Jump to content

Menu

Is teaching Textbooks Algebra I challenging enough? What DON'T you like about it? n


Recommended Posts

Just thought I'd add that my 11th grader who used TT Alg 1, TT Alg II and is halfway through TT Geometry just enrolled for CC classes. They had him do the compass test to evaluate where he is in math and he placed into a beginning algebra class.

 

I stand by my belief that TT does not prepare a child for college level work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just thought I'd add that my 11th grader who used TT Alg 1, TT Alg II and is halfway through TT Geometry just enrolled for CC classes.

 

Jean, Do you mean he will need to start over w/ Alg 1? Will he get college credit for this new class or does the college consider it remedial? Sorry to be daft. Thanks!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just thought I'd add that my 11th grader who used TT Alg 1, TT Alg II and is halfway through TT Geometry just enrolled for CC classes. They had him do the compass test to evaluate where he is in math and he placed into a beginning algebra class.

 

I stand by my belief that TT does not prepare a child for college level work.

 

Like Beth, I am not sure what you are saying here. Are you saying that after high school level alg 1, alg 2 and geometry, he is ready for college algebra? And that this is bad? Isn't college algebra the natural place to start if you have not had trig or precalc or calculus?

 

If I am wrong, don't mind me. Remember, I forgot to go to college and so anything I understand about college is second hand information.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like Beth, I am not sure what you are saying here. Are you saying that after high school level alg 1, alg 2 and geometry, he is ready for college algebra? And that this is bad? Isn't college algebra the natural place to start if you have not had trig or precalc or calculus?

 

If I am wrong, don't mind me. Remember, I forgot to go to college and so anything I understand about college is second hand information.

 

 

Well, I think that you are actually supposed to be able to go into calculus after an "college prep" or "honors" Algebra II which is supposed to include some trigonometry and other transcendental functions (i.e. log and exponential functions). I say that's how it is "supposed to be" without really accounting for what all may very well have become common practice in this day and age. However, I will say this much: college algebra will always be more or less remedial math in college. Strong freshman coming into college will be going into calculus or higher -- even the (probably honors) English majors. So, placing into college algebra should probably not be seen as a good thing so much as an acceptable outcome for a non-math-dependent major.

 

With that said, I have to say, I was looking at those compass tests. Good grief! I think Quiver of 10's kid, though, didn't just place into the course before calculus but in an algebra course much lower than that based on how she was saying it. (I'm not sure.) But, personally, I am a little worried about what course I might place into, for crying out loud! (In other words, I don't think those are particularly easy tests. But, I do think that if you went through Singapore's NEM series, for instance, you would probably place into calculus.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

.

With that said, I have to say, I was looking at those compass tests. Good grief! I think Quiver of 10's kid, though, didn't just place into the course before calculus but in an algebra course much lower than that based on how she was saying it. (I'm not sure.)

 

Yes, exactly LOL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest kacifl

My daughter aced Saxon through pre-algebra. Maybe one or two wrong in all of the books. I purchased TT Algebra 1 for her and she loved it so much that I purchased Geometry and Algebra 2. She is happy with my decision, but now, I'm a little worried. However, she has made several mistakes and it has suprized me. She hasn't been looking at the dvds, but after finding her mistakes has understood.

 

I'm not a math person, and my husband, who is, is always off on business. My daughter likes TT a lot and claims that she can finish her problems in 1/2 the time that it took to do Saxon... with her only doing 2/3 of Saxon's problems.

 

She is just finishing Algebra 1 and I'm going to have her do Geometry over the summer and begin Algebra 2 in the fall. After this, will she be able to take Saxon's pre-cal? :confused: Thanks, K

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We switched from Saxon to TT and my daughter HATED TT ... we actually ended up not even finishing the Algebra I book. I didn't like the answer key because it doesn't show the problem worked out like Saxon does. I'm good at Algebra and could work 95% of the problems off of the top of my head most times, but my daughter had a really difficult time with it. She felt like some of the problems just sort of came "out of the blue" and she wished that she has stuck with Saxon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

We purchased TT Algebra I to follow Singapore for use in 6th grade (2006). Due to the cost my orginial idea was to skip pre algrebra and just take this one slow. My daughter loved the program. ( the independence it gave her). She did well and finished in Feb/March. I was all excited. She stuggled less and LIKED it and finished early in 6th grade.

