Algebra for the very unmathy?

My son finished up algebra with purplemath.com They go over the most common mistakes in algebra.

Hands on Equations is a good starting point. It’s a game with lessons.

My other teens use Videotext Algebra and Geometry. The methods and explanations make sense to them.

I’m teaching my 2nd and 3rd Algebra 1 with MUS this year. It is easier the more you practice. Here are my troubleshooting questions for you:

1. Do you watch the DVD together(you and your student)? This matters if you are not comfortable with teaching Algebra.

2. Do you have paper and pencil and pause the disc to do each problem Mr. Demme shows along with him? Do this. After the first explanation, pause for the rest of the problems and take the time to do them, then watch the dvd and see if YOU did the same as Mr. Demme does the problem. Step by step.

3. Read the lesson in the teacher’s manual after watching the dvd together. Do THOSE practice problems together (the work is shown in the manual).

4. Then work together on the entire A worksheet. Don’t send your student off to try it. Work through it all together. By this point, you should be more comfortable with the process of whatever the new concept is. At the end of this you will have done 15-20 problems together between dvd, teacher’s manual, and A worksheet. Done for the day.

5. Every day after this, you do 1-2 problems together from that day’s worksheet. And if you need it, start every day watching that lesson on the dvd again. Until you both get it.

6. Look for patterns/routines/steps you can list out to guide you through problems. For example you might make a list that says the order of operations: (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction). For graphing problems your list may start with “Get Y alone – put it in slope, intercept form.” Then go on to “Put a dot on the graph where the Y-intercept is.” Followed by “Go up/down, then left/right from that dot, using the slope number.”

I’ll be honest, curriculum hopping won’t help if you don’t start over at the beginning, and if you are going to do that, why not do it with Math U See because it is a little familiar and repeated exposure makes it easier to understand?

Math U See is also great at customer service, answering math questions. Call them. Start over with lesson 1 in Algebra 1, and when you have a question, call. Let them explain it. (They also take emails).

We used MUS Pre Algebra last year and started this year (DD 10th) with MUS Algebra 1. She did well in Pre Algebra, but was totally lost when we started Algebra 1 this year. I was lost too. We sat through DVD, read Manual (Which is basically what was done on DVD), did problems together. When we got it wrong, I had no idea how to give her an explanation of why. I would look at solutions and wonder why it seemed to be different than explanation on video.

We decided to supplement using Kahn Academy. Both my DD and I signed up for accounts. (If you try Kahn again, I would highly suggest signing up and taking a course for a few weeks to help with understanding of how Kahn Academy works.)  Instead of trying to pick through to match up with MUS, we started at the beginning of Pre Algebra. Having immediate feed back and an explanation of why changed everything for us. After a few weeks we dropped MUS and went straight Kahn Academy. It took her 9 weeks to complete mastery in Pre Algebra. She then began Algebra 1 on Kahn and is doing so well. She gets so excited every time she masters another step. (She has enjoyed Kahn so much that she even decided to start the computer programming and coding courses.) We plan to have her go up to Geometry on Kahn and then we will do a Personal finance/business math course her senior year.

Most importantly, Math is no longer a source of stress in our HS. She no longer has to wonder if I am frustrated at her for not understanding, when truly, I was frustrated at my lack of ability to understand and my inability to help her. (My relationship with her is to important to cause damage over a school subject.) She excels in History, English, Writing, Literature, Theatre, and much more (Thanks to CM)! If she needs a tutor in college for math then we are at peace with it.

Just know you aren’t alone in the struggle! Hope this Helps!

Wendy

Hope you found what will be a good fit.

We use MUS and my oldest is in Algebra 1 (after pre algebra last year) and second child in Pre Algebra. I can’t imagine stepping right into Algebra 1, that would be tough! I do similar to Tristan. I watch the video with my student and then do the first lesson with them, and sometimes the first few. I am relearning Algebra and it is challenging that is for sure but also interesting. I tell my oldest I have to wake my brain up and give it time to grasp the new concept too. 🙂

I also wanted to add that sometimes our students go through periods of “brain fog” do to hormones and other things. I have noticed it more with my oldest and talking to friends and even teachers with kids of similar ages. How their brains can go through periods of times that are just really tough as they grow and develop and hormone changes… and it can feel like “wasted” school but it isn’t, keep going 🙂 Not saying that is the case for your student, but I have to remind myself of that often as my oldest goes through days where it is like she can’t focus or remember anything from the day before, and then other days she is doing well. I think it is “normal” but it is exhausting too.