Homeschool Math. Those two words can cause literal sickness in some homeschool parents. But what if I told you that I was actually enjoying Algebra you would probably laugh at me. But thanks to Math Essentials and their No-Nonsense Algebra I remember why I liked algebra in high school. This review has been one of the neatest ones I have done because it was easy to use, easy to understand, and easy to teach. What better way to get my kids to learn algebra than to show them that it isn’t hard to do? Yep, I did a lot of algebra the last few weeks – and so did my kids!
Math Essentials: No-Nonsense Algebra
For this review we received the physical No-Nonsense Algebra book in the mail. This is a super duper big book of algebra!
These are the subjects covered in the book:
Chapter 1: Necessary Tools for Algebra- Chapter 2: Solving Equations
- Chapter 3: Graphing and Analyzing Linear Equations
- Chapter 4: Solving and Graphing Inequalities
- Chapter 5: Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities
- Chapter 6: Polynomials
- Chapter 7: Rational Expressions (Algebra Fractions)
- Chapter 8: Radical Expressions and Geometry
- Chapter 9: Quadratic Equations
- Chapter 10: Algebra Word Problems
Extras at the end of the book includes:
- Final Review
- Glossary of Terms
- Important Formulas
- Important Symbols
- Multiplication Table
- Commonly Used Prime Numbers
- Squares and Squares Roots
- Fraction/Decimal Equivalents
- Solutions
- Access to Online Videos
There are numerous pages in each chapter that cover all of the above types of problems. At the end of each chapter is a Chapter Review.
Not only did we get the book, we got the videos that help explain each lesson. America’s Math Teacher (Richard W. Fisher) takes the student over each new problem. After he explains for a moment the HOW then he helps the student work through some sample problems. It is like having the teacher right there in the room with you as you work. AND . . . if you don’t completely understand, you go back and listen again!
How This Worked for Us
The lessons were so easy to get through and the videos were an absolute tremendous help! I used this myself but I also included my 11th grader (Isaiah) and my 7th grader (Ana) some. It was more review for Isaiah at this point, but a whole new world of math for Ana. I would begin the lesson and work my way through ones that I remembered how to do (from way back when!) and then if I was stuck I would go listen to the video. It didn’t take me long to realize that I wouldn’t stumble around so much with the problems if I would just go watch the video FIRST. (duh!)
Once I would get in the groove of watching the videos, the kids would often be interested because MAMA is sitting and doing algebra!
After they saw how I was reacting to the videos and the work pages, then it was easier to convince them to try some of the problems themselves. Isaiah has been through most of algebra all ready but a little bit of review never killed anyone. I would have him work through some of the problems and if he would get stuck he’d hop on the computer and watch the video for that lesson again.
Ana has JUST barely touched on algebra so this was like a crazy and twisted form of torture for her, or so you would have thought! At first she was VERY reluctant but after hearing America’s Math Teacher, Richard W. Fisher talk, she was really liked this program. She is by far my most auditory learner, so having the videos to watch was such a huge help with introducing some of these math ideas. She only dabbled in them a little but I am seriously considering the Pre-Algebra Concepts for her now because she was able to grasp what she was being taught.
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In His Grace,
Callie
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