If you use Teaching Textbooks--- particularly in elementary--- do you like it? If so, why? I'm thinking of switching my son from Singapore to TT for 4th grade math, but he needs a challenging math curriculum. If TT is something like Saxon but on CD, that's not going to work; he found Saxon way too slow and got bored and whiny with it. I'm interested in TT's approach in that it would really make my son math-independent, which I need since my daughter is my son's exact opposite in math; I have to sit on her and do every single thing with her. So, if you use it, do you find it to be reasonably challenging and do you find that it helps create independence in math?
We're using TT 5 this year. My recommendation is that if he needs a challenge, TAKE THE PLACEMENT TEST. It's possible that using Saxon, he would test a grade higher. My daughter did AOP's Lifepac's last year and tested into TT5, but I would say that the first 50 lessons were complete review for her - looking back, I wish I'd let her just watch the lectures then take the quizzes until she started struggling. We are completely intending on keeping TT and will be moving into 6 as soon as she's finished 5. If the beginning is a lot of review, I will let her quiz out. THAT BEING SAID. I LOVE TT. LOVE IT. Last year Math was tears and frustration EVERY day of the week, and sometimes twice on Sundays! She HATED it, she could DO it, but hated it. This year, it's the 2nd subject she does, she jumps up, etc. LOVES it. She even does all the workbook work first THEN watches the lecture and does it on the computer. So, in essence she's opting to do it twice. And she's REALLY learning. That makes me feel very good. She's hit a wall or two, but we were able to work through them VERY easily, which was wonderful. I credit TT for saving my math relationship with my DD. Hope this helps you!
Thanks! My son did Saxon for 1st grade but has been in Singapore for the last 2 years. So, I was a bit concerned that we might find ourselves stepping down a year if TT was more on the level of Saxon rather than on Singapore's. I'll have to look into the placement tests, I guess, if we decide to go that route. Would you say that TT is good for visual learners? My daughter's a visual-spatial learner [GREAT at geometry and stinks like rotten eggs in summer on everything else mathematical LOL]. It doesn't look too visual to me, but it's so hard to judge from a short sample online.
Do the placement tests. I feel TT is a bit behind/slow...BUT, it makes math more independant, it puts it into a platform that is much more appealing to kids than looking at black and white books (I mean their workbooks are black and white, and you could just use the books for your lessons.. but the "point" of TT is having all of those lessons animated out for you on the screen and having the ability to see how each problem is worked out if you can't figure it out on your own.
The placement tests are PDF's that you download from the site. You could also have your kits sit through the demo lesson on www.teachingtextbooks.com . and see how they react to it? That's how we ended up choosing TT. Someone here mentioned it, I checked out the website, we took the placement test and my daughter sat through the demo lessons and loved it. We still LOOKED at other stuff, and took placement tests for other stuff, but she was so into the TT, that's what we went with.
Don't know about the younger grades, but we've used it for Geometry, Alg. 2, and Pre-Cal, and I really like it for those levels!
My girls hate math. Nothing I have tried changes their opinion. Teaching Textbooks 6 has been good for my youngest this year. She does very well with it, but still says she doesn't like it. I had planned on looking into the new Monarch program that AOP is coming out with next month, but both of mine say they don't want anything like Lifepacs and are afraid that is what Monarch will be. So I think TT will be our choice for next year too.
Shelley, TT is probably good for a visual-spatial learner. My son and I both are visual-spatial learners and TT has made understanding math much easier. At times I have read and reread the math lesson from the book and did not understand it. Then I watched the video and it all made sense. It just clicked. My son still does not like math but there are no more tears since we started using TT.
Thank you for your insight, Sue. They're supposed to have a 3rd grade edition out this April, and that's what she'd be doing. I'm at my wits' end with her in math. It would be wonderful if we could find a program that could work for both kids; my son would be a couple of years ahead, but it'd work as a hand-me-down to her. We've been using Bob Jones---very colorful and lots of pictures---but I'm thinking that the pictures are going to be going, going, gone soon. We were contemplating Right Start math since it's supposed to be geared toward kids who are more geometry-oriented as well. I'd love it if TT would work out for her as that would cut our math program cost in half. Thanks again for your insight on the visual-spatial thing. It's so different a learning style from mine.
