Looking for info on LIAL or other alternative to LOF.

[gfam]

My son is liking Life of Fred Algebra but it's not enough and I am looking for a similar alternative.

I've been reading about Lial but am having trouble finding any reviews or where to buy the actual books and which ones to buy. I'm interested in Beginning & Intermediate Algebra like this (http://www.lialalgebra.com/frameset.htm?book=book3,chap=chap0,page=book.htm,n av=navbook.htm), but all I am finding is a text book for $150. Is this book not what I want for 9th & 10th grade Algebra? Is it no longer being published or am I looking in the wrong place.

I'm just getting confuzzled. ;)

Can anyone point me in the right direction for info/reviews about the curriculum and where to buy?

If you've used it....did you like it compared to LOF?

Thanks. :001_smile:

[gfam]

:):):):):)

[Blessed]

We are having no trouble so far. Lial is very methodical, very clear and has plenty of practice problems for students to work. The isbn is 0321064585

Here's the link on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Introductory-Algebra-7th-Margaret-Lial/dp/0321064585/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257790732&sr=1-2

There are many used copies available at Amazon "for cheap".


The solutions manual isbn is 0321091051 and Abe Books has a few copies for cheap, too.

HTH

Sharon

[Caryl]

We fussed thru teaching textbooks, and it never clicked.

Lials works well for me as well as my daughters...I think it is because this is the way I learned algebra. I could see the logic of some of the approaches in teaching textbook, but in order for me to help my daughter I had to learn the TT way. I can usually do a problem in Lials without having to look at the lesson and my kids don't get frustrated because I'm showing them "wrong."

I did find a set of DVTs cheap for Beginning Algebra and Intermediate Algebra, but we haven't had to use them yet (we're only starting Intermediate).

We have the ninth edition- it's inexpensive on Half.com and Amazons used sellers.

Our sequence now goes:
Saxon 8/7 (finish by mid year in 7th)
Keys to Geometry (rest of 7th)
Basic College Math for any remediation (8th) Love it!
Beginning Algebra (8th)
Intermediate Algebra (9th)

I shoot for having them done with Intermediate Algebra by the end of 9th grade, but some of them have taken a little longer. We do math year round, but we take breaks of up to 2 weeks throughout the year when we travel. I will never take a summer off from math ever again (been there done that, never again...) :tongue_smilie:

[Raini]

You should find a bunch of info including suggested scheduling and book titles by searching the high school board. (I searched Lial schedule and a bunch came up earlier.)

I have Introductory Algebra eighth edition and also the solution manual. I bought them on the WTM sale board, but they should be available used on amazon for $10 or so. I can't remember for sure, but I think the 6th-8th editions are fine.

HTH,
Sherry

[Alyce]

because they are cheaper and easier to find. According to Jann in Tx (our resident expert) the recent editions really haven't changed much since then. There are two versions of Lial's. One is a hardback version which I think is the one you linked to. The other is a paperback version. I didn't find out about Lial's until Alg 2 and we love it. Abe books is a good place to look for the Student book and the answer key. You should be able to find lots of discussion on this series by doing a search here. The DVT's are a little harder to find but again the editions really don't change much therefore you could probably use a set of 8th edition DVT's with a 7th edition book. We bought a set of 9th edtion DVT's for use with my 7th edition book but we have never used them and we're almost to the end of the book.

[AngieW in Texas]

Have you looked at Kinetic Books Algebra? They have the first chapter online or you can sign up for the trial. I think the trial is just two weeks, but when you do the trial, you can look at the entire thing.

Kinetic Books is done on the computer with immediate feedback for most of the problems. There isn't a solution manual, but many of the immediate feedback problems do have stepped help that will walk you through the problems step-by-step.

The end-of-unit problems are to be done with pencil and paper. There is an answer key only for the odd problems, but the odds are more than enough problems. Sometimes I had my dd do every-other-odd rather than every odd.

My middle dd used Kinetic Books Algebra I last year while my oldest dd used Kinetic Books Algebra II. They'll be releasing Pre-algebra next, probably just in time for next schoolyear.

www.kineticbooks.com

[Alyce]

Forgot to mention that the paperback series is the one recommended by everyone here.

[Karin]

I think I tried to post a reply to you (was it you with the other thread about how LoF wasn't working?) yesterday, but I got a phone call, by the time I came back I was no longer signed in and then we had to go out.

If you use Lial's, which we have, I wouldn't drop LoF, but use both. LoF is better for relating it to real life and for getting dc to think through and figure certain things out themselves.

My dd likes LoF better than Lial's, but she liked Lial's better than Jacob's or TT (she hated TT). She also liked the 1965 Dolciani. But she really enjoys LoF, and I just emailed the author Sun because she was adamant he had a mistake in the Geometry answer key. It turns out that dd was correct, and he readily admitted it. As far as he knows, that's the only error in the Geometry Answer key. I like the accessibility. Dd wasn't very diplomatic about it (what's funny is that she even said, "That's not how I was taught!" and she was taught by the LoF book).

There is no perfect math program that is going to do a great job for every math student. Lial's is very different than LoF, and I think that the pair could work well together, but I am a fan of doing Algebra with more than one method. The only challenge would be if things are taught in a much different order, and I haven't compared them since my eldest was done Algebra 1 by the time we got LoF Beginning Algebra.

[gfam]

Thank you Karin & all the rest. And thank you Angie for suggesting KB!! I really like the look of it & am going to have my son try the trial chapter. *fingers crossed* :)