Videotext Sampler DVD--I think I'm sold

[Ms. Riding Hood]

I've been searching for some time for a program to use for dd as she grows into algebra age. She is a right-brainer with no math intuition...and no conceptual understanding. I just can't go the Saxon route with her.

Today my requested Videotext sampler arrived. I began to watch it, but she quickly took my seat away. I watched from behind as she eagerly viewed the lessons...all of which were much beyond her level at this point. However, she was getting the concepts as they were explained and I could actually SEE things clicking in her brain. And for that matter, things were clicking in my own brain, vwhich isn't especially good at math, either.

I haven't watched any of Dana Mosely, but I do think I'm sold on this. I guess that was the purpose of the sampler, after all--to sell me the product. :) Am I just being duped by a slick production? Maybe some people find this tedious or dull, but as one who never understood math even while passing calculus with an "A", I thought it was rather appealing. And more importantly, dd was hooked.

If anyone wishes to chime in with good reports or bad, speak now please! I'd love to hear more of both sides.

[ccm]

I found it interesting that Videotext "clicked" with your right-brain learner. I am left-brain and I like the presentation of VT, but I thought that it may not work with my daughter because she learns a different way. You have given me the encouragement I need to go forth with my initial instincts and stop second-guessing my choice.

[JFS in IL]

It worked very well with my son, in middle school. I will be using it again in a year or so with my youngest.

I never took algebra - hate math - yet I made myself sit through each VT lesson - and I UNDERSTOOD IT!!!! Any program that can get ME to understand and do math is AWESOME!!!!! I wish VT had been around decades ago. TT too, for my earlier grades.

I have also seen the Chalkdust on-line demos and they look very good, too - just VT is more affordable.

[Martha in NM]

and it's worked for my son. I'm still kicking myself for not using it from the beginning.

The only thing that I found difficult at first was dealing with the different pieces of the curriculum. However, it's well organized and easy to store;it didn't take long for me to sort things out. The format makes it easy to use with multiple people. I was able to "re-take" algebra with ds and share materials even though we were usually working in the same module.

If you're not pressed for time and especially if your dc needs extra reinforcement, I do suggest you take full advantage of the all the work text problems and the extra problems at the website. I also had ds keep his own notebook for algebra, but he did NOT take notes during the lectures. He worked each day on notes for the previous day's lesson as review for quizzes. He got a lot of use from those notebooks when he started PSAT prep.

BTW, my son is enjoying the Chalkdust SAT review. If I had it to do over, we'd have used VT algebra and geometry and then switched to CD for calculus. I think Dana Mosely's presentation is excellent, but it's a traditional teacher at the chalkboard format. My son has benefited from the use that VT makes of graphics. I know that the graphics helped me understand things I never understood in high school algebra.

[hsmom46]

I sat in at a demo lesson at the Colorado convention. I was really impressed.

We will be using this with my 9th grade dd this fall taking 2 years to complete the program.

[Janis in DE]

We started Video Text this week. My daughter is entering 6th and we will be taking 3 years to do the program. At least that is my plan. We are taking it slow and just moving forward 1 lesson at a time after I'm sure she understands the concept. She's young, so I don't want to push her. I like the idea of me doing it too, since it has been over 35 years since I took Algebra. I sat in on a demo at our convention and was sold.
Janis in DE