In a math quandry (Algebra)...

[Heather in VA]

My oldest (13) has been using VideoText Algebra since last year. We have finished Modules A - C. It's been great, or so we thought. My daughter is quite bright but her gifts are more liberal arts so while fully capable of doing math, it's not her strongest subject. With VT she said she felt like she was finally 'doing math' rather than just working problems. She did well with the exercises and the tests. So this year I prepared for some review time (we take summers off - this is required because of other activities and mom's sanity) and then planned to proceed with the next modules of VT and planned to give her an Algebra credit at the end of this year.

 

Well she's bombing the review. She can remember some very complicated things but other things are like she never learned them. At first I thought we'd just hit those lessons and then move on, but it's seeming like we need to start over. So I've come up with a bunch of different options and have no idea which one I should choose.

 

1) Start over with VT and use more of the downloadable extra problems. This would be good because I have it, she's used to the format, I think it's approach is excellent but I worry that it's the format that's causing her forget over time. She might need it smacked into her head a bit more forcefully.

 

2) Use BJU - She's used BJU before and it was fine. It was solid, not flashy but gets the job done. BJU can get really repetitive and while better on the 'why's of math than say Saxon, I really prefer something more focused on understanding.

 

3) Teaching Textbooks - Yes I know that this isn't nearly as aggressive but it does present things in easy to understand ways and reviews alot. I also compared the full sequence (Alg 1 - Precalc) to other programs and when you are done - you've hit the same stuff, just not as quickly. I was thinking since she does remember a decent amount we could do TT Alg 1 and Alg 2 - call that Algebra I and then either move back to the end of VT (which is Alg 2) or on to something like Lial's or Foerster for Algebra 2.

 

4) Do the same thing outlined in #3 but do TT Algebra 1 with Foerster's Algebra 1 for additional problems and word problems and TT Algebra 2 with Foerster's Algebra 2 for additional problems and word problems. Then call that Algebra 1 and 2. I'm thinking a simpler presentation would help her understand then more difficult problems would help her apply it.

 

5) Just get something like Lial's or Foerster's and use that. I worry about this approach because textbooks are notorious for being difficult to understand. The problem is that from the reviews I'm reading Foerster's is the more readable which is nice. She actually learns anything better when she reads it herself, but it's also the most challenging book. Since math isn't her strong subject, that might not be the best way to learn it. She's seen Jacobs and it was confusing to her so I'm not really looking at that.

 

6) Chalkdust isnt' really an option. When we were looking between CD and VT, we both really didn't like the CD lectures (sacriledge I know)

 

One last thing, I don't require a solutions manual - DH is an engineer and I'm a math major, but I do need an answer guide. While I can do these problems, I don't want to have to do the full set of problems every day just to correct it. I don't have time for that :-).

 

Thoughts? Warm cyber-cookies for anyone who read this. I know it's a book.

 

Heather

[tibbyl]

We reviewed only what we needed in VT. Yes, it was a rather extensive, detailed review. Then we vowed to keep the material fresh by re-working a few problems from each unit test daily or every other day over the summer.

[Ruth in Canada]

We have used Aleks for review periodically. It's nice because it will review only things you don't know. I would not use it exclusively, because I don't think it is as thorough as some of the other options, but as a refresher it has been great. We used it for a alg 1 refresher after geometry and then we used it mid-way through alg II when it became apparent that dd hadn't absorbed everything she had worked through. Here's a link to a free month trial: http://www.aleks.com/webform/nw-69

[74Heaven]

Hi, I've been right where you are. I don't know how far into the school year you are - but it took my daughter a good 3 weeks to remember *any* algebra when we started Mod D of VT in the Fall after finishing Mods A-C hte previous year (spring). I've read other posts where the kids (seems usually girls??) finish Alg. 1 and then the next fall take a placement test for Alg 2 and instead the placement tests say the kid should take Alg. 1!

 

What I did that worked pretty well is just makes copies of all the end-of-mod (Mods ABC) tests and cumulative tests (or just start with the cumulative tests and do those over). Work them all open book (the A tests) and then see where you think she is at. My dtr is a struggling math student and in fact, after we did the mod review tests she was ready to move forward again. This took 4-6 weeks at the beginning of her 10th grade year. If you continue not to be sure where she is at - then I would take all the "Test Bs" and have her take those closed book.

 

I love VT but we really do need the review. I try to have my second dtr take the review tests at the end of each module (as much as we have covered so far) - she takes these mid-module and then again at the end of the module. The Test As - open book for review purposes only.

 

HTH!

Lisa

[Alyce]

Jann is one that recommends this book and we bought it for a couple of reasons. 1) It came highly recommended, 2) It had and answer guide ie: It shows the solutions to the odd numbered problems, all cumulative review questions and the test in step by step answer (I think this is what you want). It's called the Student Solutions Manual, 3) It was inexpensive. I paid $50 for both student textbook, Solution Manual and DVT's, 4) My son preferred to read his stuff rather than have someone tell him (just like your dd). This book has very easy to read and complete explanations of concepts. So far we have not had to use the DVT's. My son loves it and is actually liking math again. I wish I had listened to everyone here and started with this program earlier. My son is not good with math but he's succeeding with this program. The explanations are clear and the good thing is that if he misses a question he can see exactly where he went wrong. The other good thing for me is that it cuts down on the work I have to do. I don't know anything about VT but if you think your dd might do better with another program I'd go with the Lial's. It sounds like she has some of the same problems as my son so this might be a very good fit for you and her. By the way we tried TT Geometry, my son sailed right through it the problem is he doesn't remember a lot of what he learned, he found it boring and said there wasn't enough review. I won't be using TT again. I can't recommend TT for that reason as well as because of the cost.

[Heather in VA]

Thanks everyone. I went over things with my DD and we decided the problem isn't the program, it's that she needs to revisit concepts more often so we're going to start VT over, work more quickly on concepts she knows, and back-fill with extra problems from Foersters.

 

Thanks!!

 

Heather