Just want to say thanks for the users of TT who have shared reviews. This is on my "to buy" list for 6th grade. I will go print some placement tests right now.
Shelly~ From what I have been told about Singapore math, I would really test. Singapore is one of the "ahead" programs. If you child is is doing singapore for 3rd grade now you could easily skip up a grade or so with TT. I think the test would save you a lot of money. Oh, the topic of Rightstart. This math program no matter what level you are at requires you most of the time. Unless there is a trick out there I don't know of. It was way too teacher intensive for us. I like a program that has a happy medium. It is a great program though, but you have to relearn how to do so much. Like even counting. As in let say, eleven is ten one, twelve is ten two, twenty two is two ten 2. They stress a lot on place value, so the child know the value of the number more than the number. They abacus is used very often, which is a fun tool. My son really did not care for it. It is like relearning how to do math and think about math. I think it is a program that is best used when you start from the beginning. IMO. Once a child has learned how to do math one way then all of a sudden you try to switch it all up on them, it makes for some confusion.
Thanks for the insight. My daughter would be the one doing Right Start, and she consumes my whole time for her math as it is now. It's not the way I'd like things to be, but she just simply can't do it on her own unless it's geometry--- then, I can't keep up with HER! LOL My son is the one who's advanced and would move on to TT as an independent program, although it would be great if it would work for my daughter, too. We've already placed my son--- he'll be starting at 5th grade instead of 4th. I'm waiting to see what TT's 3rd grade math program looks like and see how she does with the online samples they provide at their site. And, yes, I'm crossing my fingers in the hopes it will work for her, too!
Now the Rightstart really doesn't have too much geometry in it. Well not until you get to the geometry level. I mean there is some here and there, but not enough in my opinion to switch just for that. Have you looked into McRuffy? It is really simple, easy to follow, not to much from the student or the teacher. We love it. Also he is trying to get his 5th and 6th grade levels done.
My daughter's a visual-spatial learner. The RightStart program, as it describes itself and was presented to us at the book fair last year, is designed for visual kids. It takes algebraic information and puts in it a visual [geometric, if you will] form. Having never used it, I don't know if that's true. LOL But, that's what they indicate they do. Our homeschool book fair's site describes the vendor this way: "Hands-on geometric approach to teaching math with manipulatives, games, abacus." The kids the woman at their vendor stall described to us who usually benefit from their program sounded a lot like my daughter, but, of course, they are trying to sell their product. She's been doing OK with Bob Jones--- lots of color and pictures--- but she still obviously hasn't made the connections in her mind as to what all the algebraic information is about. I guess I'm hoping to find a curriculum that will flip the switch and then allow us to move forward. I need my daughter to have a Helen Keller 'wa wa' moment. LOL Fortunately, my daughter's math is a decision I can put off for a while and do more research on. She won't be starting her stuff until September, so I can take some time at the upcoming fair in May to look at my choices and mull things over for her. Teaching Textbooks is for my son who just finished his 3rd grade Singapore stuff. He's going to take a short break to nail down his times tables and then we'll probably be starting him at 5th grade TT.
My ds uses TT, this is our first year with it. He's 8, we did the placement test...TT5 it is. Be forewarned, he's halfway through and hasn't had a division problem yet. It also spiralled a little quickly through fractions/decimals. I'm more of a mastery teacher, he likes the TT cartoons. I put TT on the back burner here and there when I see it's not spending enough time on a new application. I pull out Math Mammoth for a week or so, and we go back to TT. He's a math kid and has maintained an A with TT. I feel that the lessons are a little short (22 problems daily, 24 for a quiz), so I also give him a worksheet daily (say, 15 problems on dividing fractions) to supplement. I just think that a spiral curr., that only has 22 problems with a vast range of applications, doesn't really hit it home. As long as he doesn't fight me over the worksheets, we'll stick with TT. Definitely do the placement test, don't waste your money.
That's the same problem I ran into with Saxon for my son! The girls were OK with it, but not Phillip! And if I were to give him a worksheet to work on the concept, he'd fuss. My girls didn't. Even now with the pre-algebra book Faythe is in, if she's having trouble I will ask if she feels she needs to work on it more or go on. And she will tell me honestly if she thinks she needs to keep at it. (So I guess she's mature in SOME areas, lol!)
