Hmmph.
Since The Boy keeps insisting on getting older, I am getting more concerned about math. Where we're going with it, what we'll use when we get there, things of that sort. I have friends that unschool math, or simply turn their kids loose on Khan Academy (which I agree is a fantastic resource!!!), but I don't know that I am comfortable with that.
We started out this year with Saxon 7/6, but had to take a break to review long division. I was planning on The Boy doing 8/7 (with pre-algebra, so a newer edition) next year, and then Algebra 1 after that, in 9th grade. That still might work out. I do love that if you use the older Saxon books, geometry is incorporated in both Algebra and Advanced Mathematics, rather than being its own separate course.
But...
I also have Lial's Basic College Math on hand, which might be a good overview of math for the year (and which might work better for my boy?), and may well cover both 7th and 8th grades, and then we could go into Algebra 1 for 9th grade.
Or, I could take some of the pressure off myself (I am not really a mathy person), and go to Teaching Textbooks next fall?
The Girl is a no-brainer with this. She loves, loves, loves Saxon Math. And for now that's what she will do, though I'm again not sure about high school.
Right now I feel just about like this...
Any words of wisdom from any been-there-done-that parents?
I am an English type gal, not a math person so teaching/helping with it beyond about 6th grade was too much for me. I took college advanced algebra, statistics, etc but that was a LONG time ago and was amazed I forgot it all and just have a huge BLOCK there. I don't WANT to relearn it. We started using Time4Learning math around 5th grade and she stuck with it through pre-algebra and finished it in 7th grade. She is very visual and needs the videos, and so do I since I don't know how to do algebra any more so we went with Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 and it was awesome. So now this year for 9th grade she is using TT Algebra 2 and luckily the outside math class she attends once a week uses it as their spine. So far, so good. We're just going to stick with TT through to the end!
ReplyDeleteNo words of wisdom here, just lots of sympathy and support. We're using Math-U-See through pre-algebra, and then it'll be a crapshoot to see what works. I have kids who want to pursue science majors and will need the math (one more than the other, but even so), but I'm an artsy/writing type and haven't a clue what I'll do... good luck.
ReplyDeleteI don't envy you. As you know, I'm with ya when it comes to not being a math person. :(
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