Teaching Textbooks sequencing question

[MamaSheep]

I'm getting such great answers about science here that I think I'll toss out the math one that has me wondering.

We switched this year from Singapore to Teaching Textbooks and have been doing their 6th grade program. It's been going well and is pretty easy for my son. Now I need to know what's next. I know some math programs are written so that kids can go straight from 6th grade to Pre-Algebra, but they also have a 7th grade book for those who aren't quite ready. I couldn't figure out from the web site if this is the case with TT, or if you really should do Math 7 before moving on to Pre-Algebra. It looked like most of what was on the Pre-Algebra pre-test is covered in Math 6.

Any insights?

[Beth in SW WA]

Any insights?

This is our plan....

5th: TT 6
6th: TT 7
7th: Chalkdust PreAlg
8th: Chalkdust Alg 1
9th & 10th: TT Geo & CD Alg 2
11th: CD PreCalc & CD SAT Review
12th: CC?

[MamaSheep]

Interesting, thanks.

Out of curiosity, why Chalkdust instead of TT?

[Beth in SW WA]

Interesting, thanks.

Out of curiosity, why Chalkdust instead of TT?

1. Traditional algebra sequence
2. Prof Mosely is wonderful!
3. Larson texts :)

[MamaSheep]

1. Traditional algebra sequence
2. Prof Mosely is wonderful!
3. Larson texts :)

Gotcha. Thanks. :)

[inashoe]

I'm getting such great answers about science here that I think I'll toss out the math one that has me wondering.

We switched this year from Singapore to Teaching Textbooks and have been doing their 6th grade program. It's been going well and is pretty easy for my son. Now I need to know what's next. I know some math programs are written so that kids can go straight from 6th grade to Pre-Algebra, but they also have a 7th grade book for those who aren't quite ready. I couldn't figure out from the web site if this is the case with TT, or if you really should do Math 7 before moving on to Pre-Algebra. It looked like most of what was on the Pre-Algebra pre-test is covered in Math 6.

Any insights?

What age/grade is your child - we are doing TT Math 6 in 5th grade.
I don't plan to skip any of the grades, I would be concerned about gaps.
You could look over the Table of Contents on the TT website.
They also have a placement test - perhaps your son can do the placement test to see if he is ready for pre algebra.

[NJKelli]

Quote:
Originally Posted by MamaSheep http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=730514#post730514)
Interesting, thanks.

Out of curiosity, why Chalkdust instead of TT?

1. Traditional algebra sequence
2. Prof Mosely is wonderful!
3. Larson texts :)
__________________


Out of curiousity, why TT instead of CD for geometry?:)

Thanks!

[Beth in SW WA]

Out of curiousity, why TT instead of CD for geometry?:)

Thanks!

1. Cheaper
2. Lots of proofs
3. Great reputation for getting the job done
4. Bev in B'ville used it and recommends it

[NJKelli]

Beth,

Would TT Geometry work if dd wouldn't watch the lectures?

Funny question, I know.

[Beth in SW WA]

Beth,

Would TT Geometry work if dd wouldn't watch the lectures?

Funny question, I know.

Sure. Not all students want to take the time to watch. My kids need to watch the lessons (which is the beauty of TT).

[NJKelli]

Thanks again! :)

[MamaSheep]

What age/grade is your child - we are doing TT Math 6 in 5th grade.
I don't plan to skip any of the grades, I would be concerned about gaps.
You could look over the Table of Contents on the TT website.
They also have a placement test - perhaps your son can do the placement test to see if he is ready for pre algebra.

Well, he'll be 12 in April and we're doing 6th grade this year, but he's got Asperger's Syndrome and is really all over the map "level"-wise. We started TT6 towards the end of 5th grade last year when Singapore stopped working for us, but had to take it pretty slow in the beginning; not because he's not up to the work mentally, but because we were still overcoming some math phobia left over from public school, and some Asperger's related "issues". Lately, though, we're taking it two and three lessons a day (I don't have him do all the problems, just a hand-picked assortment that covers what we covered in that day's lessons and whatever else I think he needs a little review on. He picks things up REALLY fast once he makes up his mind to do it.)

We're not to the end yet and I don't think he's quite ready for the placement test yet because we haven't covered all the material, but at this rate we may get there pretty quickly. (Assuming we don't come to another lurching halt, which, knowing him, is entirely possible.) I do plan to give him the placement test for Pre-Algebra once we get a little further down the road here, and just see how he does on it. Looking at the pre-test, it doesn't look like there's anything on there that isn't covered in Math 6, and the first half of the table of contents looks like a lot of review of what's been covered this year.

With this particular kid I have to find juuuuust the riiiiight level of challenge. Too hard and he shuts down, won't even try. Too easy and he tunes out and refuses to participate. (Which makes it a challenge sometimes figuring out if I've gone too hard or too easy, because either way I lose him.)

So if Math 7 really is mostly reinforcement and review of what we've already covered, with little forward motion, it could potentially be a DISASTER. "Review" is anathema! (I still make him do the review problems, but I let him skip about half of them because he really does remember stuff very easily if I can just get him to give a flying flip about the subject matter. I think it goes directly to long-term memory, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.) He used to come home and rant about "reviewing and reviewing and reviewing" at public school, and how dumb did the teacher think he was, and he GOT it already, WHEN could they move on to something more interesting! And then he just shut down and read books in class, or got himself sent to the "quiet room" in the office so he could get away from all the "incessant reviewing" (LOL). So then he thought math (among other things) was too boring, and wouldn't do it, and therefore got behind and decided it was too hard, and it became this whole ugly THING. And since we've just emerged from all that and stepped tentatively back out into having fun with numbers (like he did when he was four, and fascinated with negative numbers and beginning multiplication), I do not want to mess it up! We NEED forward motion!

BUT. I also don't want to err in the other direction and leave gaps that will come back and bite us in the distal regions either. His frustration tolerance is still very low, and if we hit too much of a road block and have to backtrack I'm likely to find myself back at square zero.

So that's why I'm overthinking this. If Math 7 is too much review-oriented, or if we skip ahead and it's too much of a jump, my whole carefully constructed little glass palace could come smashing down around my ears. (How's that for overly dramatic?)

I am aware that some publishers use 7th grade math as a sort of time to fill in any gaps, but for kids without gaps it's not really needed. For example, I've had several moms tell me that there's a Saxon Math book at about that level that you don't need to do with a strong math student (sorry, I forget which, as Saxon never seemed our cup of tea). I just don't know if TT takes that approach too, or if Math 7 is essential.