HappyGrace Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 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. xpost high school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamolina Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 We will just be starting algebra in the fall, so I haven't used either. But, I have read that TT may be a bit easier algebra, so it seems like a perfect choice if you plan on going on to a 2nd year of Alg I anyway! You could also try Foerster and see how it goes and if you decide it is too challenging you could go with TT for a break. FWIW I plan to start with Foerster but I will be also using the Math Without Borders videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dereksurfs Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 This is harder to answer because it depends more on your dd's preparation in Pre-A this year. What will you complete before moving into Algebra 1 and do you think it is adequate? You mentioned CLE but didn't say how far you are planning to go? CLE 700 and 800 are both considered Pre-A. Will she do these or something else? If prep is more on the weaker/lighter side then an easier Algebra 1 or more Pre-A are probably the best options. I would pick up the Foerster book if you haven't already. Then you can get a better feel for it first hand. I picked up a relatively inexpensive copy just for a reference along with a few others such as Dolciani in prep for Algebra 1. Looking at the book it really doesn't seem too intimidating, especially when compared to other texts like AoPS for example. Once she is getting closer to being ready I would have her check it out to see what she thinks. The 'math without borders' instruction should help out a lot as well. You could always supplement vs. doing two full programs. For example you could start Foerster while weaving in LOF or something similar. With ds11 I'm thinking of spending more time in Algebra 1. But with all these great books available I'll probably use a few in parallel like his current TabletClass along with AoPS. Maybe three days of one and two of another. This will give two different perspectives on similar subject matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted February 17, 2013 Author Share Posted February 17, 2013 Thanks-she is doing Saxon 8/7 now for Pre-Alg-it is considered a full pre-alg course. I have the Foerster's but it's kind of early to tell if she'll be ready for it. I like the look of it and the logical development of skills. I do know that it is considered more advanced though so I don't want to kill her! The thing is though, I think the presentation in Foerster's does a much better job with conceptual explanation than what I can see in the TT samples, so I'm wondering if the TT would get her confused because it doesn't explain the WHY. So I guess that's what I'm wondering-if I should skip the TT so we get that excellent Foerster's explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dereksurfs Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Ok, well based on her preparation which sounds fine it would probably be ok to start with Foerster instead of TT. You can always take more time in developing the concepts in Foerster with supplementation. You can also slow down when and where needed. However you can follow Foerster's sequence as the spine. There are many great resources available to aid in concept development including Khan and AoPS videos. I also wouldn't discount LOF as a good conceptual supplement. Our babysitter who is advanced in her other subjects but has a harder time with math was just telling me tonight how much she really enjoys LOF Algebra. That's not to say your dd wouldn't benefit from TT though. But it might not be necessary since you are already planning on using Foerster with her which you have and like more. Another option would be that you could start with something else first like LOF or Jacobs which has a lot of review. Then move into Foerster, starting with one or two days a week and increasing as skills and confidence grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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