[ High School and Self-Education Board ]
Posted by LoriM on 5:25 Aug 9
In Reply to: Saxon vs. Teaching Textbooks -- Opinions? posted by Kris in MO
TT Algebra 1 is a *very* different course from Saxon. Entirely different learning styles' needs met, entirely different levels of preparation for standardized testing, but also perhaps entirely different amounts of knashing of teeth! (Grin!)
Did your child prepare for Saxon Algebra 1 with Saxon Algebra 1/2 or Math 8/7? If Algebra 1 will be your child's first experience with the Saxon method (or yours), then it may not be a good fit.
Saxon is a GREAT program. It works really well, consistently preparing students for standardized testing, and building the concepts that a student needs to know for high school level math.
Teaching Textbooks is a newer program, and it seems to be successfully delivering a more painless approach to basic algebraic and geometric concepts. Unfortunately, the scope of the coursework required is not quite as broad as most traditional courses, so some concepts typically considered "Algebra 1" are delayed until Algebra 2 (perhaps to good effect), and many concepts traditionally considered "Algebra 2" are delayed to PreCalculus. This means that for your child to be adequately prepared for SAT/ACT testing, you need to complete PreCalculus during the junior year (so TT Algebra 1 should be an 8th grade course), and take the ACT/SAT in late spring of the 11th grade year.
Note that the PreCalculus course is not actually available this fall (it's delayed for another year), so students who began TT with the intention of being ready for PreCalc this year are scrambling for other options.
If I wanted to use TT, I'd just plan on an "Algebra 2 1/2" program of advanced Algebra, that completed traditional Algebra 2 concepts and added in some advanced functions work, plus then add a course of Trig following Geometry over the summer.
What does this all mean for you? Well, it may mean that neither Saxon Algebra 1 or TT Algebra 1 are the "perfect fit" for your child. But you know what? No curriculum really is the "perfect fit" for any child. What is important is that you choose a textbook that covers the scope of Algebra 1, including all the concepts that a typical "End of Course" exam would expect an Algebra 1 student to have mastered. Saxon's Algebra 1 does that, plus embeds several units of Geometry (although it is elementary Geometry at this point, and is not sufficient for even a 1/2 credit if you stop with Saxon after the Algebra 1 textbook). But there are a ton of other books that do that too, including Jacob's Elementary Algebra, Foerster's Algebra 1, Lial's Introductory Algebra, and a bunch of traditional textbooks from public school publishers like McGraw Hill and Pearson.
Hope that helps you make a decision! Feel free to ask any other questions you might have,
Lori