Using John Saxon's Math Books - How homeschool parents can use them

July 2010

WHAT HOMESCHOOLERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE DVD MATH TUTORIALS

I recently completed a random survey of homeschool educators who had purchased the DVD math tutorials. Over ninety percent of those who responded to the survey indicated they wanted our DVD math tutorials created for the Math 76 and Math 87 textbooks also. Since the DVD math tutorials from Algebra ½ through the Advanced Mathematics textbook (which include the first twenty-five lessons of the Calculus text through limits and derivatives) had already been created, I made the decision to follow the homeschool educators’ advice, delay production of the rest of the calculus series, and immediately start on production of DVD math tutorials for Math 76 and Math 87. The DVD math tutorial series for Math 76, 3rd or 4th Ed will be completed by January or February of next year and the DVD math tutorial series for Math 87, 2nd or 3rd Ed will be completed the following October.

It is difficult for homeschool educators to evaluate the varied math tutorials on the market without actually purchasing them and that can become quite expensive and sometimes disappointing. On a daily basis, I receive telephone calls and email from homeschool educators posing questions about how the varied math CD and DVD math tutorials for John Saxon’s math books are presented and how they compare with each other. To assist in making a decision regarding which product to purchase as a math tutorial for students using John Saxon’s math books, I asked The Old Schoolhouse Magazine staff to review my DVD math tutorials as they had previously reviewed my book several years ago. They agreed. The reviews were completed several months ago. Excerpts from those reviews are reflected below.

Excerpts from the review of Art Reed’s Algebra ½, 3rd Ed DVD Math Tutorial.

“In the past few years, our family has used the DVDs from Teaching Tape Technology to give additional instruction in Saxon Math for grade levels 4th through Advanced Math . . . so when I had the opportunity to review the Mastering Algebra John Saxon's Way Algebra ½ (3rd edition) DVDs, featuring seasoned mathematics instructor Art Reed, I was intrigued . . . Could these videos measure up? Could I be objective? I can honestly answer ‘yes’ to both of those questions . . . Art Reed is a fantastic instructor. He is engaging and inspiring, but his approach is also straightforward and no nonsense . . . he also has a great sense of humor. He is a professional through and through . . . he knows his stuff. It is obvious that he enjoys teaching math and wants his students to succeed and master the material. I like his confident way of presenting each lesson . . . He does not spoon feed, but he does explain each concept thoroughly and give encouragement. He gives extra tips and information to make everything easier to understand . . . I also like the way he uses visual aids and manipulatives when needed to reinforce certain concepts . . . Overall, I think this is a wonderful set for homeschool families who use Saxon Math . . .The students have access to an experienced instructor, and they can replay the videos as many times as they need to master the material . . . I highly recommend Art Reed and the Mastering Algebra John Saxon's Way DVDs as a great investment in your child's mathematical education.”

Amy M. O'Quinn, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC (Click Here) for the entire review.

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Excerpts from the review of Art Reed’s Algebra 2, 2nd or 3rd Ed DVD Math Tutorial.

“Mastering Algebra is a tutorial course designed to work with Saxon Algebra 2, either the 2nd or the 3rd edition. It is 12 DVDs, containing 129 lessons and 2 review lessons to brush up before you begin. The lessons are correlated with Saxon Algebra; for those who want the tutorial benefit but are using another curriculum, a detailed scope and sequence of the lessons is available online so that you can select the lesson or skill you need to work on . . . Mr. Reed, the teacher, stands at a podium at the front of a classroom with a real white board behind him and teaches the class. He even has an oversized calculator that he uses to show exactly what you do with various calculator functions. There are no people in his classroom, however, so he interacts with the listener, not students in front of him. This adds a personal touch to the tutorial, in my opinion. . . The lectures are very understandable, and Mr. Reed has a way of breaking down and illustrating the concepts so that they are easy to comprehend--even for the ‘math-challenged.’ . . . The series is specifically geared for the home educating parent/student, and it would probably set many a homeschool mom's mind at ease to have such a competent math tutor for her high school student. At $49.95 for the entire set, this is the most inexpensive math tutoring you will ever find as well . . . I highly recommend this tutorial course—even if you aren’t using Saxon Algebra.”

Kim Kargbo, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, (Click Here) for the entire review.

June 2010

SHOULD HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS TAKE CALCULUS?

Calculus is not difficult! Students fail calculus not because the calculus is difficult – it is not – but because they never mastered the required algebraic concepts necessary for success in a calculus course. But not everyone who is good at algebra desires or needs to take calculus. But then what does the homeschool student do who wants to take calculus, but would like to share the challenge with likeminded contemporaries?

A number of the students I taught in high school never got to calculus their senior year because they could not complete the advanced mathematics textbook by the end of their junior year. They ended up finishing their senior year with the second course from the advanced math book titled “Trigonometry and Pre-calculus” and then taking calculus at the university level. This worked out just fine for them as they were more than adequately prepared and had an opportunity to share the challenge with likeminded contemporaries on campus.

Some students advanced no further than Saxon Algebra 2 by the end of their senior year in high school. They were able to take a less challenging math course their first year of college by taking the basic freshman algebra course required for most non-engineering or non-mathematics students. These students would never have to take another math course again – unless of course they switched majors requiring a higher level of mathematics.

I believe the answer for homeschool students in these same situations is what we in Oklahoma call “concurrent enrollment.” In other words, don’t take a calculus course at home by yourself. Under the guidelines of “concurrent enrollment” – or whatever your state calls it – take the course at a local college or university and share the experience with likeminded contemporaries. And at the same time receive both high school and college credit for the course.

The concept of “concurrent” enrollment was just beginning to take hold in the field of education when I was teaching and there were not many high school students taking these college courses enabling them to receive “dual credit” for both a high school and college math credit for their efforts. As we gained experience with the new program, we learned that our high school juniors and seniors who had truly mastered John Saxon’s Algebra 2 course could easily enroll at the local university in the freshman college algebra course and could – provided they went to class – easily pass the course. And, if they were English or Art majors, they would never have to take another math course if they so desired.

Students who were eligible and wanted to take a calculus course their senior year looked forward to taking it at the local university and receiving dual credit for the course. Many of these students went on to become research technicians in the field of bio-chemistry and physics. Several of them never took another math course in their college careers because they were English or Art History majors. They took the calculus course just because they wanted to prove they could pass the course. They wanted to be able to say “I took college calculus my senior year of high school.”

So, what does all this mean? Home school students whose major will require calculus at the college level should adjust their math sequence to complete John Saxon’s advanced mathematics textbook (2nd Ed) by the end of their junior year of high school and take calculus their senior year at a local college or university. Not only will this enable them to receive dual credit – unless their state prohibits it – but they will enjoy the camaraderie of other likeminded college students taking the course with them.

There is a final serendipity to all of this. When enrolling at most universities, honors freshman and freshman with college credits enroll before the “masses” of other freshman. This would virtually guarantee the student with college credits the courses and schedule they desire – not to mention the potential for scholarship offers with high ACT or SAT scores and earned college credits in a course titled “calculus” on their high school transcript.

May 2010

WHY USE SAXON MATH BOOKS?

My wife and I just returned from attending homeschool conventions in both Cincinnati, Ohio and Kansas City, Missouri. Both of us really enjoyed visiting with homeschool families from more than a dozen different states who stopped by our booth. While at each of the two conventions, I also had the opportunity to address homeschool educators in several workshop seminars.

The title of today’s news article was the title of my seminars. What I wanted to convey to homeschool educators at the seminars was factual information on why John Saxon’s math books – when properly used – remain the best math curriculum for mastery of mathematics on the market today. Why did I emphasize “when properly used”? Improper use of John’s math books is one of the weaknesses of his books. The vast majority of students who encounter difficulties in a Saxon math textbook do so, not because the book is “tough” or “difficult”, but because they have not properly advanced through the series. Or, for one reason or another they had been switching back and forth between different math curriculums. Because of switching curriculums, the students had all developed “holes” in their basic math concepts, concepts critical for future success in the math book they were now using. In John Saxon’s math books these “math holes” created frustration and failure for the students who were returning to the Saxon curriculum in the upper level math books.

