Matryoshka Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 Anyone have experience using Foerster's for Precalc? My dd did really well with the Alg1 book - mostly did it on her own, but when she got stuck a bit, she'd just come to me and then she'd be on her way again. She's been in school the past two years for Geo/AlgII but is thinking of coming home next year, so this seems the logical place to start. But I won't be able to give her as much help at this level. So, if you've used Foersters Precalc, some questions: 1. Was your dc able to self-teach fairly well from this book? 2. If not, did you use the Math without Borders videos, and if so, were they helpful? 3. Or did you do a lot of teaching, or hire a tutor? 4. Is there a solutions manual for Foersters Precalc? (ISBN?) 5. Or would you strongly recommend another Precalc text/course, and if so, which one? I'm thinking if we go this path, dd would probably take Calculus and Calc-based Physics at the cc her senior year, so she needs a good, solid foundation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'm bumping this rather old post, as dd is now talking much more seriously about coming home next year, and I still have all the same questions, as this post never got any answers! And... I just went looking over at Amazon - there appear to be two versions of this book - this one and this one. Is one preferable, anyone know? Or again, is there a better option for PreCalc altogether? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 There is very little difference between editions, but since you can get the newer one cheaper anyway at the moment you might as well. It is a good, solid precalc text. I cannot comment on the self-teaching part. I would highly recommend that your dd aim to finish by May and take the placement test at the cc then. That way, if she misses the placement by one level (many students do retake one level at university, regardless of curriculum) she can register for precalc in summer (not a good idea for a first exposure, but fine for a repeat) and still be on track for your plan. If she places into calc, she can do gentle review over the summer to stay fresh for the fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I am struggling with this decision myself. If dd used Foerster next yr, she is going to have to self-teach b/c I am not help. She is already losing me in alg 2, but at least this yr if she has a question, ds is here to explain. (It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen.) It won't even be an option next yr. I have the books somewhere. All of the them (I bought the entire bundle) back when my oldest dd went through the text (but she had Kathy as a teacher........definitely not going to be the same experience. The other option I am considering is Derek Owens. I am not happy with any of the options, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'd be inclined to encourage the math without borders, but I haven't used them. I taught the Foersters Precalc to both of mine so far, including my mathy son (will graduate in May with an EE degree, all A's in college math courses). He also self taught most of Algebra II, but he needed and wanted me to teach the PreCalc. YMMV, Kendall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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