Teaching Textbooks - Use Placement Tests

by Marie
(Bridgton, Maine USA)

Product: Teaching textbooks
Subject: math
Levels used: grades 4 and 5
Dates used: current school year

Likes: It's a self- taught program. I don't need to be right there correcting and instructing, which is good as math is not my strong subject. I have 1 son that math just comes easy for and he pretty much knows the extent of my math skills and maybe more, and he'll be going into 5th grade.

This will be the 1st year we use it. For the past 2 1/2 years we've been using Abeka math. I knew we needed to switch because I didn't know the material myself well enough to continue to teach them, especially my older son (plus it's my least favorite to teach). We had great success with it though. My sons did quite well, retained what they learned and liked it well enough.

After looking at the placement tests for Teaching Textbooks and having them do them I found my younger son, who is average in math, will be doing 5th gr level TT, though he's going into 4th and my other son who's going into 5th found the 7th gr placement test fairly easy and missed very few questions.

I was looking at the placement test for 7th grade most all of them were review with what he'd been doing the last part of this year with Abeka, their 4th level math. I'm not sure what that means - if Abeka is advanced or TT is behind in scope or parallel with public school? My concern is where he was able to keep up with Abeka quite well and catch on quick to new concepts, is TT academic enough for him?

If you are used to a different math program and switching to Teaching Textbooks, you really need to use the placement tests, don't assume that the gr level will match your child's skills. All in all though, I love how it explains each problem and shows how to come up with the answer. That part is great! I'm really hoping the kids like it and they learn and grow with it!