There were more than a dozen homeschool parents who came to the booth all facing the same dilemma. Their sons or daughters had recently completed or were currently completing another curriculum of instruction in algebra. While they said they were happy with the curriculum they were using, they expressed concern that their son or daughter was not mastering sufficient math concepts to score well on the upcoming ACT or SAT tests. I asked each of them to have their student take the on-line Saxon algebra one placement test which consisted of fifty math questions. The test was actually the final exam in the Saxon pre-algebra book (Algebra ½, 3rd Ed).

In every case, regardless of which math curriculum the students were using, the answer was always the same. Not one of the students passed the test. It was not a matter of receiving a low passing grade on the test. Every one of them failed to attain fifty percent or better.

The curriculums the students were using were not bad curriculums. They correctly taught students the necessary math concepts in a variety of ways. But unlike John Saxon’s method of introducing incremental development coupled with his application of “automaticity,” none of these curriculums enabled students to master these concepts.

In those cases where the parents asked for my advice after learning about the failed pre-algebra test, we worked out a successful plan of action to ensure that the failed concepts were mastered and the “math holes” were filled. The plan would enable each of them to successfully move to an advanced algebra course later in their academic schedule.

Now to address a topic that arose during one of the seminars. Several attendees asked whether or not they should use the new fourth editions of algebra one and algebra two textbooks as well as the new separate geometry textbook. I told the audience that the new fourth editions were initially created for the public school system together with the company’s creation of a new geometry textbook. I explained that the daily geometry review content as well as the individual geometry lessons had been gutted from the new fourth editions of algebra one and algebra two. In my professional opinion, they should stay with the current third editions of algebra one and two and not fall into the century old trap of using a separate geometry text in-between algebra one and two. (See the June - 2009 news article).

A homeschool parent commented that I was mistaken because she had called the company customer service desk and they told her there was geometry in the new fourth edition of their Saxon algebra one book. I have a copy of that edition. It was designed to be sold to the public schools along with the company’s new geometry textbook, and it does not integrate geometry into the content of the book’s one hundred twenty lessons as John’s third edition of algebra one does..

Here are the facts regarding the geometry content in the two books. I will let you draw your own conclusions:

In the index of the third edition of algebra one, there are seventeen references dealing with the calculation of total area, lateral surface area, and volume of spheres, cones, cylinders, etc. In the new fourth edition index, there are only four references to area and volume and they are not geometric references. They deal with determining correct unit conversions of measure and the application of ratios and proportions in their solution, all of which are algebraic not geometric functions.
In the index of the old third edition of algebra one there are nine references to the word “angles.” In the index of the fourth edition, there are none. The reference term “angles” does not appear.
In the third edition index, there are three references to “Geometric Solids.” In the fourth edition index, the word “Geometric Solids” does not appear.
The only reference to the word “geometry” in the fourth edition index is the phrase “Geometric Sequences” and that term is not a geometry term. It refers to an algebraic pattern determined through the use of a specific algebraic formula.
Geometry references, terms, concepts and daily problems dealing with them are found throughout the third edition of algebra one. This does not occur in the fourth edition of algebra one.

So why was the homeschool educator told there was geometry in the new fourth edition of algebra one? Well, let me see if I can explain what I believe the marketing people came up with. I say marketing people because several of us have tried for more than a year to find out who authored the new fourth edition and no one at the company could – or would – tell us who the author is. Someone speculated that it was given to a textbook committee to create the new fourth editions of algebra one and two as well as the new geometry textbook.

