Chalk Dust vs Teaching Textbooks

[AudreyTN]

How do they compare? differ? Is one better than the other for the "non-mathy" kid?

Thanks!

[Susan C.]

I would be tempted to go Teaching Textbooks for a non-mathy kid, as long as you don't mind spiral teaching. That is where you teach the lesson, do some problems, then do several review problems of what you have learned before. This is similar in approach to Saxon. Half like this, half don't, we are in the camp of don't. My kids could only do one math task at a time, more than that its a meltdown! My son said in TT Precalc, they had him doing logs, functions, and trig. equations all in the same day...

I tried Chalkdust for both kids.... it moved a little fast and was too difficult for them. It took more than slowing it down... I had to fill in the gaps myself, and it was too stressful... I just pulled my daughter out of Chalkdust Geometry. Chalkdust is very good (wish I could have had it myself), but it wasn't a good fit for my kids.

Surprise of surprises, BJU math seems to work best at our house (with dvds from Algebra 1 on).

[Jean in Wisc]

How do they compare? differ? Is one better than the other for the "non-mathy" kid?

Thanks!

I am convinced that when it comes to math, the best fit for a child is the textbook that is written by a person whose mind does math the same way as the child. The only way I know to find this is through trial and error.

Sigh.

Chalkdust is a more traditional textbook. The teacher on the DVD's is good. He explained math in such a way that my math-phobic son discovered he LIKED math. I wish I had found it earlier in his schooling. A child that does well in CD knows his math, imo.

Teaching Textbooks is a program that does not follow the traditional textbook--topics are not taught in the same order, and they save the hardest material for the last year (precalc). My 2nd son found Chalkdust to be way over his head. He just could not connect with it. But, to him, TT is clear and easy to understand. Problems that he got wrong with CD he now does without any problem.

I know several folks on this board had mentioned that their dyslexic child used TT--and my 2nd is slightly dyslexic. I suppose I should never have assumed that my 2 boys, who are so different in the way their logic centers work, would use the same math program. My CD kid is a perfectionist. He sees things in very logical, patterned ways. My TT kid is creative. He connects the dots in his life in a way I can never follow.

TT seems to be more childish in its presentation--the print and the way it comes across as I watch the DVD's. My elder son found this dumb. My younger son doesn't care since he UNDERSTANDS it. CD could easily be used with adults--comes across more "professional".

Many folks on this board argue that TT does not teach enough. As far as I can tell, if you want to get all the math that everyone else got (only in a different order), you really need to go through precalc. If your child will need to test out of math in college, going through the whole program is advised. If you read the posts about TT on this board there are a ton of people who hate the program because they don't like its being "easy"--but then you can talk to people whose kids have gone into Calculus out of this program and done fine. I have a engineering professor friend who used it for his son because "it taught what a child needs to know." His son, btw, is a math wiz--doing calc his junior year in high school and getting a 35 on his ACT his sophomore year. He is really frustrated that there are so many kids who come into the engineering program who have taken calculus in high school but cannot do algebra.

Don't know if that helps you or not. Best wishes.

[NJKelli]

I am convinced that when it comes to math, the best fit for a child is the textbook that is written by a person whose mind does math the same way as the child. The only way I know to find this is through trial and error.

Sigh.

Chalkdust is a more traditional textbook. The teacher on the DVD's is good. He explained math in such a way that my math-phobic son discovered he LIKED math. I wish I had found it earlier in his schooling. A child that does well in CD knows his math, imo.

Teaching Textbooks is a program that does not follow the traditional textbook--topics are not taught in the same order, and they save the hardest material for the last year (precalc). My 2nd son found Chalkdust to be way over his head. He just could not connect with it. But, to him, TT is clear and easy to understand. Problems that he got wrong with CD he now does without any problem.

I know several folks on this board had mentioned that their dyslexic child used TT--and my 2nd is slightly dyslexic. I suppose I should never have assumed that my 2 boys, who are so different in the way their logic centers work, would use the same math program. My CD kid is a perfectionist. He sees things in very logical, patterned ways. My TT kid is creative. He connects the dots in his life in a way I can never follow.

TT seems to be more childish in its presentation--the print and the way it comes across as I watch the DVD's. My elder son found this dumb. My younger son doesn't care since he UNDERSTANDS it. CD could easily be used with adults--comes across more "professional".

Many folks on this board argue that TT does not teach enough. As far as I can tell, if you want to get all the math that everyone else got (only in a different order), you really need to go through precalc. If your child will need to test out of math in college, going through the whole program is advised. If you read the posts about TT on this board there are a ton of people who hate the program because they don't like its being "easy"--but then you can talk to people whose kids have gone into Calculus out of this program and done fine. I have a engineering professor friend who used it for his son because "it taught what a child needs to know." His son, btw, is a math wiz--doing calc his junior year in high school and getting a 35 on his ACT his sophomore year. He is really frustrated that there are so many kids who come into the engineering program who have taken calculus in high school but cannot do algebra.

Don't know if that helps you or not. Best wishes.

I hope this helps Audrey. It really helped me.

Dd is using TT Geometry after Jacobs flopped for us. She is generally a strong math student, but a more creative thinker. Even this relatively mathy student says she understands math better with TT. She got through Foerster's Alg. 1 and did well with the text itself, but would get frustrated with the MWB's lectures. She couldn't always understand them and said they didn't tell her what she needed to know to solve every type of problem in a set. TT is better in these respects, she says. She wants to use TT from now on, but I'm still hung up on the criticisms I've read on these boards about it not being rigorous enough...I wish I would just get over it and confidently use what works for her. For what it's worth, I don't see her majoring in math or science in college. And even if she were to pursue math or science in the future, isn't it better that she get a solid foundation now by using what helps her to understand math better?

I think I need to search for those old threads on TT success stories.:glare:

Sorry, I can't comment on Chalkdust, except to say it's more expensive.;)

[willowcreek]

I just went through this agonizing process myself of choosing between TT and chalkdust for Alg. 1. I was concerned with the comments on the boards that TT didn't cover it all. Now--my very competent--but doesn't love math kid--feels defeated and disconnected with chalkdust. The text is packed with information, but it is not friendly. The lectures are good but are not as tightly connected to the sections in the book as my child needs.

So after the spending more than I had on CD, I just ordered TT--had to bite the bullet. Finally realized--even if TT Alg. 1 doesn't cover as much as other programs, if they don't work, there is no benefit.

Biting the bullet.

[MIch elle]

... it moved a little fast and was too difficult for them. It took more than slowing it down... I had to fill in the gaps myself, and it was too stressful...



:iagree: CD is NOT homeschool friendly! We tried CD alg 1 for 3 months and then dropped it and sold it!

[True Blue]

I don't think CD is good for non-mathy kids. My very mathy kid eats CD up, but my 3 other kids (liberal art people) do TT and I'm fine with that.

[AudreyTN]

Thanks so much! I appreciate all of your wisdom. :001_smile: