Algebra I

Review by Martha Robinson

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Calvert School offers the Algebra I course as a supplement to Calvert’s complete course or as a stand-alone option for families who do not use Calvert’s other products. The student manual is Algebra 1 by Jan Fair and Sadie C. Bragg and published by Prentice Hall. Its associated Solutions Manual, the Calvert staff-written Lesson Guide, and everything needed to do the year program, including scratch paper, a notebook, pencils, a ruler, and an eraser, complete the package.

Prentice Hall’s Algebra 1 is an extremely straightforward math book. Very brief examples and a “Capsule Review” box that gives steps to follow to solve the type of problem being taught begin the lesson. Then several more examples with detailed instructions for each problem follow. Extensive problems for class and “practice exercises” come next. Some of the lessons end with a feature box in which an interesting aspect of math is shared. These include mini-biographies of famous mathematicians, logic games, and practical applications for algebra. The appendix includes “extra practice” problems for each chapter, several tables, a glossary, an index, and the answers to the odd numbered problems.

The Solutions Manual includes the answers to all problems in the book. While it does not include any explanations or commentary, the problems are completely worked out with all steps shown.

Calvert’s Lesson Manual has a day-by-day schedule to cover 152 daily lessons, 16 review days (2 per unit), and 8 tests. Each day’s lesson summarizes relevant information from previous days and then provides additional explanation and examples for today’s work. The home teacher is a vital part of Calvert’s plan and must go over the class exercises with the student. Last the lesson lists selected problems, rather than the huge quantity of problems in the book, as homework. The review lessons explain what the student should do to review, such as going over notes, and then assigns oral problems with the home teacher and written problems in the student book chapter summary. Tests appear on green paper in the back of the lesson manual; however, answers are not provided.

The program is oriented towards families who opt for the “ATS,” Advisory Teaching Service, in which a Calvert teacher grades all the tests and “returns them to the student with comments, grades, and suggestion.” With the ATS, the student will receive a certificate of completion after successfully finishing the course. ATS is optional and costs an additional $130.

Recommendation: The Calvert Lesson Manual will make this course substantially easier to follow. With the relevant problems specified for homework, the student is less likely to become overwhelmed with the huge quantity of problems in the book. The explanation of how to study for the test and how to review material is particularly valuable for students at this age who may never have had material difficult enough to require serious studying.

The Prentice Hall Algebra is not the most exciting text around. The presentation is fairly dry, and the word problems are the standard, uninteresting ones that many parents will remember from their school days. Without ATS, the tests (with no answers available) will be of little worth to parents who do not remember enough algebra to work the problems and get the right answers. Nonetheless, with the Lesson Manual this program will be easy for the parent to implement, giving it great value.

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The above reviews are the opinions of the reviewers. Products, rather than companies or authors, have been reviewed. You may want to research companies further before choosing to buy any of the products reviewed. The reviews may or may not reflect the opinions of the management of HomeschoolChristian.com.

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