At the back of the new fourth edition of algebra one, just before the index, is a short section of thirty-two pages referred to as the “Skills Bank.” Within these thirty-two pages are thirty-one separate topics of which only twelve deal with geometric functions and concepts. Each of the concepts is about a half page in length and covers just a few practice problems dealing with the concepts themselves. Since they are not presented or practiced throughout the book, I believe it makes it difficult if not impossible for the student to master any of these concepts encountering them this late in the book – if they are encountered at all.

Here are several examples of how these geometry concepts are presented in the “Skills Bank of the new fourth edition of algebra one:.

Skills Bank Lesson 14: Contains two short sentences explaining how to classify a quadrilateral. The student is then given only three practice problems on the concept.
Skills Bank Lesson 16: Contains two short explanatory sentences describing congruency followed by only two practice problems.
Skills Bank Lesson 19: Contains five brief statements describing the various terms used to describe a circle and its component parts, immediately followed by two problems asking the students to identify all of these parts.

The “Skills Bank” concept is fine as far as using a brief addendum to define what those geometric terms mean. But when does the student get to work these concepts so that the review creates “mastery” as John‘s original books were designed? “The “Frequent, Cumulative Assessment” of John Saxon’s math program - referenced by the company on page 5 of their new textbook as one of the key elements of the book - is never developed for the geometry concepts. Additionally, the company’s use of colored “Distributive Strands” reflecting the distribution of functions and relations throughout the textbook does not list any geometry functions or relation strands showing up anywhere in the book – at least not in the book they sent me.

The new algebra one fourth edition textbook created by HMHCO - under the Saxon name - is a good algebra one textbook. However, it does not contain geometry concepts on a daily basis as John’s third edition of algebra one does. Before you make a decision to use a separate geometry textbook along with the new fourth edition of algebra one and two, please read my June - 2009 news article. If you need to discuss the issue further, please do not hesitate to call or email me.

April 2010

DO MATH SUPPLEMENTS REALLY HELP STRUGGLING STUDENTS?

Before addressing that question directly, let me first relate a story about a man walking across a bridge spanning a river. As he looked down at the water, he noticed a boy who had fallen into the swift current. It was apparent from the boy’s struggle that he could not swim. The man realized he had only two alternatives. He could shout instructions to the boy on how to overcome the swift current and perhaps enable him to dog paddle to safety on the shore, or he could dive into the water and rescue him. Without hesitating, the man dived into the water and immediately swam to the side of the struggling boy. Now the man had to face another dilemma. Should he pull the struggling boy to safety or should he immediately try to teach him how to swim?

Everyone would agree that when people are drowning, that is not the time to try to teach them how to swim. All one can do at that time is try to get them to a place of safety where they can overcome the swift current of the river. So it is with mathematics. In any of John Saxon’s math textbooks from Math 54 through Calculus, if student’s begin struggling before reaching lesson thirty or sooner, it is a sign that they will drown in the later lessons of the book unless they are taken to a place of safety where they can better manage and learn the concepts that they are now unfamiliar with. Concepts that are dragging them into deep water! It should become apparent that they are not prepared for the book they are in, and no amount of supplemental material will overcome those shortcomings.

Mathematics is like the swift current that challenged the drowning boy. Like the river, upper level mathematics is challenging and can easily become unforgiving. Looking for a slower moving or shallower river may create a temporary solution, but eventually that water will again become swifter and deeper and unless one is prepared, all the advice and assistance given at the time of the struggle will come too late.

While it is a noble goal for students to strive towards taking a calculus course in their senior year of high school, it is critical that they first master the algebra. The calculus is easy! It is the challenge of the algebra and to a lesser degree the trigonometry that causes students to fail calculus. Any student with a solid algebra background, entering any college or university, will pass that school’s math entrance exam and will be successful in a calculus course should they choose to do so.

When classroom teachers or home school educators take shortcuts with one of John Saxon’s math books, they are not adequately preparing the student for the deeper water ahead. More than twenty years experience with Saxon Math textbooks has shown me that classroom teachers and parents who take shortcuts with his curriculum (instead of going slowly and deliberately through as John intended) cause students to “flounder” as they encounter the “deeper” water. At this point, they find it easier to blame the book!

