I feel like I've failed my son, need math suggestions

[Denisemomof4]

My son was homeschooled until high school. Does very well in school but he thinks he's bad at math. Both my sons struggle with math and are otherwise extremely bright. We used Saxon all the way but now that my son is in school we want to supplement his math and go back to Algebra II to get his scores higher on the SAT. He got very good marks but needs to bring up his math, and his reading is slower and he needs help to better comprehend.

 

Can someone give me suggestions? I'm considering Teaching Textbooks or Jacobs for Algebra II. He already finished Alg II honors and got b's and c's but this is strictly to help him on the SAT and better prepare him for college.

 

He's always been an excellent reader but he does read slower and needs to better comprehend while under pressure, like on the SAT! Any tips/helps to bring up his reading speed?

 

Thanks!

[Brenda in MA]

it's 7 DVDs and focuses specifically on the math he'll need to know for the SAT. My son used it this past fall before the PSAT, and it helped bring up his score a bit from the previous year's test. Dr. Mosely does a great job on the DVDs explaining the basics of SAT math and also discussing some test taking strategies that helped my son a lot.

 

http://www.chalkdust.com/satrev.html

 

Best wishes,

Brenda

[Claire]

For the math, I would recommend Life of Fred. IMO, it's not rigorous enough for a spine but is wonderful for review and SAT prep. Just get the textbooks, not the homeschool ones. Since your son has already finished Algebra II honors with a decent grade, I think what you want is a conceptual review rather than a complete spine. LOF would fill that need and be enjoyable for your son to boot.

 

Of course, he should also do the usual SAT review prep programs that put an emphasis on doing actual practice tests. They include tips on what to expect in each section, how to approach certain types of problems, how to read for comprehension, etc. This should help with both the math and reading sections.

 

To improve reading speed, you could consider something like Ace Reader software (if he doesn't mind working on the computer). This is a way of improving reading speed.

 

For improving reading comprehension under pressure, I think doing lots of practice SAT tests and ACT tests would be the most useful. Basically, what you want to do is prep him well so he isn't overly anxious while actually taking the test, as anxiety interferes with both speed and accuracy of processing. The calmer he is while taking the test, the better he is likely to do.

[Jann in TX]

Your son would benifit from a good SAT prep course.

 

TT's Algebra 2 is closer to most other Algebra 1 programs--so it may not be the best choice...Jacobs does not have an Algebra 2 program.

 

A good inexpensive 'reference' text would be one of the older 7th editions of Lial's Intermediate Algebra. Margaret Lial is one of the main authors. You can pick up a copy in like new condition on amazon.com or half.com for under $15 including priority shipping. This is a self-teaching text with excellent detailed examples.

 

If you want to strengthen his Algebra 2 skills before he goes on to college level maths then a program like ALEKS (online) might be worth trying---they have a free 1-month trial and you can ask around on this board for the link...I don't have it handy at the moment.