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Titles and order for Lial's Algebra


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I am pretty much decided on Lials (or is it Lial's?) for Algebra and supplement with AOPS (which I have pre alg and we did not really do it and I want to give it a go)

 

I have tried to research what I need and there seem to be a lot of different books.

 

She is currently doing TT pre algebra and I would like to switch to something cheaper.

Please tell me the level I need to buy (hopefully with a link to the book so I can see the cover) and whatever else I need (solutions book?)

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This is all cut&pasted from posts on this board. I saved it in an email to myself.

 

Lial has 2 texts that will work for Pre-Algebra. The one I prefer is called Basic College Math. It takes the student through each concept FROM THE BEGINNING. Lial's text called Pre-Algebra contains the same core material--but moves at a faster pace. For middle school/high school purposes I prefer BCM because I feel it does a better job at finding AND FILLING any gaps before Algebra 1.

 

Lial has 2 different series at the high school/ remedial community college level. I prefer the 'developmental' or 'paperback' series. I like the page layout with practice problems in the sidebar...this is what I use with my online classes.

 

Introductory Algebra is Algebra 1

Intermediate Algebr is Algebra 2

 

Lial does have a Geometry program--but most go with a different program for this course--I use Holt Geometry 2007 with my online classes.

 

Lial also offers a Pre-Calc program.

 

There are FEW changes between the editions.

I use either the 7th or 8th editions because they are inexpensive and easy to find in new/used condition. Because these are community college texts they must put out a new edition at least every other year... so most changes are in the cover picture!

 

The newer 10th edition does have 'slightly improved' DVTs--but I have never used those--and I would not want my students to use those on a daily basis. The text actually contains the WHOLE lesson (this is what makes this program different from other programs where the text just gives a brief review of the lesson a teacher is supposed to teach/give).

 

Introductory Algebra (Algebra I)

Text - 0-321-27921-2

Solutions Manual - 0-321-28580-8

DVT - 0-321-28584-0

 

Intermediate Algebra 8th edition (developmental): (Algebra II)

student text: 0321279204

student solutions manual 0321285697

 

Pre-Calc 3rd edition

student text 032122762X

student solutions manual 0321227700

graphing calculator manual 0321227719

 

I am using Intermediate Algebra with a student I am tutoring right now. I used Precalculus with my middle dd last year and will be using it for my tutoring student next year.

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  • 3 years later...

Are these still the editions that are being recommended? It looks like the online class is now using the 9th edition.

 

Any edition from the 7th and up is fine.

I really liked the 8th edition, but after teaching from the text since 2006 (I was naive and purchased new) my personal TEs are showing wear.  I like the look of the 9th edition texts-- no big changes.  If you want the option of using the prerecorded lessons from the publisher then you would want the 9th edition or up.  They added test solutions to the videos.

 

For Pre-Calc I would go with one of the newer ones (one before the current would be fine)-- you want the graphing calculator part to be relatively current.

 

I used this series with my own daughters and they did great in college maths (and in the business and science classes they had to apply the math in).

 

HTH

 

 

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I am pretty much decided on Lials (or is it Lial's?) for Algebra and supplement with AOPS (which I have pre alg and we did not really do it and I want to give it a go)

 

I have tried to research what I need and there seem to be a lot of different books.

 

She is currently doing TT pre algebra and I would like to switch to something cheaper.

Please tell me the level I need to buy (hopefully with a link to the book so I can see the cover) and whatever else I need (solutions book?)

We used/are using Lial's for 8th grade Algebra I.

 

We used the 8th edition Introductory Algebra.

 

About 2 months in, I bought the 7 CD set of the Digital Video Tour. These discs are pre-recorded of someone teaching each section of each chapter. They have been invaluable for us.

 

For my particular student, it was not enough for me to teach the lesson. He needed to see someone laying it all out for him, step by step, with a screen behind them that showed the work being done, step by step.

 

The ISBN for the videos is 0-321-28584-0.

 

There are 9 chapters in the book. Each chapter has between 5 and 8 sections. Each section is broken down into objectives and examples.

 

My son could not do a full section every day. He could do about 3 examples a day.

 

The practice problems for each section were grouped by example. For instance, maybe problems 1-10 would say, "see example 1" and problems 2-20 would say, "see examples 2 and 3."

