1. Well, I'd have a mixed answer on that. Yes, if the student focuses and follows the logic of the text, the photo captions and all, plus the labs, with the parent or student going over the full answer key daily and the email option as back-up, then the dots are connected. But if no one corrects the work daily, problems could build. And if a student needs lengthy explanations, this book is generally concise and not lengthy. However, sometimes texts with lengthy descriptions go in circles and the student zones out because he doesn't know which details to focus on, so he doesn't get to the next dot, KWIM? Sorry if that's a non answer Oh, and we used the Kahn videos on occasion. Orbitals is the one that was most helpful. The chapter was going along okay, but the lab tried to show a common "short cut" and, like Kahn mentioned, we really like knowing the reasoning and not memorizing the short cut for that.
2. For math, if all else fails, there is Bridge Math, but if the student isn't afraid of algebra and still remembers how to balance equations and such, I'd think it's possible she could follow the logic.
In the first half of the book so far, most of the problems end up looking something like the problem in sample number 4 (although sometimes the numbers are much larger and more complex).
At the bottom page 202, do you see the "fractions" all lined up?
Mathematically, the main thing is to be able to
(a ) set up the equation properly by understanding the lesson (setting it up so the only "unknown" will be the answer)
(b ) then be able to reduce the problem (eliminating things that are on both the top and bottom, and the student has made some choices anticipating what will need to be reduced so that he's left with the units needed in the answer),
(c ) and finally to calculate using a calculator if needed.
The only math I can think of that wasn't similar to that was the little dots (Lewis diagrams). I talked my son through that first chapter using my answer key and he decided they were fun.
4. I don't know, everything has its pros and cons. Every textbook author is better at explaining some things than others. Most kids are going to get stuck here or there.
Again, one con is that short sometimes means a student must really focus and follow the logic, and teens don't always do that. But again, long sometimes mean major points are buried between minor details.
The other con is that I don't like teaching my son science My son is very difficult to deal with in science and we've had our moments every year. I'm not sure this has anything to do with Spectrum, though But as an example, a week or so ago, he said he couldn't do a part of the Spectrum exercises because the teacher never explained it, and he was sick of textbooks that don't explain things, and why didn't I teach things like his college math professor etc etc. So I carefully teased out the info from him about which exact piece he wasn't getting (it had to do with +/- in the middle of the periodic table). Because I couldn't readily find the answer without digesting several chapters carefully, I emailed the author with the details of exactly which piece didn't get. The author carefully explained where this is taught and how my son should have gradually been picking this up in such-and-such chapters. I forwarded the email to my son, he did the problems, and he hasn't complained since. So, I think the lesson was there, but that doesn't mean my son won't have his occasional issues connecting the dots. Early on, my son absolutely balked at the "significant digits" issue required in all problems, because "that's not the way you do math." The book was quite clear on the scientific reasoning for making only certain digits significant. But I had to get both students to pay attention, and in my son's case, talk him into it. (And he's really a good-natured kid, has gone thru major life stress and made sure everyone was happy, but hasn't got a lot of stamina left for times he can't make things happy and wonderful.)
Anyways... as for the pros of Spectrum, most important to me are:
1. The teacher book that explains the point of each lab, and gives me complete answers to tests etc., with email as a back-up. There is no expectation that the teacher already gets it, has other materials to teach from, or is adding his own explanations.
2. The labs really get done. With Apologia, my son just kept on reading and said he "got it already" about the labs. With other lab programs, he tended to say they were more work than they were worth. The only two years he's done all the labs were Rainbow year 1 and this year. Maybe I shouldn't admit that here amongst all these "well trained minds"! But IRL I've found similar experiences in many homes, with undone labs at the end of the year. Beginnings Publishing labs are clear, everything is there, they usually work, and there is a point to them in the teacher book that I can tell my son
Julie--your son sounds just like mine---scary
Lol--my son balks immensely about the whole sig fig thing and its always a battle to get him to do it correctly.
Another high school chemistry curriculum is Ace Paces Chemistry. We are using it alongside Apologia, and the Apologia is an easy walk in the park so far compared to Ace! Lots of complicated math problems so far with gas laws etc. so far.http://www.christian...652487?event=CF