The classroom instructions contained within my DVD “video” tutorial series are not teaching supplements. They contain actual classroom instruction on each concept of the book. Like the book, the classroom instruction is designed for the homeschool student who is in the appropriate level math book. The instruction enhances the written word they have already read from the textbook. Many of the lessons present a different explanation by an experienced Saxon math teacher that helps the student through the difficult reading of the lesson.

However, regardless of who creates them, neither the CD white board presentations nor the DVD classroom instructions will help students who are taking a course they are ill prepared for – and they find themselves floundering in “deep” water.

March 2010

TRANSCRIPTION OF MATH CREDITS – TWO BOOKS, FOUR YEARS

The first year I started teaching high school mathematics, I encountered freshman students who, while having passed an eighth grade pre-algebra course, could not manage John Saxon’s algebra one textbook. The frustration and failure rate was incredible and many upper level students were shying away from any math course above algebra one.

I soon became aware of the distinct difference between receiving good grades and mastery of the concepts. That summer I developed an alternate curriculum using John’s algebra one and algebra two books. The plan would allow students the ability to accept the challenge of algebra without having to accept failure. I went to Oklahoma City and briefed the Director of Curriculum for the Oklahoma State Department of Education on my plan.

After my briefing, he sat quietly for a few seconds then said to me, “Mr. Reed, I wish that my daughter would have had the opportunity to use your plan when she was struggling with algebra in high school.” He then went on to explain that anything can be entered on a student’s transcript so long as it is an honest evaluation of what was being taught in the classroom. He approved the plan and we implemented it that following fall at the high school.

In the following three years, our ACT average math scores went from 13.4 to over 21.9 (above both the state and national averages). In that same time period, we had over ninety percent of our high school students enrolled in math courses above Algebra 1 and the number of students taking the ACT test tripled.

The plan is simple. The student has to complete the entire algebra one textbook. However, the student who struggles through John’s Algebra 1, 3rd Ed textbook and receives an overall second semester test average of 50 – 60 (a D or F) can receive credit for a “lesser inclusive course.” The title of “Basic Algebra” or “Introduction to Algebra 1” can be used and the grade recorded as a “C. The student then retakes the same book the next year and should receive an average test grade of 80 or better. The course is recorded on the transcript the second year as “Algebra 1.” Since the students have now mastered the material they previously missed the first time through the book, you can go back and change the “C” to a “B.”

Ninety percent of my students only needed the “lesser inclusive” assist in Algebra 1. However, a small percent needed the same assist in Algebra 2, so we came up with “Introduction to Algebra 2” for the first attempt and “Algebra 2” for the second attempt.

Sometimes the difficulty students encounter in John Saxon’s Algebra 1 or Algebra 2 stems from their inability to process both the algebra and geometry concepts at the same time. Some students just need a second chance to master this material because of their weaker math background in pre-algebra. Or, they might have moved through several different math curriculums in the past few years and developed holes in their math background.

What makes this concept work so well is that John Saxon’s Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 textbooks are really tough, no-nonsense, cumulative math textbooks. Using this system, we have shown that any student who truly masters the content of these two textbooks in four years of high school will successfully pass any college level algebra course at any university.

There is considerably more detail in my book, but if you have an immediate question or situation that requires assistance, please feel free to email me at art.reed@usingsaxon.com and include your telephone number so I can call you. My experience in assisting homeschool educators is that a telephone conversation allows an immediate exchange of questions and answers not readily afforded in lengthy email sent back and forth over several days generating more questions and answers.

I will be speaking at workshop seminars at the Cincinnati, OH and the Kansas, MO Homeschool Conferences in April. We will have a booth there also. If plan to attend one of the conferences, please stop by and say hello.

February 2010

MAKE SURE YOU BUY AND USE THE CORRECT EDITIONS OF JOHN SAXON’S MATH BOOKS

As we approach textbook purchasing time for homeschool educators I thought it would be advantageous to go over with you the correct editions of John Saxon’s math books to use, and also to provide you with some recommendations on how to use the textbooks correctly and reduce students’ frustration with mathematics. While there is more detail in my book, I believe the following information will help you select the correct level and edition of one of John Saxon’s math books.

