Penguin Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 (edited) Do you think Foerster Algebra 2 is good preparation for Derek Owens Precalculus? Besides the math, what other skills are needed? I am thinking taking notes from video lectures would be one. DS has had several online classes, but has not needed to take notes from video lectures for any of them. That is something we will work on in the spring. That and math handwriting :glare: . I am nervous about outsourcing math next year, but I really really do not want to teach Precalculus. I am also considering Wilson Hill, but Derek Owens appeals to me because it is self-paced. DS did: Foerster Algebra 1 in 8th grade Jacob's Geometry 2nd edition in 9th grade Foerster Algebra 2 currently (10th) Edited January 9, 2017 by Penguin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I think your son will be fine with that math background. Taking notes from DO lectures is not too hard. For the lecture part, he has a workbook with a lot of notes already there. Part of it is basically filling in the blanks as you listen. It is also copying sample problems into the workbook. It's very different than note-taking to a blank sheet of paper. We've found DO to be a good fit. I am doing the half-price option in which I do all the grading (with the solutions provided). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 My Dd went for Foerster's to DO. She didn't use DO the way intended, though. She watched his videos and worked through the textbook by herself. We never submitted anything for grading. If we didn't know if her answer was correct, we just asked her brother. She went from DO to Thinkwell for cal. It worked well for her. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share Posted January 9, 2017 I think your son will be fine with that math background. Taking notes from DO lectures is not too hard. For the lecture part, he has a workbook with a lot of notes already there. Part of it is basically filling in the blanks as you listen. It is also copying sample problems into the workbook. It's very different than note-taking to a blank sheet of paper. We've found DO to be a good fit. I am doing the half-price option in which I do all the grading (with the solutions provided). Well, you just made my day week. :hurray: I didn't know about this possibility. I am perfectly capable of teaching precalc, but I don't want to. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I was in the same boat - I can teach the math, but needed to remove myself from the main teaching. Just ask for the half price option. Usually he sends the solutions without asking, but sometimes you have to ask. You have access to all the videos, homework, tests, solutions. Just buy the workbook (and for precalculus there is also a textbook) watch the videos and go at your own pace. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorningGlory Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 My older son did Foerster Alg 2 in 9th, AP Stats in 10th, and DO Precalc in 11th. Even with the year between the two, ds had no issues going from Foerster to DO. In fact, there was a lot of review (or "solidification"--however you want to look at it) during the first semester of DO. Younger son is in Alg 2 at Wilson Hill and will probably stick with them for Precalc. He would not do as well with self-pacing as older son. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 If we could do it all over again, when we finished Algebra I in 8th grade using Foerster, we would have done all of high school through Derek Owens with the addition of the AP Stats class through PAHS. I cannot say enough good things about DO. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schadenfreude Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 If we could do it all over again, when we finished Algebra I in 8th grade using Foerster, we would have done all of high school through Derek Owens with the addition of the AP Stats class through PAHS. I cannot say enough good things about DO.What is PAHS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 What is PAHS? Pennsylvania Homeschoolers - AP Statistics with Carole Matheny She is an excellent teacher and we felt stats was necessary for a son headed into international relations/economics. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g1234 Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 My daughter also went from Foerster Alg 2 to DO precalc. No issues. Foerster precalc was a disaster for her though she had liked the previous Foersters. The switch to DO was smooth and much appreciated. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Can I go off topic a smidge? Two on this thread left Foerster for DO at PreCalc. Can you comment on this? Were either of you using any other resources for Foerster, or just the book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Our only successful run through Foerster's precal was when Kathy in Richmond tutored my Dd. I can't really help at all for math be you'd alg 2. My Dd that used DO only listened to his lectures. She worked through the textbook on her own. (She didn't use his notes or problems at all. If we had questions, we asked ds or looked for other online explanations. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 My biggest issue with Foerster's is that it is heavy on problems that are intended to be solved with a calculator. I'd prefer to teach the math concepts without calculators and then show how to use calculators as well. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 My biggest issue with Foerster's is that it is heavy on problems that are intended to be solved with a calculator. I'd prefer to teach the math concepts without calculators and then show how to use calculators as well. Yeah... We started with Foerster algebra and decided to switch to Dolciani for the same reason. Did 5-6 chapters of Dolciani. And switched back to Foerster. In the meantime I made my dd redo xtra math to make sure she at least has her facts down cold. Foerster just works better with how dd thinks, so I've made my peace with it. She ought to be rock solid when she finishes a year and a half of Algebra 1, anyhow. I'm poking around the precalculus because the edition MWB uses for Foerster precalc isn't widely available. I don't want to spend a lot of time tracking down a solutions manual, and then switch to DO anyhow. Dd did like DO for PreAlgebra, but she likes Foerster better right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 That's why "I" am a fan of AoPS. :laugh: However, it's not the best for all my kids so we've mostly done a mix of AoPS and Derek Owens (with me doing the support). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Can I go off topic a smidge? Two on this thread left Foerster for DO at PreCalc. Can you comment on this? Were either of you using any other resources for Foerster, or just the book? My son loved Foerster for Algebra I and finished it in 8th grade. He then decided to go to public high school. He took Geometry there and continued with it even though he decided to return home at the end of the semester in 9th grade as they had moved him to the best teacher. That resulted in placing into the Advanced Algebra 2 class for 10th grade. He continued to do math and Spanish at the high school. We were excited that the class, which compresses years 3 and 4 into one year) was taught using the Foerster Alg. 2/Trig book. However, the teacher was sub par given the goal of the class and he came home at the semester for math even though he had a "B." Ds felt like his comprehension was not as solid as it needed to be and also could not find a "groove" with the second Foerster book. It took us a semester of messing around with self-pacing on Foerster and AoPS (loved it, but it took way too much time) to admit that he needed an outside teacher and different material. He finished the second semester of Algebra 2 with DO and then did precalculus with him as well. Sorry for the long-winded explanation. Think of it as a cautionary tale on how NOT to do high school math. :tongue_smilie: My son loved the self-pacing with DO. The lectures were the right amount of instruction as was the homework. Mr. Owens is excellent at answering questions and is very professional in his manner. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Yeah... We started with Foerster algebra and decided to switch to Dolciani for the same reason. Did 5-6 chapters of Dolciani. And switched back to Foerster. In the meantime I made my dd redo xtra math to make sure she at least has her facts down cold. Foerster just works better with how dd thinks, so I've made my peace with it. She ought to be rock solid when she finishes a year and a half of Algebra 1, anyhow. I'm poking around the precalculus because the edition MWB uses for Foerster precalc isn't widely available. I don't want to spend a lot of time tracking down a solutions manual, and then switch to DO anyhow. Dd did like DO for PreAlgebra, but she likes Foerster better right now. Which book are you talking about using after Algebra I? There is the Algebra and Trigonometry book (Alg. 2) and then there is a separate Precalculus book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g1234 Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 For us it was about the Foerster precalc book being very different in approach to the earlier books. We had been warned about this, but she had just LOVED Foerster before and we planned to use it all the way through calculus. We figured we could surmount any issues. Just as we had been warned, the Foerster precalc book switched from a more traditional explain-then-practice method to a more discovery method. My daughter HATES the discovery method of teaching math. It was just a disaster all the way around, which threw us for a loop because we had been such a solid Foerster family for so long with this kid. We were also having issues with pacing, not being sure how much to do and how to pace it, but that became moot pretty quickly as it was clear we just needed to get away from Foerster altogether. It was a tough and unforeseen start to the year, but things are going much better now with DO and the Sullivan text. We're not sure what we'll do next year because she likes to have a textbook and I think his Calculus doesn't use a text, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 (edited) Something to think about. Dd doesn't hate discovery method, but Foerster is working really well for her. Looks like DO's Calc was based on Foerster, so it still may be possible to use the book? Has anyone seen the MWB videos for the PreCalc? ETA- I think I need to with the wisdom of The Hive on this one. I think we'll plan for DO for PreCalc, too. Edited January 20, 2017 by elladarcy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noahsketomom Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 So for those of you who have the "half price option", is that the online course or something different? So $58 per month? Also, anyone use the Algebra: A Fresh Approach series? It's been a great fit for my kids, but they stop before Precalculus! Trying to find a good option for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 So for those of you who have the "half price option", is that the online course or something different? So $58 per month? The half price option is $29 per month. You get access to the videos (online), skeletal notes/workbook pages, practice problems, homework problems (which are really more like quizzes), chapter tests, and semester exams--and, apparently, solutions. In short, everything but the grading. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerforest Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 I just was thinking about this the other day because DD is thriving in Foerster's algebra 1 but the number of problems that require a calculator is frustrating to us both. We use it with Math without Borders videos. I watch the videos with her and do additional teaching because she really isn't a fan of video or online learning . We'll finish it for sure, but we were planning to switch to DO for geometry because we were going to use Jacobs. I am thrilled to learn that there is a half-price option for no grading. DD definitely prefers having a textbook with the material so I was thinking about switching back to Foerster's/MwB for Algebra 2. But, now it sounds like I'll just be switching back to DO for pre-calc if Foerster's switches to discovery method (which is what frustrates her about AoPS.) How annoying is it not to have an accompanying textbook for algebra 2? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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