SCM Discussion Forum

1. 

   crazy4boys
   Member

   Will someone just choose for me????

   I've heard Teaching Textbooks aren't the best for college prep and some students have a hard time with Apologia science if they've used this.  Any thoughts?

   Has anyone used Videotext?  I'm wondering if it's good college prep.  And easy for parents who are not mathy.  After their "complete" Algebra (covers Alg I and II, some calc, some trig, etc) and "complete" Geometry...what else do we need for college?

   MathUSee is very highly recommended - by lots of moms here and out-and-about in the homeschool community....but I'm concerned about MY ability to teach it.  Hubby says I'll just have to work a chapter ahead of them.  With what time?  And what brain capacity?  If I pulled As and Bs in high school math, could I figure out MUS and help them through it for a while?  When does it get REALLY hard?  Will one of you just come to my house and teach my kids math?????

   Maybe I need to go take some deep breaths....and clean my kitchen....and stop worrying about 7th grade so much.....

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
2. 

   Bookworm
   Member

   I haven't used the other two programs, I only know MathUSee.  I do not consider myself competent in math at all.  I took math only up to high school geometry and had such a miserable time I quit.  Then I took one college algebra class but it was at a community college in a shopping mall and the others there were worse than me and we  never got past negative numbers.  Then I showed up in graduate school to find I was enrolled in mandatory graduate level calculus.  Well.  That was fun.  Anyway, to be honest most things make SO MUCH MORE SENSE explained the MUS way.  I feel pretty good about my ability to handle through geometry.  After that my dh has helped some.  And then there's this guy named Peter that apparently lives in the computer somewhere at MUS and who extricated us from the various algebra II-precalc-calc messes we got ourselves tangled in.  (it's called Live Help and it's worth its weight in gold!)  I have done everything I could to make myself as able to help as possible--I watch the videos, I read the TM, I go over the answers on the answer page, and then I look at my student's answers, and most of the time we've been able to figure it out.  When I can't we go find Peter.  There were a few times I gave up and sent my KID to go find Peter because I didn't even think I could explain what we didn't understand--but those were rare times, limited to precalc and calculus. 

   I personally get lost somewhere in the last third of Algebra II.  I've been through it TWICE the MUS way now and still am lost.  And then anything after that is pretty much Greek.  :-)  But we've gotten there, and both older sons have tested well.  This is do-able.  It's even kind of fun.  I sort of LIKE geometry now.  And I could probably now figure out how to figure out how much paint to buy without crying.  LOL 

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
3. 

   Janell
   Member

   I prefer Foerster's Algebra and Jacob's Geometry. These texts include thorough explanations. There are also video lessons for these. Here is a review by Maria Miller creator of the Math Mammoth series:
   http://www.homeschoolmath.net/reviews/foerster_algebra_1_home_study_companion.php

   I love Foerster's.
   Can I say that again?
   Love it!

   My daughter (14) and two sons (12, 10) are working through these texts together and doing very well.

   Have you cleaned your kitchen yet? ;-)

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
4. 

   crazy4boys
   Member

   Thanks, Janell.  I hadn't heard of the Foerster with the videos.  I'll check it out.

   Yes, my kitchen is clean.  I am now free to stress about math plans!!!

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post

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