Teaching Textbooks and Mixed Reviews

We use Teaching Textbooks for math. So far, we absolutely love it. We've finished 3rd and 5th grades and have started 4th and 6th grades. I'd love to share more about why we love it, but for now I want to share something else. As of right now, I'm not sure if we will continue with Teaching Textbooks after 7th grade. Here's why.

First, let me say that I've been assured by a trusted friend, and fellow Christian homeschooler, that TT 3rd - 7th grade math are strong courses and provide a good foundation of math skills. I was also told that TT7 is not to be missed/skipped because it's an excellent review of basic arithmetic, and it prepares children very well for Pre-Algebra. So, essentially, the 7th grade course is a good bridge between basic arithmetic and Pre-Algebra.

However, I continue to read and hear mixed reviews for Pre-Algebra and above, so I thought I'd share what I learned directly from Teaching Textbooks in case this information will be helpful to you.

Teaching Textbooks is one of Cathy Duffy's 101 Top Picks! Here is a link to her review that was updated in September 2011.
Cathy Duffy: Teaching Textbooks Review

Here is a copy of my exchange with Teaching Textbooks:
We get the question a lot: "Is your program college prep?"
TT answer:

The TT series covers all of the same topics as the other publishers. If you go through Pre-Calculus, your student will have covered everything and will be ready for Calculus 1. I think some of the talk about TT and rigor comes from when certain topics are covered, not whether they are covered. For instance, some people have asked why TT doesn't cover logs in Algebra 2 (we cover it in Pre-Calculus). We sequenced the topics in a way that we felt would maximize student learning. Traditionally, logs was always covered in Pre-calculus. That's where it fits conceptually. We felt that it would be difficult to cover the topic in sufficient depth if we crammed it into Algebra 2.

There's been a big push in recent years among school publishers (because of the standards movement) to push topics lower and lower down the curriculum. They still cover the topics in the higher grades but they cover them in the lower grades too. That's why logs are now in Algebra 2 (and some books are even putting some logs material in Algebra 1). We think this is a mistake. If you're not ready to understand a topic conceptually then exercise degenerates into rote learning. Also, putting too many topics into a book doesn't give us enough room to adequately explain the topics that should be covered at that level. That's a huge problem for us because our books are designed for independent learners. We have more explanation than anybody.

The TT series is very much oriented to the college bound student. If your student finishes with us and works hard, they will definitely be ready for college level math. Keep in mind that over 50% of public school students who go on to college are now required to take remedial math courses before they can enroll in true college math. Many of them are having to go back before algebra and do basic math coursework. Yet those students used the topic heavy public school textbooks and many of them went through Pre-Calculus and even Calculus while still in high school. In our view, the key to math education is learning the important concepts extremely well, not rushing through a laundry list of topics too quickly.

As far as the difficulty level goes, the TT high school courses are about as difficult as the SAT and ACT exams. Pre-calculus is on par with the SAT II math test. This is appropriate for college bound high schoolers. If a book is too difficult it can break the student's confidence and even cause him/her to give up on the subject.

My Reply:
Along these lines, I've been told that TT Pre-Algebra does not adequately prepare a child for Algebra, that TT Algebra I is more like Pre-Algebra and TT Algebra II is more like Alegbra I. This information has caused me to reconsider TT for Pre-Algebra and above. Do you have anything to add to what you've just shared that would change my mind or is this answer basically what your reply would be? My children absolutely love TT, and we do definitively plan to use it until they finish 7th grade. I'd love to atleast be able to share with others your response as I do recommend TT 3 - 7 to everyone. Thank you in advance for your reply. 

A question was also raised about the math terminology: I have home school families who tell me TT is not good for high school because the terminology is not the same as it will be in college courses and it confuses the kids. What is your thought on that?

TT Answer:
While we have had a lot of criticism to our Pre-Algebra program in the past, our new 2.0 version of the Pre-Algebra is a lot more robust. We have always had a lot of concentration on the basics. The basics are what prepare you for all of the elements the upper levels. The authors have found that if a student struggles later on in Algebra 1 and higher, it is usually because they have missed something earlier on. We also use all of the terminology that is needed as well. We just don't dwell on it as much as others. We will teach all of the correct terminology, and then turn around and say, "This is what we mean by that". By doing this, the students come away with a better understanding of how and why the concepts work the way they do, instead of memorizing terminology.

My Reply:

Thank you for your reply. I recall that one of the terms used by TT is "undoing." Is that a correct or common math term? Do you still use this term? Also, is the Algebra I a lot more robust as well? Thanks again.

TT Answer:

"Undoing" is still a term that we and a lot of other curriculum use as well. "Undoing" refers to taking a number or unknown out from an expression in reverse order. Our Algebra 1 2.0 does have more lessons and new concepts, and could be considered more robust, but these new lessons are added to the end of the old program, and a lot of students may not even get to them. All of these will be covered again in Algebra 2, Geometry, and Pre-Calculus.

My Reply:
Thank you so much!! You've been very helpful! I appreciate it!