Anyone not like Foerster's algebra 1 or 2?

[Janeway]

Son finished algebra 2, using Foersters for both 1 and 2, and he did not do the trig chapters, but he did complete through until the trig chapters. But, when I gave him a test for algebra 2, he failed. I went backward in the book and tried to figure out what went wrong, and he just did not retain much.

 

We started Derek Owens a few weeks ago. Yeah. Well, he is struggling with chapter 1 of Derek Owen's algebra 2. I am working with him and we will get through this. But I am now seriously questioning if Foerster's just did not work out for us. I am also finding that he just did not retain anything he learned in algebra 2. I have gone back over his work from the year and he completed it and did it right. But it seems as if the learning was not retained. He does have ASD, but he is also very smart, high IQ. He has never struggled academically before. Academics usually come easy for him.

 

I want to know if anyone else has had this issue if this is just personal to my son? I actually did google it and saw some people posting about having this issue. I am just wondering if this is a common experience or not.

[EKS]

My older son had trouble with Forester's Algebra II.  There was a disconnect between the teaching in the text and the level of understanding that was expected to do the problem sets.  The problem was compounded by the fact that I didn't do any teaching, and I hadn't yet learned Algebra II myself (I took it in high school and got a D).  After about 3 chapters, we switched to Lial's Intermediate Algebra, where I did do the teaching, and things improved drastically.  That said, the Lial book, I realize now, is more like Algebra I on steroids, and I should have had my son do Derek Owens Algebra II afterwards.  (My younger son did do Lial's Intermediate Algebra followed by DO Alg. II, and it worked like a charm.)

[8filltheheart]

I have gone through the Foerster's alg 1 book with 6 of my kids and none of them have had the issue you describe. I am starting the alg 2 book with #6 today. I do sit with my kids while they work through the book, though. In the alg 2 book, they often have to teach me how to do the problems versus vice versa bc my alg 2 skills are very weak (and I don't put any effort into learning it. I'd rather let them explain it to me so I understand temporarily and then I let it **poof**. :) )

 

I figure if they can explain it enough for me to understand, then they must understand themselves. They have been able to move onto to other texts after his alg 2 book without problem. Alg 2 is my absolute stopping point and from that point on they pretty much use self-teaching materials.

 

Anyway, I don't know if the reason Foerster's works well for us is bc of the fact that I am present, but EKS's post makes me wonder.

[RootAnn]

I've only had one go through Foerster Alg 2. I found it no different than any other text or topic for her -- if she understood it and had enough practice, she retained it. If she didn't understand something, didn't do enough work and review periodically, she immediately lost any knowledge she gained. We saw this with Derek Owens Physics, especially, until I personally added more problems, more periodic review, and made sure she redid any missed problems (sometimes over & over again).

 

There are a few topics that Alg 2 introduced, but I know she didn't get enough practice with. Most of these she'll see again in PreCalc.

[Julie of KY]

I think Forester's is like any other math curriculum - many plug along without really understanding it and then suffer for it.

 

If you son is struggling in chapter 1 of Derek Owen's algebra 2, then I'd suggest that you might need to back up farther. It is so important to have a solid algebra 1 base to be able to move ahead in any math or science. My understanding is that if you contact Derek Owens, he might be helpful in figuring out what your son struggles with and where he might best start. There is nothing that says you can't repeat a couple of subjects of algebra 1 and then move on.