 

We would watch the video only through example 3 and then pause it for the day.

 

My son and I would sit together and work the side-bar problems next to the lesson through example 3.

 

Then I would release him to doing the practice problems alone. I would assign 1-20, odds only, so he only did the work for the first three examples..

 

He would spend about 1.5 hours a day on Algebra.

 

The next day, we'd pick up the video where we left off, with the next three (or so) examples. I would decide how many examples we could get through based on how many practice problems they had for each example. My son could do between 15-25 problems a day, depending on how difficult the section was. Some are very time consuming equations and some are easy.

 

My problem is that I thought we could do Algebra in one hour a day and we got very, very behind. By the time I realized we needed 1.5 hours a day, we were 2.5 months of work behind. We have been doing algebra every weekday this summer and it is NOT FUN.

 

I think it's a lot of material to cover and for an average student (not slow, not advanced), it will take a good solid 1.5 hours every day which is 7.5 per week.  If you work at it 1.5 hours a day, you can complete it in time.  We wasted too many months working only an hour a day and so we ended up often spending 2 days on work that should have been done in 1 day. 

Edited by Garga
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Also, I was accidentally sent the annotated instructor's edition when I first ordered the book. I kept it and then ordered a student version. The instructor's edition is AWESOME because ALL of the answers are right there on the pages. I don't have to turn to the back of the book to find the answers. I don't have to only have the odds. I have all of the answers, even and odd, right there on the practice pages right in front of me.

I still also bought the solutions manual because the instructors edition only has the answers. It doesn't show the work. There have been about 5 times this year where I couldn't figure out the work myself and needed to check out the solutions manual to see where I was going wrong. (Mostly with those dang vehicles travleing away from each other at x miles per hour, and when will they be y miles apart. Gak!)

So:

Student edition of the text.
Annotated instructor's edition of the text.
Solutions manual.
Digital Video Tour.

I was very happy to have all four components to work with.

Edited by Garga
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I taught a homeschooled 8th grader Algebra I using the Introductory Algebra text (8th edition) this past year.  I have also used BCM and Intermediate Algebra with my own children.  You do not need to assign every problem or even all the odds.  One of Lial's strengths is the multitude of problems, and it is *extremely* handy to have a lot of problems when the student gets stuck, but it can be overkill as well.  I would (and did) assign more of what is difficult and less of what is easy.  

 

You can either go through a whole section one day and have the student do the exercises the next or you can split the section into two days.  With my student, it took about 45 minutes to an hour to complete the instruction for a section.  Then he did the homework at home.  Because his mom wasn't able to help him as he did the homework, it sometimes took a long time.  But if you are able to help your student as she works, it will make things *much* more efficient.

 

The other thing I wanted to mention about the Introductory Algebra text specifically is that Lial doesn't align with Common Core (if that is possibly in your future).  I prefer the scope of the Lial text (and other traditional texts) far better, but Common Core Algebra I does not do what is contained in Ch 7 (rational expressions and applications) or Ch 8 (roots and radicals), they just launch right into quadratics (ugh!).  Also the Common Core adds arithmetic and geometric sequences, exponential functions, and data analysis and probability as well as an emphasis on functions early on (Lial introduces functions in the last section of the last chapter).   

 

Lastly, you should be aware that Intermediate Algebra does not cover Algebra 2 in a comprehensive manner.  If you use Lial through precalculus, you will get to everything, but Intermediate Algebra does not introduce very much new material.  I have posted about this issue in several recent threads, so I won't belabor the point here.

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Kai

Thank you for sharing in such detail your thoughts about Lial's Intermediate Algebra. You mentioned that you had posted about it in other threads, I would love to read them if you would be willing to post a link to those threads.

Also is there an Algebra 2 course you would recommend?

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Kai

Thank you for sharing in such detail your thoughts about Lial's Intermediate Algebra. You mentioned that you had posted about it in other threads, I would love to read them if you would be willing to post a link to those threads.

Also is there an Algebra 2 course you would recommend?

 

I recommend Derek Owens for Algebra 2.  It's excellent and comprehensive.

 

Here is one of the threads that I posted on about Lial:  http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/617141-is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-remedial-or-review-course-for-algebra-1-if-so-what/

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