Tess in the Burbs Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Math and my son has been a long issue in our homeschool. Last year he got through Jacobs Algebra with an A, but it was challenging to him. I wanted him to do some review this year before moving on to Geometry. He liked the Critical Thinking Understanding Algebra. I liked the idea of the topic being covered in a different way/language/layout. However, we were back at tears today. The concept wasn't hard, but it wasn't something our elementary math had ever covered or if it had, it wasn't this in depth. All the excitement of something new faded quickly. He managed to muddle through. I encouraged him to finish the chapter before freaking out about the situation. He still hates math. I need a plan. This kid can do the math. Doesn't want to. This kid works at a slower pace in all areas of life, so an hour for most kids takes my kid at least 1.5 - 2 hours. (mostly he wastes a lot of time griping about it) What else would be a good second round of algebra after Jacobs? Something hard/challenging wouldn't be good. Maturity wise he needs to hang out here for a bit. Challenging math frustrates him. Hence why I want more review to solidify his knowledge before moving on to geometry. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 CLE Algebra I? You could probably move through at a quicker than a full year pace. My math hater likes CLE. It moves incrementally (not frustrating) and spirals (so nothing is forgotten). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 What about Key to Algebra? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Geometry IS algebra 1 review. You use algebra 1 concepts to complete the geometry exercises. FWIW, if I made my math struggler retake something he got a good grade on he would absolutely act up. It's easier to leak extra review in with Khan Academy, Alcumus, or something with an entirely different approach than his main course, and just slow the main course down as needed. eta: A kid who has completed algebra 1 with an A by 13 is NOT that slow. :001_smile: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 He wanted the review before starting geometry. He hates what he picked. So now I am looking for other ideas. If we can't come up with anything we will start geometry. And when I said slow, I meant he works slowly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 What about the Algebra Survival Guide or Barron's Painless Algebra, or both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Khan Academy will let you pick an algebra 1 track/course instead of the old web they used to use. Videos teaching the concepts are linked right on the practice page. It's really come a long way in the last couple years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I've found that the Algebra I course on schoolyourself.org is very well done. And free. I like it much better than Khan, even. Self-paced, interactive video lessons. I think it would be a great Algebra review prior to or concurrent with Geometry. http://schoolyourself.org/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 What about an online course? He'd have a different teacher than you and he could review old classes and lessons as needed. We are only pre-alg level but trying the online thing. So far so good. They can work at their own pace, review lessons, email the teacher for questions, grade their work, etc. ours isn't a live online class; I don't think I could be on someone else's schedule, so that works even better for us. But there is a weekly live q and a session with the teacher that they can do if needed. And he does have live classes as an option. I'm sure there tons of online classes out there. We are doing Mr D Math. https://mrdmath.com He's local to us and I've been hearing great reviews for several years now from folks who have done his classes. Time will tell for us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love_to_Read Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 How are his reading skills? I vaguely remember liking Algebra The Easy Way as a review for students who are more verbal, big-picture learners....sort of like Life of Fred, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Mathusee Algebra? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 If you're looking for more of a refresher course, how about the Algebra Survival Guide plus Workbook? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 thanks for the links. I am checking it all out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsplaymath Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Sooooo many creative resources here: Such a Thing as Free He could do a whole year of project-based math: just set up a schedule like Estimation 180 on Mondays, Visual Patterns on Tuesday, etc., or pick one site and explore it in depth. It's not like a textbook, but these types of projects would help consolidate everything he's learned up till now, by giving him a chance to use it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I've found that the Algebra I course on schoolyourself.org is very well done. And free. I like it much better than Khan, even. Self-paced, interactive video lessons. I think it would be a great Algebra review prior to or concurrent with Geometry. http://schoolyourself.org/ Yes! This is what I was going to suggest. It's perfect for your purpose - as a review before or alongside Geometry. They have Geometry and higher-level courses, too. It's not enough practice on its own to be standalone, but it's great for both introducing and reviewing concepts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 I did a math games class last year for home schoolers. It was a blast, and it made the kids want to get better at math. I looked at ideas on Pintrest and games on Teacher's Pay Teachers. There are so many great dice or card games. It will take more effort to find games at your son's level, but I bet you can find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas_mom Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 :grouphug: Hugs Tess! I am in the same boat as you except ds is a year behind. When I asked about Jacob's post way back, you responded with the same type of child I have. Last year he did Pre-Alg so this year he is doing Alg 1. I have a bright child in math but hates it, too!! I thought if he did Alg he would love it. He definitely takes to it very well but again, still hates it. Based on your post about your child and Jacob's Alg, I decided to try an Online class with Jann in TX. Depending how the year goes, I might do a more relaxed approach next year instead of geometry in 8th grade like you are currently planning. So, I understand where you are coming from. So here are my ideas for my ds (if things don't work out this year) ----> My ds has requested to do MUS Alg 1, but he had MUS back in 3rd grade, so he likes the videos. There is also "Algebra the Easy Way" which a story going through Alg 1. There is also LOF Algebra 1, too. I can't rememeber if you have ever said LOF worked or didn't work in your house. There is "Understanding Algebra" from Critical Thinking Co. I was also going to add math games, too. I will definitely keep this post for next year for my son.....These ideas are wonderful! I wish you the best on your journey with your son for math :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 :grouphug: Hugs Tess! I am in the same boat as you except ds is a year behind. When I asked about Jacob's post way back, you responded with the same type of