I see many posts about Teaching Textbooks not being rigorous; WHY is it not rigorous?

[HappyGrace]

Do people using it not score well on testing? Is it missing things? It seems like a godsend to have the math taught this way, starting in 4th grade, so before I get scared off, I'd like to know more specifics. And would doing it a grade ahead make any difference to alleviate the concerns? We're in RS now which tends to be a little ahead in some ways, plus dd picks things up quickly; maybe we could switch to TT 4th grade in 3rd grade.

[Kathy in MD]

to be dumped on with info. :eek: It might be better to just do a search there :D

To summerize the info, TT doesn't cover as much material nor are the problem sets as challenging. Many find that it's about a year behind other programs. The supporters point out that their children can finally learn math. One or two recommend it for early Logic stage to introduce algebra and then follow it with a more "meaty" algebra problem.

I chose not to do TT as because of the presentation style before I ever considered the meatiness of the course. I use Chalk Dust instead.

[HollyDay]

I love it. My dd loves it. My husband loves it. All the families who use it that I know locally love it. 2 certified teachers I know have selected it over VideoText Math for their dc. It meets CA state requirements (not sure if that is a good thing or not:rolleyes:).

I have read some threads that seem to say it is "not good enough". I am not sure why and will be interested to read what other posters say. Their "grade" levels seem to be a year off to the higher and this might be part of the problem. For instance, my 6th grader is doing 7th grade at the moment. And my 3rd grader who is finishing up BJU 3 tested for 5th grade TT next year.

My oldest in TT 7 is being challenged daily. It is not an easy program for her. There is review built into the lessons which is very good. She just started the geometry part of the program this week, but there are plenty of percent and ratio problems in the lesson problems to keep her reviewing.

If it is a grade level thing that is bothering folks, then I would not worry too much about it. MUS has a totally different scope and sequence, for instance, and yet that is considered an excellent program. Singapore's scope is also very different. It all comes out in the wash in high school anyway when all the programs seem to have a similar scope.

We will be doing TT pr-algebra in 7th grade next year and TT 5 in 4th grade by the way. It is a solid program.

But, just like any program, what works for one child will not work well for another. That is why we as homeschoolers are so blessed to be able to chose from so many resources. Some love Saxon because it works beautifully for their dc. While a good program, we did not do as well with it. Many love BJU or Abeka or MUS or R/S or any of a number of others. So, my advice would be to relax, consider the learning style of the dc, where you want to go with math and when you want to get there. Then, decide what will work best.

[Heather in VA]

The best math program is one that helps a child understand the concepts. If TT does that for your child - then by all means use it. The criticism comes from a couple of different perspectives. First, some people are convinced that it is impossible to have a good math program that is made for homeschoolers - that unless it's a public school text, it's no good. Unfortunately for that argument - our public school kids are hardly excelling in math. Even kids who do well often have no clue what they are actually doing. It isn't the text that's good or bad - it's the teaching. The problems in the text may be challenging but if you aren't learning the concepts, you aren't learning.

Some people look at the placement tests and think they are way easy so it must be non-rigorous. Actually I agree with this. The placement tests are woefully easy. But from what I've seen of their actual tests the problem is that their placement tests aren't very accurate. The same is true for Saxon - when my middle dd was in 2nd grade she tested into Saxon pre-algebra. Hardly LOL. But for some reason this criticism only seems to apply to TT.

Third, their high school level programs spread the topics out in a slightly different way than other programs, meaning you may not hit everything at the same time as more traditional programs. This is a legitimate issue depending on when you are taking the courses and when you might take the PSATs. I've seen several places that spell out the differences and provide options to make sure you are covered for the PSATs if that's an issue.

There are probably other complaints but these are the 3 big ones I see. I should say that I dont' use TT - but not because of these issues. I'm happy with what I'm using and I'm a math person so teaching math doesn't bother me. But if TT was a good fit for my kid, I'd use it. I always keep other books (Singapore, Jacobs, BJU etc) around and give 'pop quizzes' using problems from other texts to make extra sure they aren't just learning a process and really know what they are doing. That should be true no matter what program you are using because it's a worry with any book.

Do what you need to do to help your child learn the concepts. Keep tabs on what he/she is learning and you should be fine.

Heather

[Susie in MS]

I used TT with one child and I have to say that the arguments never held any water. I think TT is a godsend. I am glad the ladies above explained it so well, as I am not articulate.

[HappyGrace]

Thanks for the thoughtful responses so far-I will also search the hs board for more info.

[Adopted Heiress]

[quote=Heather in VA;88666]Third, their high school level programs spread the topics out in a slightly different way than other programs, meaning you may not hit everything at the same time as more traditional programs. This is a legitimate issue depending on when you are taking the courses and when you might take the PSATs. I've seen several places that spell out the differences and provide options to make sure you are covered for the PSATs if that's an issue.



Heather, You say there are places that spell out the differences and provide options to make sure you are covered for the PSAT's if that is an issue. Could you share those, or point me in the right direction.
Thank you so much