While doing this Teaching Textbooks review I found out that this program was developed by two brothers who graduated from Harvard. They developed this curriculum especially for homeschoolers. As with any math program, a parent needs to look at the pros and cons.
Here are the pros:
This program uses a self
explanatory text designed for a self teaching model of education. They have CD
roms with hours of instruction explaining the problems in a tutoring
format. Each problem is solved on the computer. There is a good amount of review built
into the program along with clear instruction and writing style. The step by step
approach helps a student walk through each problem. Students who hated Saxon Math and
other math programs are now enjoying math and are excelling. Computer grading
makes this process much easier for parents. This program has a great resale value. I have heard quite a few families that have struggled with math in the past that have found this program to be a good fit for them.
Cons:
It was mentioned in some of the reviews that I saw that this program might be too basic for a student that excels in Math. Some parents mentioned that Teaching Textbooks is below grade level. Some felt that the Algebra 2 course should be labeled Algebra 1 and so on down the line. "Too easy for grade level," was mentioned by more than one parent.
In this Teaching Textbooks review I need to mention that with any curriculum there will be people that
love it and people that hate it. You might see a review by one parent and
think that this curriculum will solve all your math struggles and then
see another review that says that the same program was bad for them.Sometimes it's even best to stick with the program you have and not change gears until the next year. Sometimes a switch mid-semester is a welcome change that can be good for everyone. Different programs teach each part of math in different ways and in different orders. If you can find a program that you like, it's good to stick with that for as many years as possible.
Make sure you pray about your decision. God knows you and your child better than anyone and can guide you in the best decision for your family.
Most people liked the format of this program, they just felt that it was not labeled correctly.