Ah...THAT MATH Question Again

Oh boy~I'm REVISITING math again this year~well, let me explain...

I have two teens who are now going to 9th and 10th grades.  For four years (but not totally) we have used Teaching Textbooks with an interlude of time with our daughter using ALEKS of which I had written a review and she wanted to try.  She did.  She found that it was not preparing her in a way that her pie was becoming filled in a timely fashion as she worked almost a year~albeit with times that her computer wouldn't load the program AND times when ALEKS did not record her work~yes, this happened...so this mama took matters BACK and put bought Algebra I for her, and we began AGAIN...

My friend who is a high school math teacher but also now teaches middle school visited us last week and because I had asked many questions about math when we need to find something that will teach it and my child will GET it, she said she would "work" with them a little bit to see what was going on.  After several sessions my friend told me that my children have good mental math skills, which is a testament to the hard work in their younger grades. Whohoo!

She evaluated their Teaching Textbooks PreAlgebra and Algebra I in light of a few things she knew would show up on the CRCT for 8th grade in her state and the high school graduation exam (GRE).  She advised me to look at the state standards here in our state and compare them line by line to the scope and sequence of our curriculum.  If I find things not present then she advised me to find a way to teach them so my kids will be prepared for the ACT/SAT when they take it in preparation for college entrance. 

Well, there are things not present in the Alg I but I need to see if they are in Alg 2 and Trig or Geometry.  I honestly don't know, but it's a huge question since we are in the ninth hour of our educations.  I think I need to develop a good plan to address this.

I will look into the state standards of my state for the CRCT/GRE and compare~make some notes...

I plan to call Teaching Textbooks and speak with a curriculum specialist or whoever they have who can help me to discover what the courses in the future will hold according to our needs...

I can appreciate other thoughtful parents considering this question of a good math education for their children,
Books /'n Other Stuff has a good analysis of her research and findings which I plan to follow.

This is a pretty big question for me and stay tuned for the MATHATHON in deciding just how to address this issue...

WHAT would you do? H E L P!!!