child I have. Last year he did Pre-Alg so this year he is doing Alg 1. I have a bright child in math but hates it, too!! I thought if he did Alg he would love it. He definitely takes to it very well but again, still hates it. Based on your post about your child and Jacob's Alg, I decided to try an Online class with Jann in TX. Depending how the year goes, I might do a more relaxed approach next year instead of geometry in 8th grade like you are currently planning. So, I understand where you are coming from. So here are my ideas for my ds (if things don't work out this year) ----> My ds has requested to do MUS Alg 1, but he had MUS back in 3rd grade, so he likes the videos. There is also "Algebra the Easy Way" which a story going through Alg 1. There is also LOF Algebra 1, too. I can't rememeber if you have ever said LOF worked or didn't work in your house. There is "Understanding Algebra" from Critical Thinking Co. I was also going to add math games, too. I will definitely keep this post for next year for my son.....These ideas are wonderful! I wish you the best on your journey with your son for math :) Yep, he has the Understanding Algebra which is his current issue. The first chapter has a lot of stuff he's never had before(Venn Diagrams) and a few problems were challenging, so he wasn't happy. He just doesn't like the challenge!! Today he moved into the review stuff he knows. He thinks I assigned too much work from it. There is always SOMETHING to complain about. He didn't like LOF. He doesn't like any math curriculum! At this point we have a lot of Algebra programs in the house. I have 2 geometry programs and that Patty Paper stuff. I am at the point of letting him pick something and do it. Let me know end of year what you did. LOL I won't do that, but it's how I feel. He is doing an online class for something else this year. Let's just say he didn't jump right in. When all the other kids were told to write on the whiteboard during class Ds didn't. Said he didn't want to. I explained class participation is part of the grade. Nope, he didn't care. So I can't shell out the $$$ for online math when I already know he won't do what is needed. Which leads me back to the 'sink or swim' attitude I feel today about it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 :grouphug: Tess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Foerster's Algebra 1. You can get used versions cheap on Amazon. My oldest dd sounds just like your ds. Bright but a slow worker. She really liked Foerster's. People consider it "rigorous" but the instructions are clear and not too long. It's just really straightforward. The word problem sections are time consuming to work through and could be frustrating, but they fall at the end of each chapter from what I remember, so it's not as though he'd have to deal with it everyday. It would definitely reinforce his algebra skills before moving on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn&charles Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I recommend Khan Academy. It's the only thing that has worked for my son as it's entirely self paced and he can jump around to different math modules (or whatever you want to call them). It's improved so much over the years and has plenty of material that helps teach and practice the concepts. He even started statistics and probability on his own, just to earn more badges, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 My DD also hates math and is math phobic. She gets easily frustrated and has meltdowns when she doesn't understand something the first time. However, she gets good grades in it (A's & B's). We've always done Horizons Math from the beginning. It's the one program we've never changed (per DD's request). However, this year (7th) we decided to go with a different approach for Pre-Algebra and heading into the higher maths. Over the summer, we used some of Math Essentials Pre-Alegebra to get her gently started. Now that school has officially started, we went with Tablet Class Pre-Algebra. This would provide her with a totally new experience with a different teacher. The results have been extremely positive. She actually likes the visual instruction and the instructor. We've had a few questions, and Mr. Zimmerman has been extremely responsive. He even held a conference call with DD to address her specific questions. DD has now asked that we continue with TC because Mr. Zimmerman explains things in a way that she understands and she likes the visual component (more so than the Khan Academy visuals I supplemented with Horizons). I can't tell you how wonderful that was to hear. She still has some anxieties (because it's math, and she doesn't like it) but she's comfortable with the program. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bocky Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 For my math struggler, it came down to sticking to what we'd picked out, making it quietly clear that a lesson a day was non-negotiable. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheApprentice Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 We have used Tabletclass. My ds liked it, but there is not a ton of practice or review. It's very mastery in its approach. We have also used Derek Owens. While it's online, it is distant learning, so it is at your own pace, but it also costs $58/month. My son was able to complete the course in a short amount of time, saving me money. You pay by the month, not annually, so when your child is finished with the course, you no longer pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dereksurfs Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 What about an online course? He'd have a different teacher than you and he could review old classes and lessons as needed. We are only pre-alg level but trying the online thing. So far so good. They can work at their own pace, review lessons, email the teacher for questions, grade their work, etc. ours isn't a live online class; I don't think I could be on someone else's schedule, so that works even better for us. But there is a weekly live q and a session with the teacher that they can do if needed. And he does have live classes as an option. I'm sure there tons of online classes out there. We are doing Mr D Math. https://mrdmath.com He's local to us and I've been hearing great reviews for several years now from folks who have done his classes. Time will tell for us. I know this is an old thread. But I'm wondering if anyone else has tried Mr. D math? matrips was just starting. If still on the boards, how has it gone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusyMom5 Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Crocodiles and Coconuts and Chuckles teh ROcket Dog would be my choice to review algebra concepts. I agree with letting him hang here for a while, and would even be open to something like a Saxon book, letting him do 20 problems of his choice per lesson, since your goal is to keep skills current, but not necessarily move forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 I would suggest Teaching Textbooks if you're looking for a year-long program. Otherwise, maybe Keys to Algebra if you're looking for more of a refresher? or else the book, Algebra Survival Guide. On the other hand, if he got an A in Algebra, maybe he'd find it refreshing to just move on to Geometry. Also, I've learned that kids usually far prefer Geometry or Algebra, if that's any consolation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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