 

We used Foersters with my son in 7th. He is an excellent math student. He did great. I loved the rigor of it. It was hard, but the text prepared him for the challenging problems.

 

I used TT algebra with my daughter the summer before she took algebra in 8th grade at a co op. she hated working during the summer. But she placed into the honor's level. She had confidence because of TT.

 

My experience with Algebra is that involves the student to think not just compute. Sometimes it is uncomfortable for kids to be able take a chance on a problem. I firmly believe that both my kids learned more from their mistakes with algebra than with anything else. It is humbling both for the natural math kid and the natural English kid. More experience and time can be beneficial.

 

I will continue to use TT in the summer for my two younger girls. It is way cheaper than a tutor.

[Sunshine State Sue]

I have no experience with TT but I will share our experience. Ds used MUS and LoF in 7th grade for Algebra. MUS was easy peasy. LoF was tough. It did not fit his learning style. Add puberty into the mix with teenage fog brain. Ds used Foerster in 8th grade for Algebra. It was challenging. He did well.

 

I think, if you have the time, it is a benefit to go through Algebra with an easier program then a more challenging program.

 

HTH!

[HappyGrace]

Thanks so much for responding!

 

Sue-your "old" posts about Foerster's have been very helpful to me in my research of algebra programs, so thank you!

 

Imrich-Thank you SO much-your post was a huge help to me. Another question: Were you able to get a feel for if the Algebra topics taught in TT were taught in a way that helped with conceptual understanding (rather than rote teaching of formulas), or would Foerster's be better for that? In other words, I would rather do the Foerster's, even slowly, if it helps explain the algebra better. I don't want to do the TT first and have her learning it without understanding why she is doing what she's doing. We've been down that road before (with CLE math) and we're STILL trying to rectify the problems!

 

 

Also, how did your dd do in the Honors algebra at co-op after TT, if you don't mind me asking? Did she do an extra algebra course at co-op because she was young (to stretch it out) or was TT insufficient? Same question about your younger kids-do they do TT in summer and then follow up with something else? If so, why? I'm basically trying to figure out if maybe TT would be enough, if we don't end up able to get to the Foerster's. Thanks!