 

Well, because of ?? finishing early, trying a geometry text that didn't work the next fall, being ahead of standardize test schedule, or something....when we gave her IOWA test that next fall (2007) her math scores didn't rise as uniformly high as her other scores. ???

 

We have since gone to using NEM and TT Algebra with my 2nd daughter. We rotate between a chapter of each and take it over 2 years. That has worked well for us BUT....my daughter LOVES the TT and dreads the mom teaching NEM. It works for us. It gives her the hard word problems and challenges for a couple of weeks then gives us each a break in between. The teaching she gets from TT is valuable just basic. NEM is definately much more challenging in math problems and in our relationship!

 

Oh, by the way we are now using Chalkdust Algebra II with my older daughter. So far we really like that program. It has the explanations of TT with a tried and true textbook. It sure beats the self teaching we did with Abeka Geometry last year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just thought I'd add that my 11th grader who used TT Alg 1, TT Alg II and is halfway through TT Geometry just enrolled for CC classes. They had him do the compass test to evaluate where he is in math and he placed into a beginning algebra class.

 

I stand by my belief that TT does not prepare a child for college level work.

 

And I had a much different result...ds completed TT Alg. 1 and 2, skimmed through TT pre-calc and tested into Calculus at the local cc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to read all the posts, but this is one of those very rare times when I strongly feel that I should give my review BEFORE reading others so that you're getting my real opinion, and not my response to someone elses. Please note that we have only used TT 1 because it was not what we needed. Math curricula can be a very emotional subject, and I'm going to write rather bluntlly this time (I try to be so nice most of the time) but I am a woman of strong opinions. If this strong-mindedness doesn't come across, then that's okay!

 

For an aspiring science or math major, based on our experience with TT 1, it is NOT enough. Honestly, after much trial and error, I have to agree with those mathematicians who insist that the best math books are written by mathematicians--at least for the mathy or those who aspire to major in a science. Dd, who is mathy (for fairness in our assessment), found it a waste of time. There is a lot more to math, such as theory, proofs, logic and thinking that we did not see in TT 1, although we enjoyed their humour a great deal.

 

For someone who struggles with math, especially for someone who does not wish to major in math or sciences, I think it could serve well as long as logic is being taught and handled thoroughly as it's own subject. There are students who have completed it who have gone on to college math (there's another thread on this.) Another thought is to use it in conjuntion with another math program if someone struggles with math but wants to major in a science.

 

Algebra books we love: Gelfand's and our 1965 Dolciani. Algebra books we like: Lial's (but I think if we'd tried Foerster, we'd have liked it much better.) Algebra books dd found boring: Jacob's (but that doesn't make it bad.) Algebra books dd hated and I found lacking for our personal needs: TT 1.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to read all the posts, but this is one of those very rare times when I strongly feel that I should give my review BEFORE reading others so that you're getting my real opinion,

 

:o Yikes--hadn't realized that this was a resurrected thread....I saw it from the forum first, not my control panel. I should have realized by how long it was so fast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ds14 has done TT alg 1, TT alg 2 and is half way through Geometry. He takes state assesment testing twice-three times a year (different types of tests). He always tests out in the advanced category for test results. It is working for us.

 

We are happy with TT and plan to continue using it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

I'm 15 and a user of Teaching Textbooks. It's GREAT and not just because It's easy. I was failing math in regular school and thought it would only get worse when we had to switch to homeschooling but TT helped me in a HUGE way. I'm doing great. The CDs explain things I never understood even with one-on-one help from real teachers. It's incredible. My parents use it to help refresh their minds. And my brother in college uses it to help him with problems he doesn't understand. It's easy TO USE but definitely challenging when It comes to working the problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ds14 has done TT alg 1, TT alg 2 and is half way through Geometry. He takes state assesment testing twice-three times a year (different types of tests). He always tests out in the advanced category for test results. It is working for us.

 

We are happy with TT and plan to continue using it.

 

Since this thread got resurrected from last spring, I will update my post. Ds finished TT Geometry and is now in public school Pre-AP Pre-calculus. He is in a Math, Science, Technology Magnet program within a large public school in this area. After 3 months of high school math, he feels that TT is a great program. LOL He feels that he understands concepts much better than his peers and can use his skills more efficiently. Even though he is no longer homeschooled, he asked me to buy TT Pre-Calc so he can use it at the same time as the public school math when he finds the ps book lacking. :lol:

 

Now, I am not comparing his public school math to TT, just that for him, he feels that it gave him a very good foundation to go into a public school's advanced math courses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...