All of the textbooks listed below also include an introduction to basic geometry as well as a review of the geometric terms associated with geometry at the introductory level. As the student moves from Math 54 to Algebra 1, the repetition of these terms and concepts allows for a gradual increase in their level of difficulty. However, this geometry remains at the introductory level and there is no formal credit for any geometry until successful completion of the Algebra 2 textbook where the student also earns a full credit the first semester of a regular high school geometry course.

If after reading this newsletter, you feel your particular situation has not been addressed, please feel free to email me at art.reed@usingsaxon.com or call me at 580-234-0064 (CST) before you purchase any math textbooks.

Math 54: You can use either the hard cover 2nd edition textbook or the newer soft cover 3rd edition as they have identical math content. In fact, they are almost word for word and problem for problem the same textbooks. The page numbers differ because of different graphics and changed page margins, and the newer soft cover 3rd edition homeschool packet has an added solutions manual. However, my experience with that level of mathematics is that most home school educators will not need a solutions manual until they encounter Math 76. If you can acquire a less expensive homeschool kit without the solutions manual, I would recommend acquiring that less expensive set. Calculators should not be used at this level.

Math 65: This book is used following successful completion of the Math 54 textbook. Successful completion is defined as completing the entire Math 54 textbook, doing every problem and every lesson on a daily basis, and taking all of the required tests. To be successful in this textbook, students must have scored eighty or better on the last four or five tests in the Math 54 course. As with the Math 54 textbooks, the 2nd edition hard cover book and the newer soft cover 3rd edition have identical math content. The newer 3rd edition series also has a solutions manual, but if you’re on a tight budget, I do not believe that it is necessary at this level of mathematics either. Calculators should not be used at this level.

Math 76: The kingpin book in the Saxon series. This book follows successful completion of the Math 65 textbook. Again, successful completion of Math 65 means completing the entire book as well as all of the tests. To be successful in Math 76, students should have received scores no lower than an eighty on the last four or five tests in the Math 65 course. Either the hard cover 3rd edition or the newer soft cover 4th edition can be used. As with the previous two math courses, there is no difference between the math content of the hard cover 3rd edition and the softcover 4th edition textbooks. I recommend acquiring a copy of the solutions manual as this is a challenging textbook. Students who score eighty-five or better on the last five tests in this level book indicate they are ready to move to Algebra ½, 3rd edition. Student’s who encounter difficulty in the last part of Math 76, reflected by lower test scores, can easily make up their shortcomings by proceeding to Math 87 rather than Algebra ½. Calculators should not be used at this level.

Math 87: Again, there is little if any difference between the hardcover 2nd edition and the softcover 3rd edition textbooks. Even though the older second edition does not have “with pre-algebra” printed on its cover as the 3rd edition softcover book does, they are identical in math content. Students who successfully complete the entire textbook and score eighty-five or better on their last five or six tests can skip the Algebra ½ textbook and proceed directly to the Algebra 1, 3rd edition textbook. Both Math 87 and algebra ½ get the student ready for Algebra 1; however, the Math 87 textbooks start off a bit slower with a bit more review of earlier concepts than does the Algebra ½ book. This enables students who encountered difficulty in Math 76 to review earlier concepts they had difficulty with and to successful later in the textbook. Students who encounter difficulty in the last part of this book will find that going into Algebra ½ before they move to the Algebra 1 course will strengthen their knowledge and ability of the basics necessary to be successful in the Algebra 1 course. Their frustrations will disappear and they will return to liking mathematics when they do encounter the Algebra 1 course. Calculators should not be used at this level.

