Anyone ever purchase Chalkdust and NOT like it??

[StaceyinLA]

I'm seriously considering this for ds. It has been financially out of reach for me in the past, but now that he is the only one left home schooling, I may bite the bullet. He is so much stronger in math than his sisters and I know he'll probably NEED more maths. I just don't know what to use.

It's either this, or the dvd's that go with the Foerster, or maybe the new Saxon ones?? IDK - help!!

[CynthiaOK]

We used it for a while, but decided it wasn't for us. My son is very good in math and he just didn't need to lecture component. He was happier just working through a textbook. So, we sold it and bought Jacobs geometry which appears to be more friendly for a "learn on your own" style than the Chalkdust textbook.

I can't say there were any problems with it, and I'm sure many benefit from the structure of the program. It seemed to me that the cost/benefit ratio didn't favor us so I tried to recover the costs and go with something cheaper.

I'm learning that my boys don't find video instruction beneficial, in general.

[MIch elle]

I didn't like CD algebra because it took too long to do (the video portion was TOO long) and figure out what combo of problems to do to get enough overview of the section. We gave up at chapter 4 which was probably my fault because I couldn't STAND it any longer. I like programs that are open and go. Also no one tells you that it's a college level text. We switched to Saxon alg.1 w/DIVE and that worked well for us.

[Moni]

he just didn't need to lecture component. He was happier just working through a textbook. ....my boys don't find video instruction beneficial, in general.

Same here.
My son prefers just the textbook and he'd rather dig into that textbook than watch-and-listen to a talking head.

He would tend to prefer a faceless voiceover (SaxonTeacher, Dive type) over watching the Animated Mr. Mosely ( who was just too hyper and distracting for this student.)

But he really doesn't prefer faceless voiceover visual instruction either. :001_huh:

He prefers the silence of book work.

But all in all, this student is more of a "'just give me the book; I'll dig around for it myself" type of learner.

:seeya:

[Michelle in AL]

Same as Moni, my dd does not like video teachers and would rather learn on her own or by my instructions. I also strongly disliked the textbook for Basic Math and Geometry (old version). Many lessons did not have explanations on how to complete the sets. Basic Math left out topics I felt were important for a class taken prior to prealgebra.

[Moni]

I
....didn't like
...... because it took too long (the video portion was TOO long)
.........and figure out what combo of problems to do to get enough
.............I like programs that are open and go.

I too right now prefer programs that are open and go.

In general we find that academics with a Video component just add to the Daily Minutes a subject takes to do (often unnecessarily). We felt the same about ...(Memoria Press Latin lectures, Apologia, and ever other lecture program..). It addded to the Daily Time, when the student can accomplish the same without it.
:001_huh: