Who uses Dolciani for Algebra - and is it enough?

[mirabillis]

I see many posters using Dolciani Pre-Algebra successfully, which is what we are using. Doing great with it! My son seems to be flying through it. We are now researching for Algebra I for 7th grade.

 

1. Who has continued with Dolciani Algebra (Struc & Method Book 1) and even beyond?

 

2. Did you use it as a standalone? Pro/cons?

 

3. Should I think of supplementing with AoPs Intro to Alg for instance? Or if we never touch AoPs again, would it be OK? (after a debacle with AoPs Pre-A turning my son's favorite subject away from math temporarily!) 

 

4. And how do you feel going the old school Dolciani route - without so many of the video-based Algebra and beyond options out there? Did you feel the text was enough to help you teach the material?

 

Thanks! If you've seen me around in the Algebra threads, sorry if I'm rambling or cross-posting... I'm at such a math crossroads!

 

 

[wapiti]

I haven't used it (well, we used a few sets of exercises here and there), but I have several versions of Dolciani algebra 1, and I would have no qualms whatsoever about using it as a standalone.

 

I haven't figured out all the differences between the Structure and Method version and the regular "Algebra 1," but the regular Algebra 1 version (late 80s) that I have is definitely rigorous, has good word problems, etc.

[Kathy in Richmond]

Dolciani is more than enough as a stand alone algebra course. Some of us current  AoPS-lovers grew up with Dolciani in school ourselves, and it worked out extremely well for us!

 

Before the AoPS texts were published, I used a 1992 version of the Dolciani Algebra 2 with Trig text (Structure & Method series) with my son. I also used the word problems & some of the C-level exercises from my 1962 Dolciani Alg 1 text as a supplement for both of my kids.

 

I have teacher manuals for both of those Dolciani books. They include lots of helps for presenting the lessons & answers to the exercises. The 1992 TM also has extra worked out problems, extensions for good students, & scheduling helps.

 

If your student likes video instruction, you could always supplement with the free (& excellent!) AoPS videos if you decide to go that route.

[mirabillis]

thanks for the replies!

 

anyone else?

[wapiti]

You may want to ask on the high school board.

[Julie of KY]

I think Dolciani is fine as a stand along. However, I am using it as an introduction and then moving my son to AoPS. My oldest did AoPS and I love it. My second doesn't like to be frustrated with hard problems. I'm using Dolciani to introduce topics and then redoing it with AoPS. I'm not trying to get to the hardest problems of Dolciani.

[mirabillis]

I think Dolciani is fine as a stand along. However, I am using it as an introduction and then moving my son to AoPS. My oldest did AoPS and I love it. My second doesn't like to be frustrated with hard problems. I'm using Dolciani to introduce topics and then redoing it with AoPS. I'm not trying to get to the hardest problems of Dolciani.

 

Tell me more about how you're doing that... We started with AoPs Pre-A but my son got too frustrated with the problems in AoPs even as naturally mathy as he is. So we swapped to Dolciani - now we're looking toward Alg and I'm still wanting to get back to AoPs and thinking if we can do that... or combine Dolciani with some AoPs. Love to hear more about your plans, and how AoPs is working for your older also.

[Julie of KY]

Tell me more about how you're doing that... We started with AoPs Pre-A but my son got too frustrated with the problems in AoPs even as naturally mathy as he is. So we swapped to Dolciani - now we're looking toward Alg and I'm still wanting to get back to AoPs and thinking if we can do that... or combine Dolciani with some AoPs. Love to hear more about your plans, and how AoPs is working for your older also.

My oldest does AoPS and loves it. The challenge problems fascinate him - he's at the level of finishing both the Int. Algebra and PreCalculus books.

 

My second did AoPS Prealgebra. We had to take parts slowly as we worked on the math. He does not like the challenging problems. In the prealgebra book, we did all the challenge problems together. He then started the AoPS Algebra book together. He got bogged down before too long and we switched to Dolciani. He has been doing Dolciani for a few months now (slowly). Since he now has some algebra in his head, we will try to pick up AoPS again. Meanwhile he has started the AoPS Geometry book and is doing well at the beginning of the book. He has now finished the first four chapters. I sit with him to do the challenge problems and give hints as needed. I think part of the problem with AoPS is just the maturity to be challenged. Also he doesn't particularly like math even though he very good at it. If returning to AoPS Algebra doesn't work, then we'll just stick with Dolciani or pick up some other challenging problems. I'm not sure that he will ever use the intermediate series of AoPS books.