My 9th grade dd struggles so heavily with math(as do I). We decided at the beginning of the year we thought she was ready for pre-algebra. Boy were we wrong! We got the AOP lifepacs 8th grade program. We have completed 1.5 books and have had to drop it. It was beyond frusturating for her and it was a tear filled battle! I just could not do that to her anymore! I purchased bob jones "Funamentals of Math" on ebay to use after Christmas break. Does anyone have any tips for me! I have tried all sorts of curriculums and I just feel like nothing is going to work!! :?
Phillip is finishing up Teaching Textbooks 6, and I also was hoping to put him in pre-algebra (especially since a friend had TT Pre-Algebra I could borrow for FREE!!!), but he absolutely BOMBED the placement test! Sigh.... So I had to bite the bullet and buy TT7! My middle one is 15 (10th grade). We spent a year and a half going through the pre-algebra book. We got a good way into Alg. 1, and it was becoming more and more difficult. I ended up buying TT from a friend, we started over, and it's going better. I REALLY like TT!!! We discovered it for my oldest. She's a REAL math/science person, which I am NOT!!! I took Alg. 1 and Geometry, and then quit math ASAP!!! So I had no idea how to teach math. With the higher math, lectures are on CDs. And, best of all, if you miss number 7 in lesson 34, you can pop in the answer CD and go straight to that problem, and it explains everything step-by-step. It's pricey, but I've found it worth it. Some say it's a bit "slow" and "behind", but all I can say is my oldest is a Senior and is now taking college calculus at the community college, with a 99%. So obvously she learned enough from it to hold her own!
I am blessed that my kids are math kids, whew, because I am not! But, when ever we struggle with a concept I have them go to Khan Academy (which is free) we look up the concept they are working on and they explain it to them. Its a very calm environment. Then you actually get some practice ones to do. I find my kids do best if we just concentrate on one concept. Especially if they are struggling a little bit with it. For example, it took a little longer for my dd to get dividing fractions. So for the next few lessons in either Saxon or TT which ever we were using that is all she did. We skipped everything else. Until the concept settled in. I think sometimes with the repetition it can get overwhelming when they are learning something new. I have learned to just take it away. Once they have the light bulb moment then we start again with the repetition. They haven't lost any ground doing it that way.
Bob Jones is a good solid curriculum and I believe we used that book and it worked well. But, no one can say what will work for you. Teaching Textbooks works for a lot of people, but we changed from that to "Key to Algebra" and my son likes them better. They are workbooks, but I think they progress better than AOP. I don't have him do all the problems (some pages are loaded). The only thing I don't like is that the problems aren't numbered, so you have to count in order to grade. I just number the ones I want him to do and go from there. They are cheap also and if you just want to try it out, you could buy just the first booklet. Other people do well with A Beka or Khan Academy or many other programs.
My 10th gr daughter has trouble with math. We are using TT this year and its been a world of difference. Also, we have a tutor she meets with once a week. Right now we use a charter school and they pay for the tutor, but if it is at all possible for you to get a tutor, do so. You can check Craigslist and Care.com for moms or college students willing to tutor at a reasonable rate.
I am NOT impressed with SOS / Lifepac for math. It is TOO vague when it needs more examples and details. We were using SOS for Algebra and then went to Kahn Academy for instuction. Now we are just using Kahn Academy without SOS at all. My dd likes that alot better, and she is suddenly understanding concepts that were hard for her.
I like Christian Light Education for math quite a lot. Be sure to use the diagnostic (placement test) before settling on a level. I've got a 14 yo who had passed 7th grade math in public school, now doing well in the 4th grade level! She'd just missed out on so much fundamental knowledge along the way somehow... but she's getting it now. Did you use the placement test before getting the Lifepac 8?
We are using Thinkwell Pre-algebra. It's going okay. My dd has struggled with math since 2nd grade. She gets the rules confused. Thankfully Thinkwell has only 150 lessons, which leaves 30 days for us to work in extra practice. I've considered a tutor, but just can't afford one right now. From past experience, she will get it. It just takes her longer than most. I try to be patient and let her use the calculator to keep the mundane multiplication & division associated with multi-step equations from wearing her out.
I'm going to sneak in here with my comment. I agree about using Teaching Textbooks they are great but very pricey. We have put away our books and only use Khan Academy. The kids love it and I love it. I don't have to be right there be side them looking over their shoulder. They watch the video and work the problems to proficiency. It will sometimes take them a couple days to reach that goal but they know they can't move on till it's been reached. I love the different levels they offer. I have two kids that are using it as a competition between themselves. I love the basics of fundamentals they offer. It allows my son who is way behind in math to catch up. I no longer have to fight him to do math anymore. It is really working great for us and the best part is it's FREE! I also love that if I have a question I can email them and they get right back to you. I won't ever have to buy math curriculum again! This is just my little humble opinion.
I would say it is probably a good idea to figure out what the problem is first. Does she simply not understand the concepts? Does she forget the basic math such as how to do fractions? Does she understand the concepts of the more complicated problems but struggle with the calculating part? I think figuring out the problem would be ideal. She might have missed some parts of basic math or simply forgotten them and then when she is asked to do the more complicated stuff gets confused because they are expecting her to have certain steps or processes down pat. If you can pinpoint those things you could use the Khan videos or workbooks such as the Key to... workbooks to stop and get those down and then move on in your regular curriculum. To do this you may have to watch her work through the problem to see where she is hung up. If she just doesn't get the new concepts it may be good to supplement those with videos or explanations from others who understand it. If you are struggling and you are both frustrated it will also cloud things up for you. It may be ideal to have an older sibling, father, or other relative help just enough to pin point where the problem is and that relieve some of your burden. Homeschooling is a long process, sometimes we need that final straw taken off our backs. I have long ago learned I can't be all things to all people although I have often tried.
