Hi Martha,
Okay, personal favorite: Our 14-year-old is using Harold Jacobs’ Elementary Algebra along with Ask Dr. Callahan dvd’s.
As a CM educator and a mom with leanings toward literature and the arts, I have gone with Jacobs for a few reasons. Like Charlotte Mason, Jacobs works under the principles that the “best way to learn anything is to discover it by yourself” and that the work should remain interesting. Jacobs also begins with a thorough review of operations, just as CM did, and he introduces the practical side of algebra as early as possible.
I’ve also purchased dvd’s by “Ask Dr. Callahan” that were specifically made to be used with Jacobs’ book. These provide video lessons covering each topic using real life examples and simple logic. Probably the most exciting things for me personally is that the videos were made by people that home schooled themselves –they know our particular struggles– and Algebra is presented by their daughter, Cassidy (Callahan) Cash, who was an English major. The family also worked with Harold Jacobs to provide a full solutions manual to every problem in the textbook, has a syllabus with assigned problems, and offers free homework help if your student is confused about a concept.
Jacobs’ Elementary Algebra had been out of print but a revised edition will be released again on 11/01/2016 at Christianbook.com Obviously, until we’ve been with it awhile, I won’t be able to give a full review. Dr. Callahan states that the changes in the new version do not impact the style of the book.
So, that is where we are currently here in the Baburin household, Martha.
Warmly,
Richele