heartofdakota.com

Hi ladies-
My name is Diane and I have been doing Preparing with my three boys - Nathan 13, Jesse 11 and Joel 10 since August. I have been reading the posts and I really enjoy them, plus all of you are so helpful and caring.

Carrie, I have talked to you on the phone and you have been a great help to me. It's great that you are so willing to give of your time to us. I was talking to you about Systematic Mathematics and you said that you were going to check into it. I am using it for my two oldest ones. How does it compare with VideoText? Also, my 11 year old ds is slower when it comes to working independently especially in math. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Diane,

Good to see you here! Welcome to the boards! I know more ladies will be along to welcome you, but you caught me on the board so I'll answer a couple of your questions.

I was taking a look at Systematic Math only yesterday, so it's funny you brought it up. I actually liked it quite a bit, although I know the DVD's don't have the professional quality that some of the other math programs have. For those who don't know much about it, I'll mention that there is a teacher on the DVD's doing lessons at a whiteboard, and he teaches each lesson. Worksheets are provided for each lesson with complete solutions. There is much on the website that makes good sense about the "new math" and the "old math". I agree with him completely. His website is http://www.systemath.com

Systematic Math is much more economically priced than VideoText. Both math programs (I believe) have the short lessons on DVD that I like. Videotext is more visually appealing with graphics and power point type animations. Both appear to have a practical amount of practice problems without going overboard. Both also appear to have complete solutions manuals with line-by-line error analysis. Both use the basis that going through Algebra I and II in a row will save time and build well concept upon concept. Both feel that much is lost in review and that the spiral method wastes much time coming back to a concept over and over and over. Both teach for mastery.

I like the added feature that VideoText has of quizzing each day to see whether the child has mastered the material and is ready to move forward. If not, you repeat the same segment from the day before of the DVD and work the other half of the problems. Then, the next day a new quiz is given.

It is difficult for me to judge the strengths and weaknesses of each program without actually trying them first. So, take my comments with a grain of salt knowing this is what my research is showing, not what my actual results have been. This is why we are waiting on recommending any specific program and are just in the discussion and research phase.

I'd love to hear your comments on Systematic Math, as you have actually been using it.

One other program I find interesting is http://www.mathrelief.com I know little about it at this point, but it seems to be another program worth researching a bit more. It is in Cathy Duffy's Top 100.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie,
Systematic Math is taught by Paul Ziegler. He talks about why (understanding) vs how (memorization). He has a 1895 8th grade final exam on his website to show how much of a decline in math there has been. The lessons are not very professionally done, however he goes into things that I have not seen in modern day textbook, like the hippopotamus rule and other neat things as well. He has answer keys for the worksheets. however, they are not worked out, because similar examples are worked out on the DVD. I just want to make sure that his algebra content is o.k. He does Intro, Algebra I and Algebra II which ends in the 9th grade, however, I don't have to start it that early. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I don't know enough about systematic math to be sure that the needed Algebra I and II concepts are covered within the program. You may want to compare it to the scope and sequences of other algebra programs just to make sure all content is there. Here's a link to the concepts that Dr. Wile mentioned were missing (or not fully covered) in TT:
1. Graphing functions piecewise.
2. Finding the zeroes of a function.
3. Writing a polynomial given its solutions.
4. Sequences and series
5. Derivation of the quadratic equation
6. The conic sections were only lightly discussed. For example, there is no mention of a parabola's focus, directrix, or axis of symmetry. No mention of an ellipse's major and minor axes, etc.
7. Logarithms and exponential functions. I know that #7 is in the table of contents for Precalculus, but then I wonder what has been left out of Precalculus to make room for it."

You may wish to check to make sure those concepts are fully covered in Systematic Math.

Blessings,
Carrie