What People Like :)
- Each year comes with a book and instructional CDROMs.
- The CDROM does all the teaching (no parent needed!)
- Third grade to college math levels available.
- Kids enjoy the layout and interactive CDROM.
- Can rewatch the lecture as many times as you need.
- Online placement tests so you know which level to order.
What People Don't Like :(
- Expensive.
- Levels 1/2-1 year behind Saxon
- They don't offer younger than third grade levels
Try Instead:
Need something free? Try Khan Academy.
Want more parent-led program? Try Saxon.
Want something similar? Try CTC Math
User Tips:
Go to the website and have your kids do some samples. They will beg you to get it. For children who can learn quickly on their own, you can skip buying the CDROM's and just get the text/workbooks.
What LDS-NHA Friends Have to Say About Teaching Textbooks:
"This method is expensive, but it is well worth the money, especially if you have more than one child who will be using it. CD roms are fantastic, especially for older grades which are beyond my teaching abilities. It is expensive but it's worth it, especially if you or your child has a hard time reading through his/her Saxon math books." -Kim
"I loved that this is a math program that my kids could do completely on their own. They very rarely needed my help. There were a lot of story problems which were funny and well explained. It made math fun. What we did NOT love about this product: The older the kids got, the less they enjoyed it. My younger kids seemed to enjoy the format more. Advice for Others About this Product?: Make sure you do the placement test. I found that TT is about a year behind grade level." - Jolynn
They watch a lesson, then do practice questions. Perfect for independent work. My 4th graders are doing it this year and like it a lot. You can see a sample lesson on their website. -Jill
We use TT from level 3 on and the kids love it. I do too because I don't have to teach it. :) - Jenn
We used TT last year and liked it. I found that the 'levels' didn't correspond. TT is probably 1/2-1 year behind Saxon, so level up if you go with TT
Saxon is more rigorous than TT, ( on the lower levels, we haven't gotten to higher math yet) but if you're needing something that's more self directed and requires no prep from you, and does the grading and record keeping for you, TT might be worth a try. -Meredith
Teaching Textbooks has a more conversational feel. I haven't seen the CDs (I've tutored math, using the books), but I've heard the voice is "annoying." I've called it "the math for kids who hate math." I don't much like Saxon for the younger grades, but I think it's a great program for junior high/high school level. -Maggi
My kids love teaching textbooks and I make them use the cd rom along with the workbooks. They are understanding math and not complaining. it is the best money I have ever spent on curriculum. The voice isn't annoying to us. If you look at each level before you buy it tells you what will be covered so you can decide where to put your kids. -Krystal
We like TT. It was an important time saver for me with my older boys. I still use Saxon through pre-Algebra. I have found a slight drop in standardized test score percentile with the move from Saxon to TT, but I still feel that they are learning and understanding math well enough with it without my having to tutor/teach every day. - Shelly
I highly recommend Teaching Textbooks for math. My boys (5th and 7th grades) almost never need help from me, and when they do, it is usually just a reminder to go back over the lesson or to check their work. They have placement tests on their website; you'll need to use those to determine which one to buy. They can be kind of pricey new, but you can often find the discs used for cheap through sites like Homeschool Classifieds, and then buy just the workbook through the TT for around $35. -Melissa
Author/Publisher/Website: http://www.teachingtextbooks.com/
Summary from Company: "Using a Teaching Textbook™ is like having a friendly tutor available at the push of a button, but for only a fraction of the cost! Other products claim that they can be used without the assistance of a teacher, and this may or may not be true. But shouldn’t a truly ideal product for independent learners contain step-by-step teacher explanations for all those times when you might get stumped? We think so."
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