Ninth Grade Algebra blues
Thursday, October 13, 2005 at 02:05PM 
As some of you know, I home school my youngest son, Sam. We're doing DVD school this year; math has never been my strong suit so I am taking the lessons right along with Sam. (Hence the DVD school now that we're in high school) Sam tends to catch on very quickly to new concepts. I take a little more time but I can usually catch on without a lot of trouble. Until today, that is. We've been working with negative numbers in algebraic equations. I can add them, I can multiply and divide them, but when it comes to subtraction, that's where the trouble starts. Today during our class work we had to do 4 problems. Sam got them all right. I got them all wrong. Sam patiently showed me what I had done wrong and gave me some words of encouragement that sounded strangely familiar. The teacher became the student today and found she has a very understanding teacher.
Reader Comments (3)
We used the DVD for Saxon Algebra II last year with my daughter. I could not handle it. Fortunately, my husband majored in math, and she had help.
Grade 9 Algebra was a killer, because I basically had no solution manual, only the answers. Some days, I spent two hours or more doing the problems.
My sympaties are with you :-)
Of course, he knows it all the better from having to explain it to you.
We're using Abeka DVD's for Algebra 1 and the teacher is really very good. As your younger ones approach the dreaded first year of Algebra, you might want to look into it. I've been very pleased so far. If you do decide to use it, you'll get all the solution manuals and everything you need for one student and teacher--unless you are planning on sitting in on the lessons with your child. If you do, let me know and I'll send you my copy of the textbook.