8th Grade Math for a non-mathy kid

[JessReplanted]

We need to switch math. We have been struggling through CLE 7. I love CLE, but at this point I think that it is too

spiral for my son. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[ondreeuh]

We've had much success with Holt's middle school math series (courses 1-3 for grades 6-8, although some people use just two of the levels). We use the 2007 editions and I buy the components on Amazon Marketplace. The teacher one-stop planner CD has the tests, quizzes, and worksheets for different levels. It is a mastery type of program but we do a cumulative review (also found on the teacher CD) at the end of each chapter to make sure he doesn't forget earlier concepts. Since we used both courses 1 & 2, I am having my son do the more challenging problems (practice C) for course 3. He's doing systems of equations right now towards the end of the book and I feel like this is a great preparation for a mainstream algebra course. It is nothing like AOPS which is heavy on the problem-solving aspect of it, but it is what my son needs.

[OneStepAtATime]

ondreeuh has some good ideas.  

 

What exactly are the issues that you are seeing? Is it that there are too many problems that are too varied?  Do you think a more mastery based approach would work?  Something more conceptual?  Something like Dolciani or AoPS Pre-Algebra?

 

How far along are you in CLE?  If you are over halfway and you already own the rest of 700 then you might just rip apart the Light Unit material and make your own mastery based approach.  Do the new material, and have him go through and just do the problems that support the new material for a particular lesson through the remaining lessons of that L.U.  Use colored highlighters so he can find the problems he is supposed to be working on.  Then go back and do the same thing for the next new lesson material using a different color.  Cut out the unnecessary review of mastered previous concepts.