Jann in TX, can I ask a question?

[Ms. Riding Hood]

I've really been thrilled with the Lial's books I've gotten so far (BCM, Intermediate Alg.). I like reading them. How odd!

 

But ds, who finished Saxon Alg. I last year, looked at Int. Alg., and said that he thought he'd done most of the topics up through the first half of the book! He didn't spend a lot of time looking at the book, but just flipped through rather quickly, but I wanted to ask if you could comment since I know that you are very familiar with both books. I'm assuming that even if he's had the topics in Saxon, that Int. Alg. is going to be covering them in more depth or with more difficult problem sets. I planned on having him do the diagnostic pretest--maybe that will give me the answer to my question easily enough!!

 

I had assumed that going from Alg. I into this book he should start at the very beginning no matter what, but maybe you would advise an alternate route?

 

Thanks for any light you can shed!

[Jann in TX]

Most of Algebra 2 (Intermediate Algebra) expands on concepts covered in Algebra 1 (Introductory Algebra). Because of the way Lial presents the information in the first few examples of a lesson, there is a 'rehash' of the Algebra 1 topic THEN it moves into the Algebra 2 part of the concept. Most of the time the first 1-2 examples were introduced in Algebra 1 and the remaining 4-5 examples are 'Algebra 2'.

 

The TOPICS covered between the two courses are almost identical. Trust me, the vast majority of the lessons will contain concepts (expanded) that are NOT covered in Saxon Algebra 1 (I'm very familiar with that program--have the text too).

 

There will be FEW concepts that your son has not seen before--but those in the Intermediate Algebra text will definitely stretch him.

 

This is one thing you just can't evaluate by flipping through a text or comparing 'tables of contents'. If he flipped through a Saxon Algebra 2 text he would see the same thing.

[Ms. Riding Hood]

Thanks for your quick reply! That's just what I thought was the case, but I appreciate your very knowledgeable insight.

 

Thank you!!