NEM users: can you compare to other math curricula?

[Catherine]

I was set on using Foerster's, and bought it. Today my friend let me borrow NEM (we used Singapore until now) and I really like it. I think even if my ds goes to school in two years, he'd be fine with this.

Can anyone compare NEM to any other math program?

Anyone who did NOT like NEM? Please tell me why?

Catherine

[Catherine]

Bump. Please, anyone?

[Kendall]

Catherine,

I don't know if this will help much. The problems in NEM are great. I use it through about 3A or 3B and then use Foerster Algebra II. I only have done this with one child so far and he worked so independently that I can't tell you as much as I would like. My current Alg 1 student needs more help so when I go through it again I'll have better comments.

HTH,
Kendall

[jeri]

NEM is really good. Especially coming from the whole SM system, it really keeps the challenge up. I did the whole Alg section of NEM1 with my dd (then 11 adn 12) and we started the Alg sections in NEM2 before we moved and life got too chaotic in the spring. (We didn't do the geom because I'm trying to do Alg 1, then Alg 2, then Geom). That said, here are some of my thoughts.

Pros: Great problems, very challenging. Very good instruction IF you have a good math student/reader. Very logical.

Cons: Doesn't follow the US system (i.e. doesn't even get to graphing equations until NEM2), gets difficult quite quickly (chap 1-4 in NEM 1 are basically reviews of SM 6, sort of like prealgebra). No proofs (although many say that as long as you get some proofs in Geom, it's not that important in Alg)

Hope that helps a little! don't know if you know that Jenny, at singaporemath.com is very helpful with problems you can't solve. She's on the board forums over there.

jeri

[nmoira]

Haven't used them, but there was a great discussion on the Singapore Forums, here (http://singaporemaths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1392&highlight=dociani).

[kpupg]

:iagree:

For ds math-lover, we added Life of Fred geometry just for the proofs.

Karen