Algebra ½: This is John’s version of what other publishers title a “Pre-algebra” book. Depending upon the students earlier endeavors, this book follows successful completion of either Math 76 or Math 87 as discussed above. Use the 3rd edition textbook rather than the older 2nd edition as the 3rd edition contains the lesson concept reference numbers which refer the student back to the lesson that introduced the concept of the numbered problem they’re having trouble with. These reference numbers save hours of time searching for the lesson needed to review the necessary concept. From here through calculus, all of the textbooks have hard covers, and tests occur every week, preferably on a Friday. To be successful in John Saxon’s Algebra 1 course, the student must complete the entire Algebra ½ textbook, scoring eighty or better on the last five tests of the course. Students who encounter difficulty by time they reach lesson 30 indicate problems related to something that occurred earlier in either Math 76 or Math 87. Parents should seek advice and assistance before proceeding as continuing through the book will generally result in frustration and lower test scores since the material in the book becomes more and more challenging very quickly. Calculators should not be used at this level.

Algebra 1: Use the newer and academically stronger 3rd edition. While the associated solutions manual is an additional expense, I strongly recommend parents acquire it at this level to assist the student when necessary. Depending upon the students earlier successes, this book follows completion of either Math 87 or Algebra ½ as discussed above. Calculators are recommended for use at this level after lesson 30. While lesson 114 of the book contains information about using a graphing calculator, one is not necessary at this level. That lesson was inserted because state textbook adoption committees wanted math books to reflect the most advanced technology. The only calculator students need from algebra through calculus is an inexpensive scientific calculator that costs about ten dollars at one of the local discount stores. A separate geometry textbook should not be used between Saxon Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 because the required two semesters of high school geometry concepts will be covered in Saxon Algebra 2 (1st semester) and in the first sixty lessons of the Advanced Mathematics book (2nd semester).

Algebra 2: Either the 2nd or 3rd editions of the Saxon Algebra 2 textbooks are okay to use. Except for the addition of the concept reference numbers in the newer 3rd edition, the two editions are identical. If you already have the older 2nd edition textbook, and need a solutions manual, you can get a copy of the 3rd edition solution manual which also has solutions to the daily practice problems not in the older 2nd edition solutions manual. Also, the 3rd edition test booklet has the concept reference numbers as well as solutions to each test question – something the 2nd edition test booklet does not have. An inexpensive scientific calculator is all that is needed for this course. Upon successful completion of the entire book, students have also completed the equivalent of the first semester of a regular high school geometry course in addition to the credit for Algebra 2.

Advanced Mathematics: Use the 2nd Edition. Students who attempt this book must have successfully completed all of Saxon Algebra 2. Upon successful completion of just the first sixty lessons of this textbook, the student will have completed the equivalent of the second semester of a regular high school geometry course. For more information on how to transcript the course to receive credit for a full year of geometry as well as a semester of trigonometry and a second semester of pre-calculus, please read my May 2009 newsletter. An inexpensive scientific calculator is all that is needed for this course.

Calculus: The original 1st edition is still an excellent textbook to master the basics of calculus, but the newer 2nd edition affords students the option to select whether they want to prepare for the AB or BC version of the College Boards Advanced Placement (AP) Program. To prepare for the AB version, students go through lesson 100. To prepare for the BC version, they must complete all 148 lessons of the book. While the 2nd edition reflects use of a graphing calculator, students can easily complete the course using an inexpensive scientific calculator. I recommend that students who use a graphing calculator first attend a course on how to use one before attempting upper level math as they need to concentrate on the math and not on how their fancy calculator works. It is not by accident that the book accompanying the graphing calculator is over a half inch thick.

FUZZY MATHEMATICS

If you’re not old enough to remember the old “Ma and Pa Kettle” movies, you will have to ask grandma or grandpa about them. Their movies were among the best of the funny classic black and white movies made back then. The kind of movie the entire family could watch and laugh together over. My brother and I often went to see the same movie more than once.

Today’s news item is from one of their movies. I saw it on the internet and could not resist sharing it with you and your students.

To watch this unbelievable episode of “Fuzzy Math" (Link removed)

I hope you all will have a great New Year. Next month, I will get back to the academic world of mathematics.