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View Full Version : Apologia Chemistry - questions for those who have used and LIKED it.


StaceyinLA
08-16-2009, 01:53 PM
How do you find the explanations for the required math in the program? Is it hard to understand? How much parental involvement was needed?

My oldest did this without much help. My 11th grader starts it now, and will do Advanced Bio as a senior (planning to go to nursing school). She has covered Bio and Physical sciences up to now.

Her math skills are pretty weak. She is just doing Geometry this year, having to do Algebra for about a year and a half. We are going to try and add Algebra 2 at mid-term so that she can complete it and have time for some pre-calc as well before college.

That being said, I'm wondering how much of a struggle Chemistry will be for her. I like Apologia so that's not the issue. I'd just like to know how well the material is explained to the student. It's been quite a few years since oldest dd used it, and, like I said, I rarely had to open the book (niece is a Chem major and was living in town and helped her). So I'm basically starting from scratch this time.

CynthiaOK
08-16-2009, 04:21 PM
If she has had algebra 1 (even if she struggled a little) I think she will be fine with Apologia. When I taught this in our co-op, I had several kids who were taking algebra 1 at the same time as chemistry. They did fine and none were great math whizzes.

Also. the Teaching Company's chemistry (high school) course has great explanations for the math. I would suggest using TTC in conjunction with Apologia.

periwinkle
08-16-2009, 07:03 PM
my mathphobe. We'll see how it goes; I am pretty sure I will need to be helping him. He learns math best when talked through the process (by a real life teacher). Just be warned that module 2 is a bear math-wise--probably the most difficult in the whole book, so don't let your dd get discouraged. Keep plugging away because it doesn't get any tougher later.

Now I'm off to check our library for the TTC tapes...

Jean in Wisc
08-16-2009, 09:25 PM
My math phobic son did Apologia Chem in one semester completely on his own. He was doing Alg II concurrently.

This was his senior year. He apparently did finally get his mind wrapped around math somewhere/somehow because it became his favorite subject his senior year (blame it on Moseley??). This is the kid who took 3 years to figure out the multiplication tables and caused me to go white, not gray, teaching him math.

He did physics 2nd semester.

This is one of those "Who? My kid?" experiences, fwiw.

???

Jean