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Algebra: MUS or Teaching Textbooks
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I am trying to decide where to go for Algebra next year. We have a copy of Teaching Textbooks Algebra. We used that for my older daughter who was really struggling with Algebra. We had borrowed a copy of MUS Algebra, and it didn’t seem to work for her. She is not going into a STEM field, so we just kind of got through Algebra as best we could.
My next daughter, however, is good at math (she has Pi memorized to the 30th digit or some such value that is crazy to me….just for fun), and she has used MUS all along–well, since Delta–and is fine with it.
My frugal self is telling me to just use Teaching Textbooks Algebra next year since we own it. On the other hand, I don’t have a whole lot to purchase since I will only have one student left (pause to cry), so I could purchase what I need to use MUS.
Any recommendations on this dilemma? Thanks.
I’ve thought about switching to TT for Algebra as well. I’ve decided to stick with Math U See because, well, it’s working! I tried TT for 6th grade and ended up coming back to Math U See and wishing I hadn’t wasted the time and money. I’m going to stick with Math U See until through the long haul or until it isn’t working for us any more.
I actually had the same experience with my son that you had with your daughter. He struggled with Math U See Algebra even though he had done really well with Math U See up until then. Looking back, I think I left him to do too much on his own. I am down to homeschooling one as well and she is going into Math U See Algebra next year also. 🙂 I now sit down with her every day for math and I learn right along with her so that I can help when needed instead of being clueless like I was with my son.
We shall see if Math U See Algebra goes better this time around.
However, if money is tight, using TT might be a better fit for you.
I can usually allow my younger daughter to do a lot of her math on her own, although I typically watch the dvd with her. The dvd lesson with Mr. Demme is normally all she needs to grasp the concept being taught. I’m not sure if that will be the case with Algebra since the lessons are longer (if I remember correctly), but we’ll see.
I was very good at math in high school (more than 4 decades ago–yikes!), but I found that sitting through the lessons in Algebra (either reading through the text or watching them on dvd/cd-rom) was a good refresher course for me.
I can’t speak to TT. But Makayla, my current 9th grader, is using MUS Algebra 1. She is NOT a math-strong student. However, by taking things slower on chapters where she needs more practice and going at a regular pace on chapters that come more easily to her she is succeeding. The key really has been to work WITH her until she grasps the concept. We plan to stick with MUS. I think often curriculum hopping does more damage than just slowing down in your regular curriculum and taking the time the child needs to truly master the material. I think very often we just don’t give our kids time to learn something before we panic that something is wrong with the curriculum and we need to switch. (On the other hand there are valid times to change math curricula! With this same child we stuck it out in Saxon for 3 years before it became obvious that it truly was needed to change curricula to meet the way Makayla learned math. So in 3rd grade we made the switch to MUS. We didn’t panic and switch at the first sign of trouble, we stuck it out and really tried to give it our all. )
We are Teaching Textbook lovers here. One reason- with MUS, I couldn’t even help my son when he was stuck. TT worked better for us. He loved the presentation of the lessons, and had no issue retaining the concept.
Like you, we had success with MUS until we hit Algebra and then it all fell apart. We watched the videos with him, worked the problems, but it was to no avail- we found the program to be oddly written and he struggled with understanding right from the start. We switched to TT, and he soared.
Just FYI-if it matters to you, MUS is now explicitly and purposefully aligned to Common Core. I did not know that until recently. Because I used the older versions, I can’t speak to how much the newer versions have changed to make this alignment. For some families, this makes no difference, and if it doesn’t concern you, then carry on. ;).
About the Common Core alignment and MUS – they didn’t change the lessons at all, you can still use all the old teacher’s manuals and the new workbooks. The difference is that they added 1 page to each lesson workbook (labeled G) that meets the requirements they needed to so that they can say they are CC aligned. This means that the actual past lessons and worksheets (A-F and Tests) have NOT changed. And it means that for schools and charters that are seeking to use only CC aligned materials MUS is now eligible for them too. 🙂
At my house we ignore the new G workbook page for each lesson unless one of my kids decides to do it for fun. 😉
We have teaching textbook Algebra and our 8th grade boy,who I thought was math challenged may not actually be, because he just finished up 6B Singapore a few weeks back,and today has just completed lesson 25 in TT and is excelling. Singapore teaches algebra in a picture/breakdown sort of way which was challenging for both of us , while with starting tt with no lesson dvd available, he reads the lesson himself and we come together to correct and rework the incorrect answers. He’s excelling. The boy that was 3/4 year behind his grade level is now in first semester 9th year math! I had to change to TT, because sinapore doesn’t offer algebra, to my knowledge. let me know, if different.
My advice is, since you have the tt, use it and hopefully your pleasantly surprised. Also, he looked forward to hearing the next quirky math problem ! MarthaWe have used both. Switched from MUS to TT fall of 2008 and have never looked back! Our DD who now has a Bachelor’s in Biology was the first to make the full switch she went from home and TT straight into College Trig in which she got an A and a subsequent A in Calculus.
So my .02 is stick with TT and don’t fret about it. It’s not behind. 🙂
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