If you’ve read my post on Where We’ve Been with Math, you know that it took a long time to figure out what works best for my creative-soul daughter.  I’m going to discuss our eighth grade year here first, since many students don’t attack Algebra 1 until high school.  It also sets the stage for what we plan for Geometry.

Algebra 1 – More is not necessarily better

Sunshinegirl did very well with Math Mammoth for pre-algebra (Math Mammoth 7), so I decided to look into the resources that Math Mammoth’s writer, Maria Miller, recommended for Algebra 1.  There are two main texts that she recommends: Foerster’s Algebra and Jacob’s Algebra.

I spent time reading reviews of each on various forums and websites, and both texts sounded impressive.  Foerster’s Algebra sounded a little more complete (covered more topics), and it promised more real-world problems to solve (partially due to learning the Quadratic function halfway through the book instead of the traditional end-of-the-year).  I didn’t research any other books — I decided to go with Foerster’s.

About halfway through the year all was going wonderfully, and then we started to hit a wall.  All of the sudden the topics seemed more difficult for Sunshinegirl to grasp, no matter how I tried to explain or teach it.  By February or early March it was getting to be a struggle, but we continued on.  It wasn’t until the first of April when my college-aged son looked at what we were doing and said “hey, we just covered that last week in my Linear Algebra class — none of us ever remembered learning that in high school”.  Hmm.  That prompted me to look in other texts for the same concept to see if I could find other ways of approaching it, and I happened to pull out an Algebra 2 textbook (did I mention I LOVE PILES OF BOOKS).  I found that concept … over halfway through Algebra 2!  So I realized then that the text we were using WAS very rigorous and a challenge, which really wasn’t ideal for us.  Many homeschoolers are very far ahead and need challenges, and for those students the book would be ideal.  Not for us.

We spent the last few months shifted over, filling in the gaps, using the CK-12 Algebra 1 online textbook (free).  Each lesson had good explanations AND videos to go with them!  The problem sets at the end were manageable, and the answer key for all problems was easily accessible.  A huge weight was lifted.  

Before we switched, I sat Sunshinegirl down and explained the situation.  I told her that she was doing what was typically Algebra 2 work, so she should not feel inadequate for not “getting it”.  She was REALLY down on herself, so this talk was necessary.  I gave her the option to switch or continue on, and together we made the decision to switch.  Lesson learned:  Be frank with your student and work through issues together.

Geometry – Learn from mistakes

Towards the end of the Algebra 1 debacle, I started looking into what would work for Geometry, knowing better what works and what doesn’t.  I started down the path looking at Harold Jacob’s Geometry (his Algebra 1 was the option I did not choose, though it might have been the better choice in retrospect!).  I read the reviews and previewed the samples, and I thought I had found the book for us.  It had great cartoons at the beginning of each chapter, so it sounded so much better.

About the same time I found Michael Serra’s Patty Paper Geometry that would supplement the text.  I already know that Sunshinegirl likes hands-on geometry — drawing constructions with straight-edge and compass was something she enjoyed in her local school district’s homeschool math enrichment class.  I ordered the book and a box of patty paper (those square waxed paper like sheets that separate meat patties).

But wait, there is more.  After purchasing that book, I started seeing reviews for Michael Serra’s full Geometry text.  How did I miss that!?  And it is a Cathy Duffy Top pick!?  The text is Discovering Geometry, and when reading through the reviews I thought “THIS is how my daughter needs to learn!”.  Not only are there a lot of hands-on activities, but there is an entire Chapter 0 (before Chapter 1) on Art and Geometry.  PERFECT for the girl that can’t do arts and crafts enough!

I ordered the text (you can purchase most texts used on Amazon for less than $10) as well as the solutions manual, and I can’t wait for Geometry to begin this year!  This will be the year that math shines.  This will be a year without math tears or having to have math “right after lunch because that is when I’m in the best mood for the worst subject” (says Sunshinegirl)!  

At least I hope!