Guest mcglynnmom Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Looking at purchasing Math Relief Algebra I. Does it prepare students well for the ACT? We've been using TT, but it's not going so great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dassah Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I'm thinking about making an Algebra switch over to TT Algebra or MR. Please share what's not working with TT! Math Relief is on my list of possibilities but I'm pretty sure Alg 1 & 2 must be used to cover many typical Alg 1 topics. I'm okay with that but still in the pondering stages. I love how MR seems to start at the beginning and fill in any gaps. :) At this point, I'm not 100% sure where the gaps are that's keeping my student from being successful with the current curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3andme Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I don't have any specific experience with ACT results to report but comparing the ACT Test topics with the Math Relief Algebra I/II courses, it looks like the only ACT topics not covered by MR are patterns and sequences and functions. Of course, the ACT also includes other non-Algebra topics like probability, statistics, geometry and beginning trig that would be outside the scope of Math Relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mcglynnmom Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 To be fair, my son doesn't enjoy math, but he's not bad at it. I chose TT because it's self teaching. However, there are quite a few days where he struggles with things. I think the problem is that during the lecture portion there are not enough examples. Then I need to read the chapter or watch the lecture and walk him through it myself anyway. I can tell he's learning but I doubt he'll be able to retain what he's learned by the time he takes the ACT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3andme Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I have not used TT but Math Relief definitely has many examples for each topic. In fact, for a proficient math student, it might seem like overkill sometimes. The homework problems also offer considerable practice. The thing about Math Relief is that it really breaks down the problems in a step-by-step fashion and doesn't focus on terminology initially. I think it's especially strong in the area of rational expressions because he does not assume much prior knowledge in fractions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dassah Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 My biggest trepidation with MR is not having a plan beyond it. 3andme, have you used MR and found a good program to move into after finishing the series? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3andme Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I haven't actually used MR with a student all the way through. I did use part of Algebra I with my ds but he didn't really like the videos that much and prefers to read material directly so it was not the best fit for him in that way. He is now finishing up CLE's Algebra I and does pretty well with it. However, as a refresher for myself, I did go through almost all of the MR program except the last parts of Algebra II. I had a pretty good understanding of Algebra beforehand so it really was review for me. Still, there were a few new approaches or explanations that enhanced my understanding that I picked up along the way. I should note that MR does cover the standard topics in Algebra but it does so in a slightly unconventional order compared to standard textbooks. I've looked at a lot of math programs in an effort to find something that works for ds and my feeling is that it's okay to jump around between different programs (with the exception of maybe Saxon and the Singapore type programs which are integrated math). They all pretty much cover the same things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mcglynnmom Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Just purchased MR algebra. We'll see how it goes :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
journey00 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 My 9th grade dd uses MR and she's almost finished with phase 1. No more tear here over Algebra. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I'm thinking about making an Algebra switch over to TT Algebra or MR. Please share what's not working with TT! Math Relief is on my list of possibilities but I'm pretty sure Alg 1 & 2 must be used to cover many typical Alg 1 topics. I'm okay with that but still in the pondering stages. I love how MR seems to start at the beginning and fill in any gaps. :) At this point, I'm not 100% sure where the gaps are that's keeping my student from being successful with the current curriculum. You might give some placement tests that are free on-line to see where gaps might be, even if you didn't use that program. You could just find free resources to target those specific gaps (Khan Academy comes to mind). For instance, CLE has free placement tests. So does TT. And I'm sure others do, too. It might help you see where the issues are before moving forward.... Also, if percents, fractions, decimals, etc. are an issue then running through the Key to...series might help. FWIW, CLE is very spiral so if a student is still needing a lot of review to retain the information after learning it, CLE might be a good one to run through and solidify weak areas. Definitely do a placement test, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Just purchased MR algebra. We'll see how it goes :) Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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