(Updated, good news, & new question) Math for upcoming 9th grader finishing up 6th gr. work

[Annabel Lee]

[i just posted an update below with some good news & a new question.  He's got his confidence as a student back!  Yeah!  :)  ]

I have one dc that is, by age/grade level, going into 9th gr. next year, who is finishing a combo of Abeka/Horizons 6 math right now.  That he is behind is only due to not having been exposed to the material - no LDs or other issues involved (he's doing 2+ lessons/day, understands quickly - a forray into a PS where he learned nothing new in math & other life circumstances have caused this situation).  How would you proceed?  We are working on math through this summer & willing to continue doing so in future years.

 

If I let him do TT Pre-Alg., he would only have about 3 chapters of Pre-Alg. to cover topics not presented in his current 6th gr. level books, and then he could move on to Alg. 1 in the fall.  This is the "feel-good" option.  He would get to "catch up" finally and not feel like he is continuing in catch-up mode - this would be a huge relief and confidence booster for him.  He does not like math and just wants to do whatever will get it done as quickly as possible.  TT allows that.

 

On the other hand, the content is more important to me than the level or title on the cover.  My math shortcomings are legion, so I look at texts that offer video options, clear TMs, or online courses - TT looks appealing for that reason.  Even still, I'm willing to wrestle through and learn ahead of him if it means he could get a deeper or more thorough understanding.  Online courses with a pre-set pace would mean no longer doubling up when the work is easy or skimming through things he already knows, though.

 

I'm very much considering & would like your opinion/suggestions on:
Saxon (by Saxon Publishers, slightly older editions) - ...but I don't want him to have the same struggles I had with it as a teen; how would I get him to see the bigger picture with such tiny, "incremental" presentations?  Because of our late start, should I be concerned about where this will put him when it's time for PSAT and SAT/ACT?

 

TT - Too easy for him, vs. accessible for him?  What are SAT/ACT scores like with this?  What is college math like for kids who've used this?  Which supplements, if any, are recommended to make sure his skills transfer to other formats?

Jacob's Elem. Alg. - is there a Pre-Alg. by Jacob's?  If not, which Pre-Alg. generally goes well before it?  Which edition of Jacob's Geometry should I look for (I've noticed there was a recent change and people liked one of the previous eds.)?  It also doesn't have an Alg. 2, right?  I see that Veritas Press uses Foerster's Alg. 2/Trig. after Jacob's.

 

LOF/Zaccaro: I love the idea of these, but I'm not sure how NCAA would feel about it.  I've used both, only as supplements, in earlier levels and like them a lot.  I don't know how this dc would do with these as the primary course materials... we might not know until we try.  Currently, there are a few topics he continues to have not mastered well after initial presentation, and I wouldn't have known that except for the constant review problems in Abeka.

 

Abeka: ???  I've read mixed reviews for its upper math.  They have videos, which would be good in our situation, but what has been your experience or impression?

Horizons: Teacher's Manuals are almost of no help, which is how we ended up adding Abeka to Horizons.  Also, we'd have to switch after a certain point because Horizons only goes to Alg. 1, right?  Am I right in thinking it's not advisable to plan on switching after Pre-Alg. (unless multiple curricula make up a smooth progression, such as Jacob's & Foerster's), or is that bunk?

 

VideoText: They do all of Algebra first and then geometry, right?  Or do they integrate it like Saxon?  Do they have all of it done & available yet?  I haven't seen many reviews for this.  Is it kind of like TT (video instruction) but a bit harder?  Do VT students have any difficulty transferring learned skills to other formats?

Lial's: BCM seems too easy for him save just a few concepts.  Pre-A. would be a challenge, so he would not be ready to start Alg. 1 in the fall with this.  (Again, I place different importance on the title of the book than he does... it does matter to him.)   Jann in TX offers online help for this and I have some DVTs.  I've seen references (not in relation to Lial's) to "constructivism" in math, or "constructivist math"; I'm not sure what that means.  Does Lial's fit under that descriptor?  How do you know which problems to do, and is there a schedule?  Other than the main text, which other pieces might be helpful?

 

ChalkDust, ThinkWell, KineticBooks, TabletClass, CTC math, Derek Owens, Dolciani, BJU:  All are available to be taught online or via videos, but I'm not sure how to compare.  Does DO use Dolciani?  What are your experiences with these?

 

What do you suggest for a child in my son's situation?

[teamturner]

We have been very happy with myhomeschoolmathclass.com classes taught by fellow board member, Jann in TX.  

 

http://www.myhomeschoolmathclass.com/index.html

 

You may email her and see which of her classes she recommends for him.  She offers live online classes and has helped my math strugglers gain confidence in math.  She offers Boot Camp classes during the summer that are self-paced that might be a help for your ds.

[Junie]

It sounds like Saxon 1/2 might be a good fit.  DD12 is working through it now; dd10 just finished 6th grade.  If you have specific questions about the topics covered, let me know. It sounds like your son is a hard worker and wants to make this happen.   I think that you'll be fine.  

[1Togo]

Tablet Class - talk with Mr. Zimmerman to put together catch-up plan. Also, weekly tutoring. I can't praise TC enough.

[birchbark]

Systemath's Math Rescue over the summer, then their Algebra 1 next fall. All video-based. We love this program.

[Annabel Lee]

Thank you all for the great ideas!  I'm looking at the websites & samples.

[1Togo]

Adding this.  Being significantly behind in math at the high school level really comes into play for standardized testing; i.e. ACT and SAT, so as you decide on materials you need to consider not only learning new material but how to catch up.  I want to recommend Tablet Class again because the author, John Zimmerman, knows his courses and will help you put together a plan.  Dc has gone from math struggler to college-readiness with TC and weekly tutoring with Mr. Z.  We could not have accomplished this without his help, even though dc was motivated and a hard worker.

[EKS]

What topics is he missing?  If they are true prealgebra topics (beginning algebra topics and not review of arithmetic topics) then Jacobs Algebra might be a good choice.  Jacobs starts out gently, with the first five chapters being the algebra part of prealgebra.

 

Whatever you do, I would recommend that you either brush up your own skills so that you can teach him or at least facilitate his learning (by being able to answer questions) or find another person who is able to do so.  I jump started this process by using ALEKS first followed by working through the Jacobs problem sets.

[Annabel Lee]

My son has worked hard and covered a lot of ground this summer, determined to make it happen.  In addition to continuing math at home, he went to a tutor for some intense catch-up.  The tutor had to go back to work full-time, so today I gave my son a Saxon placement test on which he tested into Algebra 1.  There are some gaps, but I think we can manage.

 

Now I just have to decide between Saxon and Jacob's.  I have some local hs friends urging me to use Saxon (3rd ed. sequence) so that Geometry would be integrated over the years in order to move forward quicker.  There are many positive online reviews, but on the other hand, I keep seeing reviews stating it does not teach the big picture, that students won't have a deeper understanding, only how to apply memorized formulas without knowing why they work.  Is this true?  Any thoughts, experience, comments on that?

 

I called Veritas Press to inquire about their upper math sequence, and was told that at Alg. 1, avg. students may stay on the Saxon track and more astute students may opt for Jacob's.  I am paraphrasing by using the "track" phrase, but the idea that Jacob's is slightly higher level was conveyed.  I read about Jacob's Alg. yielding a fuller understanding, a better grasp on math.  How do the two compare?

Thanks so much for all the help!